Grabštejn Castle

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Hrad Grabštejn (Grafenstein Castle)
Grabštejn Castle

Grabštejn Castle

Creation time : Mid 13th century
Conservation status: well preserved
Place: Grabštejn
Geographical location 50 ° 50 '46 "  N , 14 ° 52' 34.3"  E Coordinates: 50 ° 50 '46 "  N , 14 ° 52' 34.3"  E
Height: 309  m nm
Grabštejn Castle (Czech Republic)
Grabštejn Castle

Hrad Grabštejn (German Grafenstein Castle ) is located in the village of the same name Grabštejn near Chotyně in Liberecký kraj in the north of the Czech Republic .

history

Grabštejn Castle tower

The oldest part of the castle, called Ulsitz, dates from the 13th century. It was probably built by the Burgraves of Dohna and belonged to the old Bohemian Bunzlau district . During the Hussite Wars it was conquered and rebuilt several times.

In 1562 the imperial councilor Georg Mehl von Strehlitz ( Jiří Mehl ze Střelic ; † 1589) acquired the castle and lordship of Grafenstein from the brothers Albrecht and Rudolf von Dohna ( Donin ) for 30,000 Rhenish Floren . He converted Grafenstein Castle into a renaissance castle , whereby the fortifications were preserved. He later sold both for the same price to his relative Ferdinand Hoffmann, Freiherr von Grünbühl ( Ferdinand Hoffmann z Grünenbühlu ).

During the Thirty Years' War , the castle was conquered by the Swedes, who used it as a hospital and supply base for further military operations in the area. Around this time the castle and the rulership came to the Trauttmansdorff family , from whom the Clam-Gallas acquired it in 1704 . They had extensive possessions in northern Bohemia and combined the castle and the Grafenstein estate with their Friedland estate . In 1782 they rebuilt the castle and at the same time renewed the interior.

Further restorations took place in 1818 and after a fire in 1843. Before 1838 Christian Christoph Clam-Gallas acquired the altarpiece “Maria im Grünen” for the St. Barbara Palace Chapel , which was probably a copy of the first work by the painter Joseph von Führich .

After the Second World War , the castle was confiscated and nationalized by Czechoslovakia. Some buildings were initially used by the army as a defense base, barracks and dog kennel. In the following years it was partly left to decay.

After the Velvet Revolution in 1990, extensive restoration work was carried out on the castle, the overall appearance of which has been preserved to this day.

Numerous collections, old cellars with exhibitions, the war tower with a viewing platform and the castle chapel are accessible. In the deep underground rooms there is a dungeon that can also be visited.

Top-class benefit concerts with soloists from the Prague National Theater and the local soloist Luďka Vele take place in the courtyard every year . The money will be used to repair the castle.

literature

  • Randolf Gränzer: Reichenberg - Stadt und Land , published by many Heimatfreunde from Heimatkreis e. V. in the Heimatstube Reichenberg , Augsburg 1974, pp. 502-504
  • The coats of arms of the Bohemian nobility. J. Siebmacher's great coat of arms book , volume 30, Neustadt an der Aisch 1979, p. 240, coat of arms p. 107

Web links

Commons : Grabštejn  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

  • Grabštejn Castle, aerial photo (2019)

  • View of the castle

  • Chapel of St. Barbara

  • Entrance hall

  • Room with fireplace

  • Courtyard