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Publikováno dne 1. 2. 2009 v kategorii Oznámení. Máte možnost odebírat komentáře k tomuto článku pomocí RSS 2.0. K tomuto článku můžete vložit komentář, nebo na něj umístit zpětný odkaz ze své vlastní stránky.
WELCOME TO VALTICE»»
CONTACTS»»
HISTORY OF THE TOWN»»
CULTURAL MONUMENTS»»
LVA & UNESCO»»
FLAG AND EMBLEM»»
The city of Valtice, located near Austrian border, is famous for its beautiful castle and highly developed viniculture. The castle of Valtice used to be an ostentatious domicile of Austrian as well as Moravian house of Lechtenstein. It was renowend not only for its beauty, but also for arts. Let´s name, for example, the castle theater, whose significance ot the time competed with the theatre stage of Vienna.
The Area of Chateaus Lednice and Valtice is one of the most precious pearls in historical and cultural treasure of the Czech Republic. Sience 1992 it has been listed in the UNESCO World Heritage.
The castle of Valtice, one of the largest secular baroque buildings in Moravia, was built in the period of 1643 dtto 1730. The castle also includes an extensive park and a number of romantic buildings dating back to the first half of the 19th century, such as the colonnade called Reistna, the manor house of Belveder and the temple of Diana (also known as Randezvous).
Valtice and wine. These two terms have been Inseparable for hundreds of years. The prestigious wine exhibit called Wine Market of Valtice attracts visitors from the whole country. The cellars of Valtice castle host the Wine Salon of the Czech Republic, while other rooms include the National Center for Viniculture and also Moravín Union, the largest union of Czech and Moravian wine makers. The Secondary School of Viniculture and Viniculture Academy of Valtice these two instiutions prepare dozens and hundreds students and sommeliers each year for the wine business. Is there any other place closer to wine than Valtice?
Municipality
Náměstí Svobody č. 21
691 42 Valtice
E-mail: podatelna@valtice.eu
Tel.: +420 519 301 400
Fax.: +420 519 352 637
Turist Info
Náměstí Svobody č. 4
691 42 Valtice
Tel. / Fax: +420 519 352 978
E-mail: tic@valtice.eu
Valtice is a very old settlement with its destiny written into the past history.
Its written records date back to the late 12th century. The early settlers picked this corner of the Moravian land, which was not very sound in fact, mainly for the safety reasons. Local fenlands were far from attracting the hordes of hostile invaders and the Pálava Highlands nearby provided the settlers – as well as other inhabitants of the ancient settlements – with a strong security even during the most perilous periods of time.
Town Origin
Deed from Regensburg
Veldesperch 1193
The first written historical records of Valtice come only from the turn of the 12th century when this place passed over from the proprietorship of the Passau Bishops to the control exerted by the family of Seefeld.
Using the deed issued in Regensburg, the emperor Henry VI confirmed, in 1192, the exchange that the Passau bishop Wolfker had reached with Wichard of Seefeld – „maior dapifer“ – a greater waiter of the Austrian Duke. By this barter trade, Wolfker handed over to Wichard the „Veldesperch“ castle along with 12 royal tracks of land that may have constituted a larger part of the later Town of Valtice.
The Seefelds built a mighty borderline castle with its below quarters giving rise to the town. Valtice can be supposed to have become a town between 1192 and 1227.
As soon as the Seefelds had died out on the spear side in 1270, the Kuenrings and the Rauhensteins acquired Valtice. In 1347, the Kuenrings had sold their share to the Potendorfs, so the town was shared between the Potendorfs and the Rauhensteins since the year on.
In 1387, the third wife of John I of Lichtenstein, Elizabeth, née of Puchheim, bequeathed to her husband on sixth of her share in Valtice and the Lichtensteins thus became the possessors of a part of the town. A long era of the Lichtensteins’ activities in Valtice began in this way.
On February 20, 1391, John, with his brothers George and Hartneid of Liechtenstein, bought from Frederic of Potendorf his family’s one sixth of Valtice complete with another sixth acquired subsequently by the family; they have moreover got a variety of revenues and rents from a series of the surrounding hamlets and villages; this implied the title to the place and Valtice Castle, which formed his free ownership.
