Discoveries are often accidental. It was the same in my case when I discovered the interiors of the former sanatorium in Trebschen, now Trzebiechów, that had been designed by Henry van de Velde.

My grandfather, doctor Curt Schelenz was a head of the Antituberculitic Sanatorium of the Vollmar Foundation in Trzebiechów in the years 1920 - 1945. From the very beginning of his residence here he was interested in the district of Sulechów and Świebodzin and he established the Regional Museum in Sulechów. He was interested in history of the Trebschen village and the history of the Sanatorium. This is why I found photos and documents about the sanatorium history in my grandfather's archive.

In April 2002 I read an article in the newspaper about the official opening of "Villa Esche" in Chemnitz, which was deisgned by Henry van de Velde, a Belgian artist, one of the most famous creators of the secession style. Johannes Rau, the former president of Germany took part in this ceremony. This information was the starting point of the discovery of the secession work by Henry van de Velde in Trzebiechów.

This reminded me about my grandfather's documents and from that moment on I could not sleep peacefully!

From 1977 on I visited the Sanatorium in Trzebiechów several times, but it never occured to me that I should consider the interiors of this object important for the history of fine arts.

In 2002 I went to Trzebiechów again, to see the former director of the Sanatorium and to inquire if the interiors had been really designed by Henry van de Velde himself. In November 2002 I visited the Sanatorium again, this time with Prof. Rita Kielstein PhD, who is the president of the European Association of Henry van de Velde's Friends in Gera, Grermany. In the presence of the Governor of the Zielona Góra County Krzysztof Romankiewicz, the hypothesis about Henry van de Velde's activity in Trebschen was confirmed.

We started to talk about it to Wojciech Śigielski, PhD, from the University of Zielona Góra and with Barbara Bielinis -Kopeć from the Regional Department of State Service of Historical Buildings Protection. All these contacts were supported by Mr Jeschke, the Mayor of Schenkendobern, Trzebiechów's partner commune. Afterwards, several meetings took place in Trzebiechów and they gave way to organizing a conference in the former manege of the palace on 23 October, 2003. For the first time, after 100 years Henry van de Velde's work was demonstrated to the experts from Belgium, Germany and Poland and to the journalists. What makes the discovery even more sensational, the artist never mentioned Trebschen in his list of works or in his biography. The conference took place under the auspices of Jolanta Danielak, Vice-President of the Polish Senate and Bruno Neve de Mevergnies, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium in Poland.

Unexpectedly, I found Henry van de Velde's letters to Princess Marie Alexandrine Reuss in one of the archives. He was writing about the building details of the Sanatorium. Designing the Sanatorium's interiors was one of the first commisions which he received during his highly successful period in Weimar (1902 - 1917). These works were taking place at the same time as rebuilding of the Nietsche Archive and building of the "Villa Esche" in Chemnitz. The doctor's house was finished in 1903 and in 1905 the whole sanatorium in Trebschen was completed and started to be used.

The condition of these buildings is surprisingly good, even though they are more than 100 years old. However, some preservation works are necessary. Their aim will be to keep and preserve the common cultural heritage belonging not only to the Polish and German nation, but also to the Belges who also have their share in this undertaking thanks to Henry van de Velde, who was a talented and versatile artist.

It should become the symbol of our good future.