Sokolov Castle
Sokolov Castle ( Falkenau Castle ) is a classical castle in the center of the city of Sokolov in the Czech Republic . A large former castle park is attached to the castle. The castle is located on the edge of the old town.
history
Origin of the castle as a fortified complex
The origins of a fortified structure in the same place are connected to the structure of the place. A model can be found in the Sokolov District Museum on the first floor of the castle. It shows a well-fortified palace built mainly from stones , which is surrounded by a defensive wall and a moat . The ministerial family of the Notthracht demonstrably contributed to the cultivation of the area and they were probably also masters of this first castle. In 1366 the castle came under the administration of the King's Chamber. In the Gothic era, the complex was a moated castle with four corner towers that have been preserved to this day. The moat with several stone bridges over it is said to have existed as early as the 17th century.
The castle and chateau under the Schlik and Nostitz families
Later castle owners were the Schlik and Nostitz families . Kaspar Schlick received the Falkenau estate from Sigismund von Luxemburg in 1434 . In 1480, the Schlicks rebuilt the castle, and the building they built is the basis of today's castle. Johann Albin Schlick is considered to be the last Schlick to reside on Falkenau. He was one of the leaders of the Bohemian uprising and fled abroad in 1621 after the Battle of White Mountain . The castle was confiscated together with the Falkenau estate and sold to the Nostitz family in 1622. The castle was damaged in the Thirty Years War and burned down in 1648.
Johann Hartwig von Nostitz-Rieneck had the heavily damaged castle rebuilt into a renaissance castle between 1659 and 1663 . The area around the castle was designed in the style of French gardens in 1730. From 1800 to 1805, Count Friedrich Nostitz-Rieneck had the palace thoroughly renovated and designed in the classical style. In 1880 the roofs of the castle towers were replaced. The new, tent-shaped roofs are still preserved, with them the castle largely got its present appearance. The Nostitz family continued to own the castle until it was expropriated in 1945 due to the Beneš decrees .
The castle since the Second World War
The US Army used the castle as the headquarters of their command post immediately after the war. Later the Soviet Army used the castle. This caused great damage and large parts of the inventory were damaged or destroyed. Among other things, the furnishings in the castle chapel were burned. In the 1960s, the castle was gradually renovated and given civilian use with a library, museum and rooms for the registry office. The last major renovation took place from 1993 to 1994.
Museum of the Karlovy Vary Region
Today the Sokolov Museum of Karlovarský kraj (Karlovy Vary Region) is located in the castle . Exhibits include the history of mining (on metals and lignite) in the regions of the Czech Ore Mountains / Egergraben / Kaiserwald , the early industrial glass production , regional production of porcelain , regional historical works of art such as paintings and wooden figures, the history of the owners (noble families) of the Falkenau Castle, uniforms from the time of the Second World War and prisoner clothing from prisoners of the Falkenau satellite camp . Extensive information is shown on the history of the von Nostitz family . In addition, finds from prehistory and early history, such as the bones and tusks of mammoths and works of art by early humans ( Venus figurines ) and fragments of an early "wooden doll" of primitive humans are on display. Occasional exhibitions of contemporary works of art are held in an attached art gallery.
literature
- Harald Stark : The Notthracht family - looking for traces in Egerland, Bavaria and Swabia . Weißenstadt 2006, ISBN 3-926621-46-X , p. 57ff.
- City of Sokolov (ed.): Sokolov. Known and unknown . Sokolov 2006, p. 25 .
- Vinzenz Uhl: Castles and palaces of the Ore Mountains and Egertal. Kaaden, 1935.
Web links
- Castle history at notthphia.de
- Sokolov Castle on Burgenwelt.org
Coordinates: 50 ° 10 ′ 45 ″ N , 12 ° 38 ′ 30 ″ E