In this way in fact, the Lichtensteins acquired five sixths of the town and the proprietor ship to most other communities.
On February 1, 1395, the Lichtensteins became the owners of the demesne as a whole, complete with the Castle and Town of Valtice.
The Hussites
Hussite events affected Valtice to an unparalleled extent. This was just the time when the town experienced the burden of being of a borderline town, as the both the Hussite troops infiltrated to the town from Moravia and the forces of Albrecht of Austria – Siegmund’s ally in his suppressing the Hussites. 
A horse riding school
The Valtice Castle had a strong garrison during the Hussite Wars and the Lichtensteins were
actively supporting the emperor Siegmund in his battle against the „heretics“. The emperor is said to have visited Valtice several times, e.g. on March 21, 1422 when he met there Albrecht, Duke of Austria.
In 1426, the Hussites singed Valtice with flames, burning to ashes both the town and its church, causing the partial havoc to the castle. It took a long time for the town to recover.
The Lichtensteins tended to side with the emperor Friedrich III. Winning thus his sympathy, they could considerably improve their profits and expand their family properties after the Hussite Wars.
How were Valtice and the Lichtensteins getting on at that time? George of Lichtenstein died in 1444, followed by his brother Christoph a year later; quite a new generation took over the rule over the Lichtenstein court.
Wilhelm II and John V, Henry VII, Christoph III, and George V became the new officials.
During these unrests, when the Valtice inhabitants had to experience the troop passages, their looting, raging, and destruction, there was hardly a place that had been spared from terror and miseries; as an evidence thereof, one can remember an array of hamlets near Valtice that ceased to exist, such as Aloch, Kelchin, Potendorf, and Königsbrunn. At that time the Lichtensteins remained loyal to the Czech king George of Podebrady. But they failed to remain on the Czech side, as they can later be found on the side of the Hungarian king Mathias Corvine.
Further Development
In 1504, the Lichtensteins divided their existing belongings into several parts. The son of George Hartmann of Lichtenstein received the Castle and Town of Valtice as his share. Hartmann was excellent in business and organizing. It was just he, who managed to consolidate the demesne in its economic and financial aspects.
According to the agreement, Hartmann II owned the demesne of Valtice together with Ouvaly, Poshtorna, and Kharwatska Nova Ves and Hlohovec and later also Herenbaumgarten and Lednice in 1570.
Charles of Lichtenstein
A significant personality that implied a new stage in the town history was Charles of Lichtenstein, a protestant at first, who converted to Catholicism since 1599.
On September 1606, Charles of Lichtenstein signed a contract with his brothers Gundakar and Maximilian. Thereby, all the brothers should have jointly administered the goods of Valtice, with each first-born son to be the ruler (primogeniture); in this way, a faith commission was made of the property.
The early 17th century was not very happy for the town; in 1605, the troops of the Hungarian magnate Boczkay, the emperor’s enemy, were besieging the town in vain. At that time, Charles I sided with the later emperor Mathias, being therefore promoted to the prince’s estate. The first place among the Austrian princes belonged to him.
The Thirty Years’ War brought many sufferings to Valtice again. In 1619, the troops of the Hungarian prince Bethelen Gabor advanced through the town, followed by those of the emperor’s general Dampierr in August of the same year. During the period from 1614 to 1621, the troops of Czech cavalry, hussars camped here, as well as the Tiefenbach’s regiments and the related quartering expenditures had to be jointly borne by the inhabitants of Valtice.
It was the merit of Charles I of Lichtenstein, that the Brothers of Mercy under the First Vicar John Baptist Cassinetti were taken to the town on February 10, 1605 to lay there the cornerstones of a hospital and who also were the oldest convent of the Brothers of Mercy in the Central Europe.
But it was worse when the Swedes fought they way to the region. Facing Torstenson who later left for Brno, Valtice had surrendered. Needless to stress what these events meant for Valtice that had been marauded up, partially burned to ashes, and robbed of all its crops several times. The ruined town could only slowly recover from the sufferings of the final battles after the Thirty Years’ War had been brought to end by the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648.
