Castle
A brief history of the castle
The Castle at Zbiroh serves as a fine example of the development of the seat of a Czech nobleman from a fortified castle to a mansion designed kovém suku v nádvoří. Hláska pochází z 13. století, je opatřena barokní šindelovou střechou s vikýřem a hodinami a boční přístavbou schodů z doby přestavby z let 1868–70. primarily for show. It was founded at the beginning of the 13th century. The first mention of Zbiroh in writing dates from the year 1230. The architect of the castle was probably Břetislav of Zbiroh, from the House of Sulislav. The castle then became the property of the large House of Drslavic, who began adding „of Zbiroh“ to their name when they had settled there. Děpolt of Zbiroh was an ancestor of the noble Švihovsky line from Rýzemberk. Another of the most significant owners of the castle was Přemysl Otakar II.
The castle was founded on a large hill crowned with boulders, which made the castle inaccessible from three directions. Only from the more gradual Eastern slope was the castle approachable, so two moats protected that side. This structure represents the Sasko – Hesensko style of castle construction, as do the nearby castles of Krašov and Valdek.
In the 14th century the castle became the property of the House of Rožemberk and after the Hussite movement was taken over by the House of Kolovrat. They carried out late-Gothic reconstructions and improved the fortifications, for example by adding the cannon bastion on the South-Western corner of the castle walls. Further reconstructions were carried out in the latter half of the 16th century by the House of Lobkowicz and continued by Emperor Rudolf II after he confiscated the property of Ladislav Popel of Lobkovicz around 1609. From that time the castle became a rental property of the royal treasury. In the 17th century it served as a prison for captives, and later as the headquarters and accommodation for castle officials. In the 1840’s the royal treasury provided for various repairs. Tthe moat was filled and the interior, including the Great Renaissance Hall of Rudolf II,, was somewhat diminished by various additions.
In the year 1868 the Castle was bought by the famous industrialist Baron Bethel Henry Strousberg, an iron and railway magnate who conducted dramatic reconstructions in 1869 and 1870. The oldest part was least affected by the changes, but the outer walls were almost completely rebuilt. The Berlin architect August Orth led this project and, along with his colleague Kaiser, gave the castle its current architecturally and artistically impressive Neo-Renaissance appearance.
This is particularly characteristic of the entrance with its high portico. This provides the focal point of the impressive approach to the Castle, which is weighted on either side by a monumental pair of stone lions. The portico creates an axis that continues toward the original castle, whose entrance reflects the outstanding architectural composition of this axis. This was damaged when the orangery on the North side of the courtyard was removed. Above the center of the West Wing rises the ancient watchtower, as a reminder of the long history of the structure and as its centre. The other highlight of the Baron’s modifications is the Great hall of the Castle.
Baron Strousberg soon went bankrupt, however, and the Castle was literally plundered by his creditors. Some parts, such as the Castle orangery, were even taken apart and carried away. In the year 1879 the empty Castle was bought by the Colloredo-Mansfeld family, in whose hands it remained until 1945. They lived there only occasionally; most of the time they rented it out. Thus the artist Alfons Mucha came to live at Zbiroh, where he painted his famous Slavic Epic in the Great hall. From 1912 to 1928, he and his family occupied an entire floor in the Eastern Wing. From 1943 to 1945 the Castle was used by the SS as its headquarters. After 1945 it became the property of the Czechoslovak government and was used by the Czech army.
After the army left, the Castle was handed over to the town of Zbiroh, which sold it to the private company Gastro Žofín in 2004.
Description of the building
The Castle premises consist of the castle itself and a front court situated on the Eastern side of the castle. At the centre of the castle premises stands a watchtower built on a rocky outcropping in what is now the courtyard. The watchtower dates back to the 13th century. It has a Baroque shingled roof with a skylight. There is also a clock and external stairway, which were added during the reconstructions of 1868–1870.
The original castle is situated near the outcropping on which the watchtower stands. It appears to have been completed on the West side by a tower or chapel. The castle chapel, which dates to the late 14th century was expanded in the 18th century, is found on the first floor. There are three altar bays, of which the East one is in the Gothic style and the others are in the Baroque style. In the 19th century the chapel organ loft was turned into an oratory with a glass ceiling for the Castle owner. The chapel is accessed directly from the courtyard by a stairway leading to a Neo-Renaissance portico. The floor of the castle was rebuilt in the 18th century, so the floor of the Gothic interior is slightly lower than the level of the forecourt. In the 16th century the palace was extended Eastward in the Renaissance style and its roof was completed with a high gable. Baron Strousberg had the palace extended in the Northwest corner of the court with a highly impressive new construction including a stairway, a balcony and several rooms.
The Renaissance style of the East Wing is the result of the 19th century reconstruction. There is a well 164 m deep, broken into the hard bedrock apparently as early as the 13th century. The well is blocked off at 90 m below the surface, perhaps for security reasons during the army’s tenure here.
