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98-418: The first records of Krasný Dvůr date back to the 14th century, since then numerous aristocratic families (e.g. Kolowrats ) held possession of it until Count Hermann Czernin bought it in the middle of the 17th century. Count Franz Josef Czernin decided to start an extensive reconstruction on a Renaissance villa built on the site of a Gothic stronghold originally constructed by Jan Maštovský of Kolovraty at

196-423: A German princess, Margaret of Babenberg , and became duke of Austria . He thereby acquired Upper Austria , Lower Austria , and part of Styria . He conquered the rest of Styria, most of Carinthia , and parts of Carniola . He was called "the king of iron and gold" (iron because of his conquests, gold because of his wealth). He campaigned as far as Prussia , where he defeated the pagan natives and in 1256, founded

294-776: A city he named Královec in Czech, which later became Königsberg (now Kaliningrad ). In 1260, Ottokar defeated Béla IV , king of Hungary in the Battle of Kressenbrunn near the Morava river, where more than 200,000 men clashed. He ruled an area from Austria to the Adriatic Sea . From 1273, however, Habsburg king Rudolf began to reassert imperial authority, checking Ottokar's power. He also had problems with rebellious nobility in Bohemia. All of Ottokar's German possessions were lost in 1276, and in 1278 he

392-453: A co-owner of the company, financially backing some of their automotive factories. He also collaborated with Ferdinand Porsche who built him a light-weight sports car called the Sascha Wagen (in honor of Count Alexander). Count Alexander Kolowrat also discovered actress Marlene Dietrich and director Michael Curtiz (famous for Casablanca ). His younger brother, Jindřich Josef (1897–1996),

490-583: A family agreement was concluded between the male members of all branches of the family, in which the indivisibility of the property , the maintenance of the monastery in Dolní Ročov, preservation of the Coat of arms and the ancestral history, and the non-mixing of ancestral noble blood were negotiated. Many members became major patrons, primarily of the Catholic Church . Count Franz Karel I. (1620–1700), knight of

588-560: A few decades, especially in agriculture and crafts. In Silesia it had doubled (16% of the total area) by the beginning of the 11th century, 30% in the 16th century and the highest increase rates in the 14th century, the total area of arable land increased seven – to twentyfold in many Silesian regions during the Ostsiedlung . They settled mostly the hills and mountains and started the mine works and high qualities industry such as metal works, weapon industry and beer making. Forest glass production

686-676: A knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece and many other honors, became the Grand Prior of the Knights of Malta , and in his military career he achieved the rank of Commanding General and lieutenant field marshal . It was in this rank that he commanded the 4th Russian-Austrian Infantry Column of 16,000 men at the Battle of Austerlitz on December 2, 1805, when his army fought against Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte . Count Franz Xaver II. (1803–1873) also became

784-615: A major role in the industrial development of the Czech Kingdom. In the late 12th and in the 13th century the Přemyslid rulers promoted the colonisation of certain areas of their lands by German settlers from the adjacent lands of Bavaria, Franconia, Upper Saxony and Austria during the Ostsiedlung migration. The new settlers not only brought their customs and language with them, but also new technical skills and equipment that were adapted within

882-511: A more radical sect, soon formed, taking their name from the town of Tábor , their stronghold in southern Bohemia. They rejected church doctrine and upheld the Bible as the sole authority in all matters of belief. Soon after Hus assumed office, German professors of theology demanded the condemnation of Wycliffe's writings. Hus protested, receiving the support of the Czech element at the university. Having only one vote in policy decisions against three for

980-458: A non-hereditary royal title during the 11th and 12th centuries ( Vratislaus II , Vladislaus II ), the kingdom was formally established in 1198 by Přemysl Ottokar I , who had his status acknowledged by Philip of Swabia , elected King of the Romans , in return for his support against the rival Emperor Otto IV . In 1204 Ottokar's royal status was accepted by Otto IV as well as by Pope Innocent III . It

1078-504: A representative of Olomouc Bishop František cardinal Dietrichstein , and subsequently was even elected as provost of the Olomouc chapter. Of the members of the Bezdružický family we'll mention George (1481–1526), who was the supreme judge and who witnessed the rivalry of the nobles and the royal cities over power in the land. Another important member of the family was Václav († pre–1539), who was

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1176-517: Is Albrecht of Kolowrat the Elder ( cs ) . The family rose to prominence during the Habsburg Monarchy, during which its members held some of the highest political, military, and clerical offices, including serving as Minister-Presidents , Supreme Chancellors, field marshals , archbishops , and knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece . Albrecht the Elder of Kolowrat, whose ancestors came from

1274-469: The Ostsiedlung , often encouraged by the Přemyslid kings. The Germans populated towns and mining districts on the Bohemian periphery and in some cases formed German colonies in the interior of the Czech lands. Stříbro, Kutná Hora , Německý Brod (present-day Havlíčkův Brod ), and Jihlava were important German settlements. The Germans brought their own code of law – the ius teutonicum – which formed