Following the Thirty Years’ War difficult aftermath Valtice used to experience fairly calm years.
Residential Town
Until 1684, Charles Eusebius of Lichtenstein, educated abroad, mainly in Paris, ruled Valtice. At his era, Valtice became a very residential town of the Lichtensteins. Charles Eusebius liked hanging out here. This is why he had a prevailing part of the today’s mansion’s facilities constructed here, followed by a new parish church in 1631 — 1671.
As directed by Charles Karla Eusebius of Lichtenstein the forest called Boří was being set up to the east of Valtice since 1660, consisting of the pre-planted firs and spruces from other Moravian demesnes owned by the family.
Valtice in 1711
The son John Adam Andrew followed his father in the ownership to Valtice. When the Charles’ branch of the family died out with him in 1712, the demesne transferred onto the branch founded by Gundekar, in particular onto the Gundekar’s grandson Anthony Florian. His son and successor Joseph John Adam was further expanding the Valtice Castle.
In 1683, a part of the Polish auxiliary troops under the king John Sobieski were crossing Valtice to relieve Vienna of its Turkish siege. In 1704 and 1705, the Hungarian rebels jeopardized the town. In the battles of the First Silesian War, the Prussians reached up to Valtice at the end of winter 1742, having crossed South Moravia.
In 1679 — 1680, the fatal pest failed to save Valtice either.
The period 1648 — 1781 saw very sizeable changes in the overall look of the town. Construction of the castle, parish church, and new facilities of the monastery and hospital of the Brothers of Mercy gave the town its dominant look preserved until these days.
The municipality knew how to benefit from the residential town of the Lichtensteins. At that time, the Valtice Castle was the seat of Alois Joseph, Earl of Lichtenstein, who was in charge of his vast estates since 1783. Forestry and livestock breeding were at in the focal point of his interest. When he had died, the destiny of the demesne went over onto his brother John I Joseph of Lichtenstein.
F. Bauer, 18th century
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars adversely influenced further development of the town in the early 19th century, as both the country’s own and enemy troops were crossing the territory, as well as due to the confiscations in money and produce in favor of both the emperor’s and French forces.
As early as in December 1798, the Russian corpses under the famous general A. V. Suvorov were crossing the town on the way to Italy, sent there by the Russian czar Paul in support of Austria.
After the Austrian capitulation at Ulm, Napoleon invaded Moravia in 1805, crossing Valtice and Mikulov. On November 15, his troops were marching through Valtice, heading for Mikulov and Brno. On December 2, Napoleon defeated his opponents in the renowned battle of three emperors at Slavkov. The peace takes were opened on December 6 at the Mikulov Castle, presided by John I Joseph of Lichtenstein on the Austrian side.
Long convoys of the Austrian and Russian POWs were marching through Valtice from the Battle of Slavkov. The town was heavily affected by the events. 11,622 men and 5,101 horses were quartered in the town until January 8, 1806.
The hostilities were again approaching Valtice in 1809. French general Davout conquered Valtice on July 9. His occupation ended on October 1809 through the Vienna Peace Treaty.
The view of Valtice was desperate at that time. A large fire further aggravated the damages in 1807.
Following the Battle of Leipzig and Napoleon’s fall, the congress of the European emperors and statesmen took place in Vienna in order to update the map of Europe. The owner of Valtice, John I Joseph of Lichtenstein, was among those who had undersigned the Peace Treaty.
Early 19th Century
At the outset of the 19th century the Lichtensteins used to build a variety of small mansions around the town, providing thus the employment opportunities, earnings, subsistence and the possibility for the people to cope with the unhappy economic situation.
At that time, the Lichtensteins exerted much effort to improve the town and its surroundings.
Reistna
In 1817 — 1823, a colonnade rose on the Reistna, being – in a way – an imitation of the well-known Viennese Schőnbrunn.
A Dianna temple, also called „Randez-vous“, rises itself above the forest to the northwest from Valtice. It is a magnificent piece of architecture, similar to the Triumphal Arch in Rome. It comes from 1810 — 1813.
