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The fate of...
KARLSTEJN CASTLE
Fate
marked the history of Karlstejn
immediately in the following period, during the reign of Charles' successor,
his son Václav IV. The castle became the scene of many disputes
and conflicts, because Václav (Wenceslas), unlike his father,
did not possess the ability to solve the growing problems in the country
with diplomacy. Václav IV was the last ruler to reside at Karlstejn.
He gradually devoted ever more time to new Tocnik Castle, Karlstejn
remaining for a time only the place of safe-keeping of the coronation
jewels.
Václav's
brother Zikmund, however, had
them removed in fear of the Hussite wars which broke out at that time.
The imperial coronation jewels were never returned to Karlstejn. In
1796 they were deposited in Nuremberg and now they are in Vienna (Weltliche
Schatzkammer). This put an end to Charles's original idea and the mission
of the castle, which was, however, replaced with a new one when the
Czech coronation jewels and the crown archives were transferred to Karlstejn
in 1436.
In
November 1421 some of the Hussite
troops attacked the community of Buda below the castle and in the following
year they besieged Karlstejn Castle.The Hussites occupied all the surrounding
hills, where they set up camp. The siege lasted seven months and the
castle was bombarded with big stone balls and barrels contaning burning
pitch and even excrement. The castle itself was not damaged to any great
extent by the besiegers on that occasion, but rather by the conduct
of the castle garrison, which used a part of the valuable decoration
of the building to secure supplies and other things. It was the precious
metal attributes of the saints, shields, crowns and swords that disappeared
in particular frorn the Chapel of the Holy Rood at that time as well
as a part of the treasure accumulated by Charles IV.
Karlstejn
continued to be the property of the
king, but after the death of Václav IV no sovereign resided at
the castle. Several burggraves alternated in the administration of the
castle, first one and from 1488 two. The office of the burggrave of
Karlstejn was one of the most important in Bohemia. A whole number of
personalities from the aristocracy held the post, exerting a strong
influence on the fate of the castle and its architectural adaptations.
The Czech coronation jewels and the archives remained at Karlstejn until
the beginning of the Thirty Years' War. After the Prague defenestration
the castle did not appear to be safe enough for the safe-keeping of
the coronation jewels. Thus on the impulse of the then burggrave, Matyas
Thurn, they were transferred to Prague on 22 June, 1619 and deposited
in St. Vitus's Cathedral at Prague Castle. As a result Karlstejn definitely
lost its original purpose and importance, this being manifested in its
architectural state.
Karlstejn
gradually began to fall into disrepair.
During the Thirty Years' War Fridrich of the Palatinate filled the castle
with English mercenaries. Later it was handed over to the imperial army
and in 1622 it was placed at the disposal of Czech queens. Shortly afterwards,
however, the Empress Eleonora pledged it, in 1626, to Jan Kavka of Ricany
and Karlstejn ceased to be royal property. At that time all the holy
relics remaining in the chapel were removed. All this was crowned by
the siege of the castle by the Swedes in 1648, who conquered it in the
same year. According to reports of the historian Bohuslav Balbin of
the latter half of the 17th century the castle was in a derelict state
after the Thirty Years' War, some parts of it being threatened with
falling into ruin.
In
the late 17th century Karlstejn once
again became the property of the queens and empresses and so in 1750
the castle found itself in the ownership of Maria Theresa. In 1755,
however, she bestowed it on the newly founded Institute of Gentlewomen
in Prague. However, Karlstejn served the Institute of Gentlewomen merely
as the economic administrative centre for the surrounding estates and
so attention was devoted only to the burggrave's seat, the other buildings
being left to their fate or serving as storehouses and granaries.
It
was not until the late 18th century
that new interest began to be shown in this important historic monument
and its preservation. In 1812 the castle was visited by the Emperor
Franz I, who immediately allotted financial means for its repair. At
that time, however, the emperor removed a part of the original furnishings
of the castle. Thanks to the romantic movement of the 19th century interest
continued to be shown in the castle and in 1886 its general reconstruction
was started under the supervision of Josef Mocker, who lent Karlstejn
its present appearance.