1372-621: The Augustinian monastery in Dolní Ročov between 1647 and 1648. Count Václav (1634–1659) is considered the greatest patron of the entire family, because in 1654 he renounced the entire estate and devoted it to the construction of the St. Nicholas cathedral in Malá Strana in Prague . After the departure of French troops from the country, Count Maximilian Norbert (1660–1721), provided financial assistance to repair

1470-543: The Březnice library with many rare incunabula and illuminated manuscripts to the museum. He also did not neglect to support Czech authors, financially supporting Božena Němcova and Karel Havlíček Borovský . He also contributed one of the largest amounts to the building of the National Theater . Even in this period, there were members of the family who set out on a political or military career path. Vincenc Maria (1749–1824),

1568-680: The Crown of Bohemia ( Koruna česká ), together with the incorporated provinces: at times were incorporated into the Kingdom of Bohemia these provinces: The modern Czech Republic (Czechia) is the legal successor of the Crown of Bohemia, as stated in the preamble to its Constitution. Prior to 1833, Bohemia was divided into seven to sixteen district units, known in Czech as Kraje ( sg. Kraj ) and in German as Kreise ( sg. Kreis ). These included

1666-625: The Czechoslovak Republic . The current Czech Republic consisting of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia still uses most of the symbols of the Kingdom of Bohemia: a two-tailed lion in its coat-of-arms, red-white stripes in the state flag and the royal castle as the president's office. Bohemia was among the first countries in Europe to become industrialized. Mining of tin and silver began in Ore mountains in early 12th century. The German hospes had

1764-601: The Holy Roman Empire and later the Habsburg monarchy as high-ranking officials and supporters of the Czech National Revival . The family origins are so far back in time that they are not recorded in any extant Bohemian historical documents. Only a few legends, such as those recounted by historians Bohuslav Balbín and František Palacký , give an account of those origins. The first historically documented Kolowrat

1862-711: The Jesuit college, grammar school and seminary in Klatovy . Worth noting is also the last wife of Count Wilhelm Albrecht I (1600–1688), Countess Ludmila Eva Františka (1616–1695), who in 1691 donated her diamond-studded wedding dress (6500 diamonds) to the Prague Loreta , from which the Diamond Monstrance, also known as the Prague Sun, was made. Count Jan Wilhelm Vojtěch (1627–1668) dedicated his life to his ecclesiastical career, and

1960-568: The Karlštejn Castle was for sale, Count Norbert Leopold bought it for 150,000 gold and donated it back to the Crown as he believed that Karlštejn Castle should not be in private hands. Another knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece was Count Filip Nerius (1686–1773), the Supreme Burgrave ( equivalent to prime minister ) of the Czech kingdom and a provincial judge. He also founded one of

2058-731: The Order of the Golden Fleece , financially supported the construction of many church buildings throughout his life. In 1674, he founded an entailed estate consisting of Rychnov nad Kněžnou , Cernikovice, and Borohrádek. Count Oldřich František (1607–1650) was present at the establishment of the Capuchin monastery in Sušice , supported the founding of the Jesuit college in Klatovy , in Březnice and in Hlohov. Count Kryštof Jaroslav (1604–1659) provided extensive repairs of

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2156-528: The Order of the Knights of Malta , became a general, lieutenant field marshal , and owner of the "Kolowrat" Regiment (the Kolowrat family private army). We should also mention Count Wilhelm Albrecht II  [ cs ] , The High Chancellor of the Czech Kingdom , who took over the inheritance after the Barons of Újezd family, which provided him with many estates, including Březnice na Příbram , which remained in

2254-670: The Přemyslid reign over Bohemia . German Emperor Frederick II 's preoccupation with Mediterranean affairs and the dynastic struggles known as the Great Interregnum (1254–73) weakened imperial authority in Central Europe, thus providing opportunities for Přemyslid assertiveness. At the same time, the Mongol invasions (1220–42) absorbed the attention of Bohemia's eastern neighbors, Hungary and Poland . Přemysl Ottokar II (1253–78) married

2352-513: The Turks . States would have one vote each, with a leading role for France. George did not see a specific role for Papal authority. Czech Catholic nobles joined in the League of Zelená Hora in 1465, challenging the authority of George of Poděbrady; the next year, Pope Paul II excommunicated George. The Bohemian War (1468-1478) pitted Bohemia against Matthias Corvinus and Frederick III of Habsburg , and

2450-701: The Winter King , and the Thirty Years' War . Their defeat at the Battle of White Mountain in 1620 put an end to the Bohemian autonomy movement. In 1740 the Prussian Army conquered Bohemian Silesia in the Silesian Wars and forced Maria Theresa in 1742 to cede the majority of Silesia, except the southernmost area with the duchies of Cieszyn, Krnov and Opava, to Prussia . In 1756 Prussian King Frederick II faced an enemy coalition led by Austria, when Maria Theresa