The Belvedere mansion, where the pheasants could be bred and hunted, was built near the town in 1818.
In 1850 — 1852, the town gates and a part of the fortifications that hindered the oncoming business expansion of the town where torn down.
Serfdom Cancellation
All forms of subjection were abolished at the imperial council on September 7, 1848. The Corvée Abolition Act was received with a good deal of enthusiasm in Valtice, too.
In 1848, the feudal authorities as well as the town municipalities closed their activities.
In accordance with the emperor’s decree of June 14, 1849 the district offices and district courts were set up.
On July 1, 1850, the court district was instituted in Valtice, with the following places within its jurisdiction:
• Bernardsthal
• Bischoffwart (Hlohovec)
• Drasenhofen
• Falkenstein
• Feldsgerg-Stadt (Valtice-město)
• Garschőnthal (Úvaly)
• Guttenbrunn
• Hadersdorf
• Hausbrunn
• Herrnbaugarten
• Katzelsdorf
• Lichtenwart
• Oberthemenau (Charvatská Nová Ves)
• Ottenthal
• Poysbrunn
• Poysdorf
• Rabensburg
• Reinthal
• Schrattenberg
• Themenau (Poštorná)
• Walterskirchen
• Wetzelsdorf
• Wilhelmsdorf
Since then, the district court and revenue authority were functioning in the town.
Until 1854, the district office in Poysdorf with its branch in Valtice executed the political power.
In 1854, the judicatory and political powers were reunited to form a single entity and a combined political and judicatory authority was established in the seat of every district court.
In 1868, the administration went back over to the distributed political and judicatory powers, the political offices were restored together with the courts in the court districts.
Since then Valtice went under the jurisdiction of the political office in Mistelbach.
With the district office set up in Mistelbach, the Valtice Court District consisted if the following places:
• Bernardsthal
• Bischoffwart (Hlohovec)
• Drasenhofen
• Falkenstein
• Feldsgerg-Stadt (Valtice-město)
• Garschőnthal (Úvaly)
• Guttenbrunn
• Hausbrunn
• Herrnbaugarten
• Katzelsdorf
• Ketzelsdorf
• Klein-Hadersdorf
• Klein-Schweinhardt
• Lichtenwart
• Oberthemenau (Charvatská Nová Ves)
• Ottenthal
• Poysbrunn
• Poysdorf
• Rabensburg
• Reinthal
• Schrattenberg
• Steinabrunn
• Stűtzenhofen
• Themenau (Poštorná)
• Walterskirchen
• Wetzelsdorf
• Wilhelmsdorf
At that time, the town was maintaining its status of a regional center and resort near the imperial metropolis; a prince’s residence center, a center of large estate authorities, of the district court, all of this implied for Valtice the advantage of the heart of the region as a whole. A wide spectrum of trades and crafts was active here.
The First Train
On December 29, 1872, the first train pulled behind the Thava locomotive rushed through Valtice, using the new line Břeclav-Valtice-Mikulov-Hrušovany nad Jevišovkou-Znojmo Thaya.
Lichtensteins Large Estate
The Lichtenstein Large Estate was based in Valtice with other large estates in Lower Austria under its control.
Not only the above large estate, but also the local Society for Agriculture & Viniculture, founded in 1855, buttressed the development of the agricultural production. It was one of the most significant and largest agricultural societies in Lower Austria. It implied all too much for the expansion of the farming in the region. Its main mission rested in making publicity to the Valtice viniculture, which was hard to press forward facing the competition of the Lower Austrian wines.
The Society owned a grapevine nursery, supplying it with the seedlings from Klosterneuburg. The new ideas were springing from the fruit and vine growing school, which came to being in 1873 and acquired the provincial status in 1877.
Despite that the wine of Valtice competed successfully the better kinds of the Austrian wines, the 19th century viniculture suffered a stagnation due to the perenosporis and grapevine vermin.
