Zelená Hora Chateau

The Zelená Hora chateau, a prominent feature of the Nepomuk Region, was erected on the site of a fortified hilltop from the Hussite Wars. After the wars ended, the hilltop stonghold was rebuilt as a castle by Hynek Krušina of Švamberk. The elevation of the chateau is 536 m above sea level. The chateau itself was erected by Václav Vojtěch of Sternberg in the 17th century while the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary dates from the 15th century. The chateau was the seat of the house of Sternberg, Lev of Rožmitál, and the houses of Martinic, Colloredo-Mansfeld, and Auersberg. The last legal owners of the chateau were Mr. and Mrs. Plavec, who bought the building from the house of Auersberg for CZK 8.5m on 1 October 1931. Before the outbreak of World War II, the Plavecs sold the building to Karel Blažek, an entrepreneur from Pilsen and MP for the Czechoslovak Traders’ Party. However, he failed to pay the transfer fees to the government, which is why the sale was not recorded in the land registry. A period of neglect of the chateau began. The chateau housed a German garrison, then the US Army for a while, followed by Technical Auxiliary Battalions, and later still Technical Battalions. The military remained in the building even after the dissolution of the Battalions until the early 1990s, when the chateau was transferred to the municipality of Klášter. The public became aware of the chateau especially as the original location of the Zelená Hora Manuscript. This document was found by Josef Kovář, the chateau accounts clerk. The manuscript, which contained the Libuša’s Verdict text, played a major, positive role in influencing the nation’s awareness during the period of National Revival. There is much discussion, to this day, about the origin and authenticity of the manuscript. The chateau is also known to the general public from the Black Barons novel by Miloslav Švandrlík and the eponymous film based on the book. However, the presence of the Technical Battalions in the early 1950s in the building was much less humorous than what the book portrays. The chateau was also used as a filming location for the French film Catherine Courage or the John Sinclair series. 

Upcoming events and more info: https://www.zelenahora.cz/en/