2548-504: The dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Bohemian kingdom was incorporated into the now two years old Austrian Empire and the royal title retained alongside the title of Austrian Emperor . In the course of the 1867 Austro-Hungarian Compromise the provinces of Bohemia, Moravia and Austrian Silesia became k. k. crown lands of Cisleithania . The Bohemian Kingdom officially ceased to exist in 1918 by transformation into

2646-548: The 12th century by the Duchy of Bohemia , later ruled by the House of Luxembourg , the Jagiellonian dynasty , and from 1526 the House of Habsburg and its successor, the House of Habsburg-Lorraine . Numerous kings of Bohemia were also elected Holy Roman Emperors , and the capital, Prague , was the imperial seat in the late 14th century, and again at the end of the 16th and the beginning of

2744-422: The 16th century), who built a political career as a vice-governor in the court of Emperor Rudolf II . He also became burgrave of Karlštejn , and while holding this position, he had Karlštejn castle markedly repaired and enlarged. Thus, he held both provincial and the court offices, which was not very common. Further, we can also name Ignác Jindřich (1575/77–1628), who became famous for his ecclesiastical career as

2842-532: The 17th centuries. Shortly before the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the kingdom became part of the newly proclaimed Habsburg Austrian Empire , and subsequently the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1867. Bohemia retained its name and formal status as a separate Kingdom of Bohemia until 1918, known as a crown land within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and its capital Prague was one of

2940-558: The 20th century is film producer, founder of the Austrian film industry, automobile and motorcycle racer Count Alexander Joseph (1886–1927), whom everyone simply called Sasha. He was the holder of the Franz Joseph Cross of Merit. During World War I he was the chief of film propaganda for the Austro-Hungarian Empire . After the War, he financially supported Laurin & Klement , even becoming

3038-568: The Bohemian Crown ) was frequently subjected to raids by the Ottoman Empire and its vassals (especially the Tatars and Transylvania ). Overall, hundreds of thousands were enslaved whilst tens of thousands were killed. The incorporation of Bohemia into the Habsburg monarchy against the resistance of the local Protestant nobility sparked the 1618 Defenestration of Prague , the brief reign of

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3136-660: The Bohemian and the Hungarian kingdom were held in personal union . Not considered an Imperial State , the Lands of the Bohemian Crown were not part of the Imperial Circles established by the 1500 Imperial Reform . In 1526 Vladislav's son, King Louis , was decisively defeated by the Ottoman Turks at the Battle of Mohács and subsequently died. As a result, the Turks conquered part of

3234-592: The Bohemian crown went to his son, Wenceslas IV . He had also been elected King of the Romans in 1376, in the first election since his father's Golden Bull. He was deposed from the Imperial throne in 1400, however, having never been crowned Emperor. His half-brother, Sigismund , was eventually crowned Emperor in Rome in 1433, ruling until 1437, and he was the last male member of the House of Luxemburg. The Hussite movement (1402–85)

3332-514: The Bohemian estates elected Albert of Austria as his successor. Albert died and his son, Ladislaus the Posthumous – so called because he was born after his father's death – was acknowledged as king. During Ladislaus' minority, Bohemia was ruled by a regency composed of moderate reform nobles who were Utraquists. Internal dissension among the Czechs provided the primary challenge to the regency. A part of

3430-611: The Catholic Church. He advocated the Wycliffe doctrine of clerical purity and poverty, and insisted on the laity receiving communion under both kinds, bread and wine. (The Catholic Church in practice reserved the cup, or wine, for the clergy.) The more moderate followers of Hus, the Utraquists , took their name from the Latin sub utraque specie , meaning "under each kind". The Taborites ,

3528-576: The Chapter Library, he bequeathed the rare, illuminated manuscript of his travel breviary among others. Of the Žehrovský family, we can mention Jan (1434–1473), who, unlike other members of his extended family, became an ally of King George of Poděbrady , and took part in his mission of peace in Central and Western Europe between 1465 and 1467. Of the Nowohradský family, the best-known is Jáchym (2nd half of

3626-666: The Cross with the Red Star in 1233, the first military order in the Kingdom of Bohemia. Four other military orders were present in Bohemia: the Order of St. John of Jerusalem from c.  1160 ; the Order of Saint Lazarus from the late 12th century; the Teutonic Order from c. 1200–1421; and the Knights Templar from 1232 to 1312. The 13th century was the most dynamic period of

3724-621: The Czech Kingdom (together with Oldrich II. of Rosenberg , Meinhard of Neuhaus , Ales of Sternberg, Nicholas of Hazmburg, and Zikmund of Warttenberg) before the new King took over the government. Later he became the Governor of the Prague cities and was a well known adversary of George of Poděbrady , King of Bohemia . He was also involved in the Hussite Wars . His son, Hanuš II. (1430–1483), unlike his grandfather and father, did not enter politics as