In the South Wing of the castle is a large hall built in 1869–70 in the Neo-Renaissance style. The Hall rises to a plain-rest vault and a large skylight. In 1928 the skylight was removed and low windows were built into the walls and formed into an outside gallery arcade supported by cantilevers. The materials used in the hall and the facade are the most significant architectural elements of the Castle.
The West Wing of the castle dates from the reconstruction of the Renaissance Wing, which has always served as its entrance. The original entrance led over a draw-bridge laid across the moat and then up the stairway through the Renaissance portal. Today the stairs are hidden and lead under the arcade into the upper court. Baron Strousberg had the Wing rebuilt and the West part of the main palace was demolished, which obscured its original design.
The South Wing of the front court was developed from the substantial reconstruction of part of the Castle, which was rebuilt in the Renaissance style for Rudolph II. It is undoubtedly interesting that it contains a two-floored structure with a mezzanine level, which was used by the baron for kennels. The individual kennels are connected by a low, narrow corridor. The Wing is accessible through a passage behind the monumental portico then across a vestibule with stairs to the first floor. On the ground floor, there are four adjoining halls, the first one with a hearth and an arcade. Originally there were stables in these halls, but later they were used for state functions. On the first floor are four lounges accessible from the front of the court with a lengthwise corridor. The only preserved part of the front court is a cannon bastion below a room vaulted with lunettes, probably relics of the renaissance reconstruction.
The West fascade frontispiece also has two floors. The chambers are accessible from central corridors. At the North end of the Wing there is rectangular area that appears to be part of the late Gothic construction, perhaps the remains of a tower. The masterpiece of Strousberg´s reconstruction is the portico of this Wing, which was constructed to the height of both floors and it creates a pergola over the entrance. The portico is decorated with two reliefs of angels.
There are two monumental statues of lions about 5 m high (including the plinth) in front of the Castle. They were probably made of metal plates alloyed from zinc and lead that were sculpted onto a metal framework.
An English park with a number of small buildings surrounds the Castle. Although several of them are in poor condition, most of them have survived to the present day, perhaps thanks to the army´s neglect. Terraces lie immediately in front of the South and East facades. The other parts of the park were beautifully landscaped to blend gradually into the surrounding countryside. The forests are composed primarily of beech trees intermingled with various species that are valued for the quality of their wood. The way to the Castle on the South side leads through a gate with three arches. Behind these stands an entrance building in the form of a wooden pavilion sided with hand-lathed shingles, which served as the gardener's house.
Cultural significance of the building
The Castle of Zbiroh is undoubtedly one of the most significant historical complexes in the Czec Republic. Dominating the region from its place near the motorway from Prague via Pilzen to Germany, the Castle cannot be overlooked. The history of the Castle is tightly linked to the history of the Czech lands with all its meanderings and setbacks, its periods of prosperity and failure. It is one of the few Castle complexes originating from medieval castles that were essentially preserved despite later reconstructions. In addition, Zbiroh is one of the oldest castles built by a noble lord in what is now the Czech Republic, because until about 1200 castles could only be owned by the monarchy. The castle’s appearance preceded a great wave of castle construction that began in the middle of the 13th century. One of the oldest remaining elements is the well, which, at a depth of 164 m, is among the deepest historical wells in Europe and a significant technical monument.
The reconstruction in the Renaissance style in 1869–1870 by Baron Strousberg, a nouveau- riche entrepreneur who made his fortune in iron and railways, was an influential modification. It led to the extraordinarily great artistic and architectural definition of the Castle’s final appearance. Following the nazi occupation in WWII, the castle is now opening to the public for the first time in 60 years. This reopening is also necessary for basic examination of the construction, which will undoubtedly confirm its importance as a testament to the changes that took place during its transformation. The Castle particularly exemplifies the influence of the rich and powerful entrepreneurs who managed to give their modern nobility sophisticated expression in remarkable architecture. In comparison with many of the reconstructions of similar Castlex that are admired today, Baron Strousberg’s modifications were executed with a deeper respect for the value of the original elements that had been preserved up to his time.
The significance of the castle´s connection to the work of Alfons Mucha, who created his celebrated Slavic Epic here, is also unquestionable. The curtain he designed for a local theatre group is still displayed in the Great Hall.
Contemporary use
In 1997 the Czech army stopped using the Castle itself and confined itself to barracks with a hospital in the place of the former stables as well as the adjoining park grounds. In March 2004 the empty Castle and its lands were handed over to the town of Zbiroh, which later sold it to the private company Gastro Žofin. The company immediately proceeded to fulfil its intention of gradually opening the Castle to the public with a permanent exhibition of the “Beauties and Secrets of the Czech Republic” and other cultural events.
The Castle has been open to the public since 18 June 2005
