Poděbrady Castle
Encyclopedia
The Poděbrady Castle is a castle in the town of Poděbrady
, in the Czech Republic
.
replaced it by a stone castle, which became the seat of the Lordship of Poděbrady. King John of Bohemia pledged the Lordship and the Castle to Hynek of Lichtenburg in 1345. When in 1350, Hynek's daughter Elizabeth ( married Boček I of Poděbrady
(d. 1373), the castle came into the possession of the Kunštát family. After Emperor Charles IV
gave Poděbrady to Boček as a hereditary possession, Boček called himself Boček of Poděbrady, thereby founding the Poděbrady line of the Kunštát family.
According to legend, King George of Poděbrady
, Boček's grandson, was born on the castle. After George's death in 1471, the Castle and Lordship of Poděbrady where inherited by his son, Henry the Younger of Poděbrady
, whose heirs had to tranfer ownership of both the castle and the lordship to King Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary
in 1495. Both were pledged several times before the load was repaid by King Ferdinand I
. They remained in the possession of the Bohemian Crown until 1839.
The castle was rebuilt several times. Between 1548 and 1580, it was reconstructed to a Renaissance
style, after a design by Giovanni and Ulrico Aostalli and Hans Vienna. After the Thirty Years' War
, the castle lost most of its importance. In 1723 and 1724, it was reconstructed in a Baroque
style under the direction of the builder Franz Maximilian Kanka. Further modifications were made after 1750. Maria Theresa, in her capacity as Queen of Bohemia, stayed at the castle on several occasions. Under her son Joseph II
, the castle was the residence of retired Imperial Army officers.
In 1839, the Crown sold the Castle and the Lordship to the Viennese banker Georg Simon Sina (1783-1856). Through marriage, the castle came into the possession of the Counts of Ypsilanti in 1884.
Podebrady
Poděbrady is a historical spa town in the Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic. It lies on the river Labe 50 km east of Prague on the D11 highway. A historic milestone in the life of the town was the year 1905, when it was visited by the German estate owner Prince von Bülow...
, in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
History
A wooden Fortress originally stood at the site of the present castle. king Ottokar II of BohemiaOttokar II of Bohemia
Ottokar II , called The Iron and Golden King, was the King of Bohemia from 1253 until 1278. He was the Duke of Austria , Styria , Carinthia and Carniola also....
replaced it by a stone castle, which became the seat of the Lordship of Poděbrady. King John of Bohemia pledged the Lordship and the Castle to Hynek of Lichtenburg in 1345. When in 1350, Hynek's daughter Elizabeth ( married Boček I of Poděbrady
Boček I of Poděbrady
Boček I of Poděbrady was founder of the Poděbrady line of the House of Kunštát.- Life :...
(d. 1373), the castle came into the possession of the Kunštát family. After Emperor Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
gave Poděbrady to Boček as a hereditary possession, Boček called himself Boček of Poděbrady, thereby founding the Poděbrady line of the Kunštát family.
According to legend, King George of Poděbrady
George of Podebrady
George of Kunštát and Poděbrady , also known as Poděbrad or Podiebrad , was King of Bohemia...
, Boček's grandson, was born on the castle. After George's death in 1471, the Castle and Lordship of Poděbrady where inherited by his son, Henry the Younger of Poděbrady
Henry the Younger of Poděbrady
Henry the Younger of Poděbrady was an Imperial Count and Count of Glatz. From 1462 to 1471, he served as Duke of Münsterberg jointly with his older brothers Victor and Henry the Elder. He also ruled Duchy of Opava jointly with his brothers from 1365 to 1372...
, whose heirs had to tranfer ownership of both the castle and the lordship to King Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary
Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary
Vladislaus II, also known as Ladislaus Jagiellon ; was King of Bohemia from 1471 and King of Hungary from 1490 until his death in 1516...
in 1495. Both were pledged several times before the load was repaid by King Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
. They remained in the possession of the Bohemian Crown until 1839.
The castle was rebuilt several times. Between 1548 and 1580, it was reconstructed to a Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
style, after a design by Giovanni and Ulrico Aostalli and Hans Vienna. After the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, the castle lost most of its importance. In 1723 and 1724, it was reconstructed in a Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style under the direction of the builder Franz Maximilian Kanka. Further modifications were made after 1750. Maria Theresa, in her capacity as Queen of Bohemia, stayed at the castle on several occasions. Under her son Joseph II
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I...
, the castle was the residence of retired Imperial Army officers.
In 1839, the Crown sold the Castle and the Lordship to the Viennese banker Georg Simon Sina (1783-1856). Through marriage, the castle came into the possession of the Counts of Ypsilanti in 1884.