3822-451: The Czech nobility remained Catholic and loyal to the pope. A Utraquist delegation to the Council of Basel in 1433 had negotiated a seeming reconciliation with the Catholic Church. The Compacts of Basel accepted the basic tenets of Hussitism expressed in the Four Articles of Prague: communion under both kinds; free preaching of the Gospels; expropriation of church land; and exposure and punishment of public sinners. The pope, however, rejected

3920-426: The Czechs would have three votes; the others, a single vote. In consequence, German faculty and students left Charles University en masse in the thousands, and many ended up founding the University of Leipzig . Hus' victory was short-lived. He preached against the sale of indulgences , which lost him the support of the king, who had received a percentage of such sales. In 1412 Hus and his followers were suspended from

4018-431: The Germans, the Czechs were outvoted, and the orthodox position was maintained. In subsequent years, the Czechs demanded a revision of the university charter, granting more adequate representation to the native Czech faculty. The university controversy was intensified by the vacillating position of the Bohemian king Wenceslas. His favoring of Germans in appointments to councillor and other administrative positions had aroused

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4116-564: The Grand Prior of the Order of the Knights of Malta and was awarded the Imperial Order of Leopold . He is known primarily because of his post as ambassador at the Imperial Court. Count Leopold Maria (1804–1863) dedicated his entire life to a military career, becoming a Lieutenant Field Marshal and Commanding General . He later became the governor of Venice . Let us also not forget the clergy, and mention Count Alois Josef (1759–1833), Deputy Bishop of Olomouc, Bishop of Hradec Králové and Archbishop of Prague from 1830. Standing out among others in

4214-440: The Holy Roman Empire. It was precipitated by a controversy at Charles University in Prague . In 1403 Jan Hus became rector of the university. A reformist preacher, Hus espoused the anti-papal and anti-hierarchical teachings of John Wycliffe of England, often referred to as the "Morning Star of the Reformation". Hus' teaching was distinguished by its rejection of what he saw as the wealth, corruption, and hierarchical tendencies of

4312-452: The Hungarian forces occupied most of Moravia. George of Poděbrady died in 1471. Upon the death of the Hussite king, the Bohemian estates elected the Polish prince Ladislaus Jagiellon as king, who negotiated the Peace of Olomouc in 1479. In 1490, after the death of Matthias Corvinus, he was also elected by the strongest Hungarian baron league as king of Hungary, and the Polish Jagellonian line ruled both Bohemia and Hungary [but separate line

4410-483: The Hussites as religious fanatics; they fought in part for a nationalist purpose: to protect their land from a King and a Pope who did not recognize the right of the Hussites to exist. Žižka led armies to storm castles, monasteries, churches, and villages, expelling the Catholic clergy, expropriating ecclesiastical lands, or accepting conversions. During the struggle against Sigismund, Taborite armies penetrated into areas of modern-day Slovakia as well. Czech refugees from

4508-423: The Kingdom of Hungary, and the rest (mainly present-day Slovakia territory) came under Habsburg rule under the terms of King Louis' marriage contract. The Bohemian estates in 1526 elected Austrian Archduke Ferdinand , younger brother of Emperor Charles V , to succeed Louis as king of Bohemia. Thus began almost four centuries of Habsburg rule for both Bohemia and Hungary . From 1599 to 1711, Moravia (a Land of

4606-408: The Kolowrat family. His oldest son, Lord Albrecht the Younger (1369–1416), founded a branch of Kolowrat-Liebsteinsky and perhaps Kolowrat-Krakowsky, whose descendants still live today. Following his father's example, he financially supported the monastery in Dolni Ročov. Hanuš I. (1390–1450) became one of the most powerful people in the country, as in 1437 he became one of six interim administrators of

4704-449: The Obelisk, the Vantage Pavilion, Goethe's Pavilion, a memorial plaque with the engraved names of important people who have visited the park, a hermitage , a grotto with a sarcophagus and other interesting objects. The so-called French garden, situated behind the eastern part of the chateau, is also of note. Its parterre is solved with a pond and grassy areas, which are embellished with large yew-trees and smaller box-trees. The castle

4802-489: The administration of his son, Jan Egon. Count Jindřich died in 1996 and appointed Count František Tomáš as the sole heir and administrator of the family property. František Tomáš established a family with JUDr. Dominika Kolowrat-Krakowská, née Perutková, and their son, Count Maxmilian Alexander was born in 1996. Two years later, they welcomed their daughter, Francesca Dominika (*1998). After the premature passing of Count František Tomáš in 2004, Dominika Kolowrat-Krakowská took over

