Castle Spilberk (Hrad Spilberk) description and photos - Czech Republic: Brno (Topic)

Castle Spilberk (Hrad Spilberk) description and photos - Czech Republic: Brno. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Hrad Spilberk.

Photo and description

Spilberk was founded in the second half of the XIII century. Initially it was a Gothic castle of Czech kings, then it was the residence of the Moravian margraves, and from the middle of the 17th century the castle gradually turned into a mighty baroque fortress. The system of fortifications of the fortress also included casemates, the construction of which was completed in 1742.

In 1783, as part of the reform of places of imprisonment in the Austrian monarchy, Emperor Joseph II decided to arrange a prison in the Spilberk fortress for the most cruel and dangerous criminals. A year later, the following imperial decree was implemented: to put criminals sentenced to life imprisonment in the deepest and most terrible casemates. For this purpose, 30 chambers were built, knocked down from thick wooden planks and beams, to which the prisoners were constantly chained. Although the prisoners were in such conditions for only five years, the Spilberk casemates, by their purpose and character, were the most terrible prison of the Austrian monarchy. It operated until 1855. So Spilberk is notoriously famous as a “prison of nations”.

Now it houses a museum of the city of Brno.

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Topic: Castle Spilberk (Hrad Spilberk) description and photos - Czech Republic: Brno.