Zbiroh Castle in the Czech Republic
Rating: 7,8/10 (1049 votes)  Throughout its centuries-old history, a halo of mystery has been circling over the Zbiroh castle - not everyone could get here. The castle was erected on a rock of jasper, and, according to legend, had the ability to rid its inhabitants from the evil eye. For this and another number of reasons, the castle became the site for the rituals of the Masonic lodge. Today the castle Zbiroh, located near the town of Rokycany, is one of the oldest castles in the Czech Republic. The castle was originally built to protect strategically important points. Legend has it that a certain Zbynek Zaits became the founder of the castle. During the hunt, Zbynek got lost, and was forced to spend the night on the top of a high hill. After awakening, Zbyneg and his squad found many deer antlers around them. Having ordered to collect the horns, Zbynek gave the order to lay a castle on this place. The castle and the village located under the hill got their name from the phrase “to collect horns”. The castle was first mentioned in 1230, at that time the owner of the castle was King Premysl Otakar II. In the 14th century the castle was taken over by the Rosenberg family, and already in the 15th century Zbirog was handed over to the Kolovrat family, who rebuilt the castle in a late Gothic manner. In the 16th century, the Lobkowicz family owned the castle, which also subjected the castle to next reconstruction. In the 17th century, all the property of the Lobkowicz people and the castle itself were confiscated by Rudolf II. The castle was taken over by the imperial court, which often used the estate as a prison for high-ranking criminals. In the middle of the 19th century the castle was taken over by Baron Bethel Henry Strausberg. As a result, the castle underwent a massive reconstruction, turning into a manor in the New Renaissance style. August Orth became the project manager. However, the baron soon went bankrupt, and the reconstruction was temporarily suspended. The Colloredo-Mansfeld family became the new owners of the Zbirog castle until 1945. Since the new owners of the castle were extremely rare here, it was decided to lease the estate. One of the tenants was Alphonse Mucha, a famous artist who wrote his work"The Slav Epic" here. During World War II, the castle housed the SS headquarters, most of the leaders of this secret organization were Masons. After the war, the Warsaw Pact radar station was located here. In 1997, after the castle was abandoned by the military, it became city property. Thanks to the city authorities, a number of renovations were carried out here, after which the castle was opened to tourists as a museum.    We also recommend reading Castle Brandis nad Labem in the Czech Republic Topic: Zbiroh Castle in the Czech Republic. |