4900-404: The administration of the family assets. Together with her children, Count Maximilian and Francesca, on February 26, 2008 (the 65th anniversary of the birth of František Tomáš), she established the Kolowrátek Endowment Fund. The original Kolowratian coat of arms was composed of an or wheel with eight spokes in a gules field. This familial coat of arms is also common to other families, which explains

4998-399: The archbishop was given the right to crown Bohemian kings. Charles curbed the Bohemian, Moravian, and Silesian nobility, and rationalized the provincial administration of Bohemia and Moravia. He created the Crown of Bohemia , incorporating Moravia, Silesia and Lusatia . In 1355 Charles was crowned Holy Roman Emperor. The next year he issued the Golden Bull of 1356 , defining and codifying

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5096-405: The basis of the later commercial law of Bohemia and Moravia . Marriages between Czech nobles and Germans soon became commonplace. The 14th century – particularly the reign of Charles IV (1342–78) – is considered the Golden Age of Czech history. In 1306, the Přemyslid line died out and, after a series of dynastic wars, John, Count of Luxembourg , was elected Bohemian king. He married Elisabeth ,

5194-422: The capital city of Prague); these acted merely as administrative units of the Kraje / Kreise rather than taking on powers of their own. Prague remained a statutory city, as well acting as the administrative centre of the Prager Kreis / Pražský kraj . The city of Reichenberg was a Stadtbezirk (city district) subordinate to the Bunzlauer Kreis , as well as the seat of Landbezirk Reichenberg ;

5292-457: The compact, thus preventing the reconciliation of Czech Catholics with the Utraquists. George of Poděbrady , later to become the "national" king of Bohemia, emerged as leader of the Utraquist regency. George installed another Utraquist, John of Rokycany , as archbishop of Prague and succeeded in uniting the more radical Taborites with the Czech Reformed Church. The Catholic party was driven out of Prague. After Ladislaus died of leukemia in 1457,

5390-403: The condition of a natural landscape, not an artificially man-made one. The castle park of Krásný Dvůr is true evidence of this school of thought. In accordance with taste of those days it was brightened with a number of Romantic buildings enriching vacant fields or closing various vistas of park scenes. From the dendrological point of view you can find more than one hundred species of trees in

5488-434: The crusades were Germans, although many were also Hungarians and Catholic Czechs, the Hussite movement is seen as a Czech national movement. In modern times it acquired anti-imperial and anti-German associations and has sometimes been identified as a manifestation of a long-term ethnic Czech–German conflict. Hussitism began during the long reign of Wenceslaus IV (1378–1419), a period of papal schism and concomitant anarchy in

5586-409: The daughter of Wenceslaus II. He was succeeded as king in 1346 by his son, Charles IV, the second king from the House of Luxembourg . Charles was raised at the French court and was cosmopolitan in attitude. Charles IV strengthened the power and prestige of the Bohemian kingdom. In 1344 he elevated the bishopric of Prague , making it an archbishopric and freeing it from the jurisdiction of Mainz , and

5684-403: The eagle along with a small Austrian heart shield (in gules with argent bar). The crest above the helmet, which is decorated with a crown in or and mantlings in argent and gules, is formed by closed eagle wings with a half moon finished in clover trefoils in or, a princely crown in or, and a crowned shield in gules with argent bar. Throughout the years, the Kolowrats have created family bonds with

5782-416: The empire's leading cities. The Czech language (called the Bohemian language in English usage until the 19th century) was the main language of the Diet and the nobility until 1627 (after the Bohemian Revolt was suppressed). German was then formally made equal with Czech and eventually prevailed as the language of the Diet until the Czech National Revival in the 19th century. German was also widely used as

5880-449: The end of the 16th century. The reconstruction project was undertaken by Czech architect František Maxmilián Kaňka and was distinctly influenced by the French architecture; construction went on between 1720 and 1724. Some alterations of chateau buildings were made at the end of the 18th century. In 1783 the chapel was erected, in 1791–92 two-pair staircases were built in the court and in the northern garden and ground arcades were walled at

5978-520: The family property. After the return of the family property, he leased the Kolowrat Palace to the National Theater for the symbolic price of 1 CZK for the duration of 20 years making him one of the greatest supporters of Czech arts. Also in April 1992, pursuant to the Restitution Act, the castle in Rychnov nad Kněžnou , including its collections, the chateau in Černíkovice, lands, were returned to Count Kryštof Jaroslav Kolowrat-Krakowský-Liebsteinský, who managed them until 1999. The properties are now under

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6076-530: The family tombs. Another family member to receive recognition was Count Leopold Wilhelm (1727–1809), who was also awarded the Grand Cross of the Hungarian Order of St. Stephan and the Order of Leopold. He served as the First State and Conference Minister and the highest Czech-Austrian Chancellor, but he was also a capable entrepreneur in the tobacco and needle industries. Field marshal General and Commander of Bohemia , Count Johann Kollowrat (1748–1816), who fought against Napoleon , also achieved recognition when he

6174-459: The following in different time periods: According to Johann Gottfried Sommer Bohemia was divided into 16 district units between 1833 and 1849: In 1849 the number of Kreise / Kraje was reduced to seven. They were then subdivided into political districts (German: politischer Bezirk or Bezirkshauptmannschaft ('district captaincy '), pl. politische Bezirke/Bezirkshauptmannschaften ; Czech: Okres ), which took over most of

6272-566: The following year the Bohemian estates elected George of Poděbrady as king. Although George was noble-born, he was not a successor of royal dynasty; his election to the monarchy was not recognised by the Pope, or any other European monarchs. George sought to establish a "Charter of a Universal Peace Union ." He believed that all monarchs should work for a sustainable peace on the principle of national sovereignty of states, principles of non-interference, and solving problems and disputes before an International Tribunal. Also, Europe should unite to fight

6370-401: The foundations of the House of Kolowrat. In 1373, Albrecht of Kolowrat established an Augustinian monastery of the Assumption in Ročov, where he was later buried. The founder of the family and the first documented member of the Kolowrat family was Lord Albrecht the Elder (†1391). He was first mentioned as a witness in the sale of Rožmitál Castle in 1347. He is known primarily because he became

6468-445: The houses of Berka, Colloredo-Mannsfeld , Gutstein, Lobkowicz , Martinic, Schwarzenberg , Schlik, Sternberg, and Wallenstein . Kingdom of Bohemia The Kingdom of Bohemia ( Czech : České království ), sometimes referenced in English literature as the Czech Kingdom , was a medieval and early modern monarchy in Central Europe. It was the predecessor state of the modern Czech Republic . The Kingdom of Bohemia

6566-403: The imperial councils. The imperial prerogative to ratify each Bohemian ruler and to appoint the bishop of Prague was revoked. The king's successor was his son Wenceslaus I , from his second marriage. Wenceslaus I's sister Agnes , later canonized, refused to marry the Holy Roman Emperor and instead devoted her life to spiritual works. Corresponding with the Pope, she established the Knights of

6664-470: The language of administration in many towns after the Germans immigrated and populated some areas of the country in the 13th century. The royal court used the Czech, Latin, and German languages, depending on the ruler and period. Following the defeat of the Central Powers in World War I , both the Kingdom and Empire were dissolved. Bohemia became the core part of the newly formed Czechoslovak Republic . Although some former rulers of Bohemia had enjoyed

6762-425: The marshal of Empress Anna of Schweidnitz (wife of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor ), and Governor of Vogtland . Together with his sons, he founded the Augustinian monastery of the Virgin Mary in Dolni Ročov. Here, Lord Albrecht the Elder is also buried, and his gravestone is tied to a family legend that has persisted for centuries. Lord Albrecht's sons and grandchildren laid the foundations of eight noble branches of

6860-415: The nationalist sentiments of the Czech nobility and rallied them to Hus' defense. The German faculties had the support of Zbyněk Zajíc , Archbishop of Prague , and the German clergy. For political reasons, Wenceslas switched his support from the Germans to Hus and allied with the reformers. On 18 January 1409, Wenceslas issued the Decree of Kutná Hora : (as was the case at other major universities in Europe)

6958-445: The old city. The royal castle, Hradčany , was rebuilt. Of particular significance was the founding of Charles University in Prague in 1348. Charles intended to make Prague into an international center of learning, and the university was divided into Czech, Polish, Saxon, and Bavarian "nations", each with one controlling vote. Charles University, however, would become the nucleus of intense Czech particularism. Charles died in 1378, and

7056-471: The park, and entirely domestic or domesticated species only. A number of ancient oaks , beeches , limes , horse chestnuts , plane trees , maples and alders grow there. The most important of them is the so-called Goethe's Oak (today already only a torso), the age of which is estimated at 1,000 years, which ranks it among the oldest trees in the Czech Republic. Deeper in the park we find Pan 's-Temple,

7154-536: The political functions of the Kreise / Kraje . Prague became a statutory city, administered directly by the kingdom. A total of 79 districts existed during this period. In 1854 the political districts were abolished and the previous more centralised administrative structure largely restored. However, 13 new Kraje / Kreise were established in place of the old ones. These Kraje / Kreise were subdivided into between twelve and 20 Bezirke (207 in total, plus

7252-591: The possession of the Kolowrat family for a long time. The most important politician of the Kolowrat family was Count Franz Anton II. (1778–1861), who became the first Minister-President of the Austrian Empire , the de facto second in command after Emperor Ferdinand I. He later became one of the founders of the Czech National Gallery , donating his extensive collection of paintings. Together with Josef Maria (1746–1824) and Jan Nepomuk Karel (1794–1872), he

7350-649: The pro-papal king of Hungary and successor to the Bohemian throne after the death of Wenceslas in 1419, failed repeatedly to gain control of the kingdom despite aid by Hungarian and German armies. Riots broke out in Prague. Led by a Czech yeoman, Jan Žižka , the Taborites streamed into the capital. Religious strife pervaded the entire kingdom and was particularly intense in the German-dominated towns. Hussite Czechs and Catholic Germans turned on each other; many were massacred, and many German survivors fled or were exiled to

7448-632: The process of election to the Imperial throne , with the Bohemian king among the seven electors. Issuance of the Golden Bull together with the ensuing acquisition of the Brandenburg Electorate gave the Luxemburgs two votes in the electoral college . Charles also made Prague into an Imperial capital. Extensive building projects undertaken by the king included the founding of the New Town southeast of

7546-516: The religious wars in Bohemia settled there, and from 1438 to 1453 a Czech noble, John Jiskra of Brandýs , controlled most of southern Slovakia from the centers of Zólyom (today Zvolen ) and Kassa (today Košice ). Thus Hussite doctrines and the Czech Bible were disseminated among the Slovaks, providing the basis for a future link between the Czechs and their Slovak neighbors. When Sigismund died in 1437,

7644-482: The rest of the Holy Roman Empire. Emperor Sigismund led or instigated various crusades against Bohemia with the support of Hungarians and Bohemian Catholics. The Hussite Wars followed a pattern. When a crusade was launched against Bohemia, moderate and radical Hussites would unite and defeat it. Once the threat was over, the Hussite armies would focus on raiding the land of Catholic sympathizers. Many historians have painted

7742-759: The same time. Eighteen rooms and lobby galleries are open to the public. Valuable paintings by Czech and European artists are installed here (some of the most well-known being Petr Brandl , Karel Škréta , Ludvík Kohl , Joseph Bergler , Filip Kristian Benthum, Kristian Brand and Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun ), and a number of graphic arts, porcelain, china, glass, earthenware, clocks, original Adam fireplaces, furniture and other samples of historical craftsmen's skills are to be seen. Some thematic collections are also remarkable (e.g. an extensive Baroque pictorial anthology of dog-portrayals by artist Petr Václav . The castle park in Krásný Dvůr park with an area of 250 acres (1.0 km)

7840-431: The supreme feudal judge and burgrave at Vyšehrad . He continued with the tradition of supporting of the monastery in Dolní Ročov, thus becoming responsible for extensive reconstruction of the entire building. During the 17th century, many major changes took place. For the Kolowrat family, among the most important of events was the promotion of the family to Counts of the Holy Roman Empire and Counts of Bohemia . In 1629,

7938-667: The theory of a common forefather for the Kolowrats, the Janovics, the Čejkas, and the Dvořeckýs. The azure shield features an argent and gules party per pale eagle with arms and a half moon finished with clover trefoils in or. Since the 15th century, the eagle has featured the royal crown in or on the neck. Having acquired the Countship title, the lineage of the Liesbsteinskýs added a second tail to

8036-579: The two were counted together as a single Bezirk . 11 of the Kraje / Kreise had a single district court ( Kreisgericht ). These were located in the administrative centre of the Kraj / Kreis , except for the Čáslavský kraj / Časlauer Kreis , whose district court was located at Kutná Hora /Kuttenberg. The Bunzlauer and Leitmeritzer Kreise ( Boleslavský and Litoměřický kraje ) each had two district courts: Jung-Bunzlau and Reichenberg for

8134-485: The university and expelled from Prague. For two years the reformers served as itinerant preachers throughout Bohemia. In 1414 Hus was summoned to the Council of Constance to defend his views. Imprisoned when he arrived, he was never given a chance to defend his ideas. The council condemned him as a heretic and burned him at the stake in 1415. Hus's death sparked the Hussite Wars , decades of religious warfare. Sigismund ,

8232-416: The village of Kolovraty, is considered to be the founder of the dynasty. Being a hetman and the court marshal of Anna of Schweidnitz (wife of Charles IV), and an assessor of the provincial and royal feudal court, he entered historical documents in 1347 when Rožmitál castle was sold and he was mentioned as an assessing witness. He married three times and had eight children, six of which were sons who later laid

8330-411: Was a canon several times over and a prelate. In 1668, he even became Archbishop of Prague . In the 18th century, many Kolowrats become members of prestigious orders. Several of them even received the most prestigious Habsburg order, the Order of the Golden Fleece . One of its recipients was Count Norbert Leopold (1655–1711), who was a lifelong supporter of the Catholic Church and Empress Eleonor . When

8428-480: Was a common industry for German Bohemians. Bohemia proper ( Čechy ) with the County of Kladsko ( Hrabství kladské ) was the main area of the Kingdom of Bohemia. The Egerland ( Chebsko ) was ultimately obtained by King Wenceslaus II between 1291 and 1305; given in pawn to Bohemia by King Louis IV of Germany in 1322 and subsequently joined in personal union with Bohemia proper. In 1348 Charles IV created

8526-528: Was a prominent politician, diplomat, national economist, anti-Nazi fighter and patron in the spirit of the Kolowrat ancestral tradition. He received many honors and awards for both his political activities as well as his lifelong work. Other family holders of state awards include Bohuslav (1876–1934), Jan (1879–1955), and Zdeňek (1881–1941). After 1989, Count Jindřich Kolowrat returned from exile to Czechoslovakia , accompanied by his youngest son Count František Tomáš (1943–2004), so that together they could restitute

8624-585: Was abandoned by part of the Czech nobility and died in the Battle on the Marchfeld against Rudolf. Ottokar was succeeded by his son King Wenceslaus II , who was crowned King of Poland in 1300. Wenceslaus II's son Wenceslaus III was crowned King of Hungary a year later. At this time, the Kings of Bohemia ruled from Hungary to the Baltic Sea . The 13th century was also a period of large-scale German immigration, during

8722-478: Was also one of the founders of the Czech National Museum , to which he donated, among other things, a library with rare prints and a collection of minerals. Many members of the family played an important role in the Czech National Revival in order to support the unity of the Czech nation. Count Jan Nepomuk Karel (called Hanuš), a knight of the Order of the Knights of Malta , also donated his collections and

8820-408: Was an Imperial State in the Holy Roman Empire . The Bohemian king was a prince-elector of the empire. The kings of Bohemia, besides the region of Bohemia itself, also ruled other lands belonging to the Bohemian Crown , which at various times included Moravia , Silesia , Lusatia , and parts of Saxony , Brandenburg , and Bavaria . The kingdom was established by the Přemyslid dynasty in

8918-623: Was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold (Austrian Imperial Order of Leopold) , the French Legion of Honour and the Military Order of Maria Theresa . He later became a Commander of the Order of the Knights of Malta . Kajetán František (1689–1769), too, became a Field Marshal General and Military Commander of Moravia . Emanuel Václav (1700–1769), who, among other things, was Grand Prior of

9016-604: Was expected of him, but instead turned to the church and became the administrator of the Prague Archbishopric. He became famous as the patron of the Catholic Church, when in 1465, he donated the golden, precious-jewel inlaid Kolowrat prayer book with relics of Czech saints to the Saint Vitus Cathedral Treasure (the largest and most important Treasure in Czech Republic, and one of the most extensive in Europe ). To

9114-419: Was founded in 1783–1793 by Johann Rudolf Czernin. He was influenced partly by his botanic inclinations and then also by his journey around Western Europe, which he undertook in 1779. In those days a new park trend had begun expanding into Europe from England. Natural scenery was to be brought into the very neighbourhood of buildings according to this trend. The principle of the landscape park is based directly on

9212-754: Was in Poland after Casimir]. The Jagellonians governed Bohemia as absentee monarchs because the Hungarian nobility insisted on them putting their capital into Hungary; their influence in the kingdom was minimal, and effective government fell to the regional nobility. Czech Catholics accepted the Compact of Basel in 1485 and were reconciled with the Utraquists. The Bohemian estrangement from the Empire continued after Vladislav [as II] had succeeded Matthias Corvinus of Hungary in 1490 and both

9310-482: Was officially recognized in 1212 by the Golden Bull of Sicily issued by Emperor Frederick II , elevating the Duchy of Bohemia to Kingdom status and proclaiming its independence which was also later bolstered by future king of Bohemia and emperor Charles IV, with his golden bull in 1356. Under these terms, the Czech king was to be exempt from all future obligations to the Holy Roman Empire except for participation in

9408-475: Was preparing for war with Prussia to reclaim Silesia. The Prussian army conquered Saxony and in 1757 invaded Bohemia. In the Battle of Prague (1757) they defeated the Habsburgs and subsequently occupied Prague. More than one quarter of Prague was destroyed and the St. Vitus Cathedral suffered heavy damage. In the Battle of Kolín , however, Frederick lost and had to vacate Prague and retreat from Bohemia. With

9506-426: Was primarily a religious, as well as national, manifestation. As a religious reform movement (the so-called Bohemian Reformation ), it represented a challenge to papal authority and an assertion of national autonomy in ecclesiastical affairs. The Hussites defeated four crusades from the Holy Roman Empire, and the movement is viewed by many as a part of the (worldwide) Protestant Reformation . Because many of warriors of

9604-462: Was used by Jiří Menzel as a location for his film "End of Old Times" ("Konec starých časů", 1989), based on a 1934 eponymous novel by Vladislav Vančura . 50°15′8″N 13°22′11″E  /  50.25222°N 13.36972°E  / 50.25222; 13.36972 House of Kolowrat The House of Kolowrat is a Czech noble family that had a prominent role in the history and administration of their native Kingdom of Bohemia as well as

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