Hospitals and Schools
Valtice also became famous for its two hospitals. The hospital wings of 1668 and 1751 were not meeting their capacity and equipment-related purposes any more, and this a why a new hospital with 100 beds was built for the considerable funds set apart for this purpose by the Prince John II of Lichtenstein. The foundation stone was laid on July 31, 1890. In 1896, a new dissecting room with a consecration chapel was built.
Next to this hospital, there was also its female counterpart under the custody by the nuns of the Sisters of Mercy. 60 beds were available inside.
As a considerable shortage of school buildings had been felt in the town, the building of the boys’ school was opened in 1896 in the lateral castle building, when the new primary school building had already been opened in 1877 and the kindergarten building in 1885.
On September 7, 1887 the new town hall building was opened.
Austro-Prussian War
Life of the town was disrupted by the Austro-Prussian War in 1866. The original line of demarcation between both armies was made up on the Austrian side by the towns of Herrnbaumgarten-Feldsberg(Valtice)-Bernardstahl, were the Austrian 2nd Army was hanging out.
The Prussian troops kept pressing toward Vienna. On July, 20, 1866, they settled in Valtice. In particular, they were the command of the Prince Albert of Prussia who resided in the castle and the staff of the Prince Friedrich Charles and later of the general Moltke.
48,000 soldiers with 13,329 horses went through the town.
The quick departure of the Prussian troops resulted not only from the armistice reached on July 25, 1866 in Mikulov, but also from cholera which spread itself very fast among the troops and civilians.
The consequences of the Mikulov Armistice had very serious impacts internationally and on the internal policy of Austria. The causes were built up that later resulted in the World War I and collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Early 20th Century
Except for two small brick making plants and a winery the town had no industry at the beginning of the 20Th century. Eighty percent of the town inhabitants were active in the farming, namely in fruit growing with its lesser portion in viniculture.
Valtice retained its status as the center of the Lichtenstein demesne and its communal council knew how to benefit a lot from this status in favor of the town expansion and further development.
The evident of this is also apparent from the urban development in the first decade of the new century. The town underwent a renovation.
In addition to the municipal water mains constructed, the new sewerage was borne in mind.
In 1909, the year of the 50th anniversary of the Prince John II of Lichtenstein, the jubilee hospital and the quarantine house were built and handed over to the municipality.
The municipality also bore in mind the public baths to be set up in 1911 — 1912. At the end of 1914, the municipality decided to construct the town power station.
On April 1, 1910, the first telephone connection with the world was accomplished and even a cinema was opened in the garden hall of the Hage Inn in January 1914.
World War I
Shots in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, commemoration services for the late successor Frank Ferdinand in the Valtice parish church on July 4, 1914 signaled the end of the long peaceful decades and gradual economic growth.
On July 31, 1914, the public notice on the Valtice post office building was announcing the worst – the general mobilization.
The war quite changed the way of life of the town inhabitants. The new worries and problems appeared, as the war required increasingly more new soldiers. The front not only needed the men, but also returned them – even though crippled, wounded, and sick. The Brothers’ of Mercy Hospital was overcrowded with hundreds of wounded soldiers.
Beside the fatal casualties, the war produces the refugees and POWs who were coming to Valtice. In 1915, they were the Italian refugees and Russian POWs, followed by the Galician refugees a year later.
The Czechoslovak Republic
The savage world war that had broken the old world ended. Complete with its surroundings, Valtice, the town until recently far in the background, amidst the monarchy, has suddenly appeared in the close vicinity of the border line. A few kilometers to the north, there was the line of demarcation with the newly born state – the Czechoslovak Republic -behind.
On September 10, 1919, the peace treaty was signed in Saint Germain-en-Laye near Paris. As directed by its Article 27 Paragraph, Valtice along with its entire surroundings became a part of the Czechoslovak Republic. The treaty came into force on July 16, 1920, i.e. a year later, after the first protocol had been drawn up.
The gendarmerie and revenue authority moved to Poysdorf in October 1919.
On July 31, 1920 in the morning, the Czechoslovak state administration authorities were taking over the town of Valtice.
September 20, 1920 saw the first lessons in the Czech double-class primary school. Over the autumn months the number of pupils in the primary school witnessed a sharp increase not only due to the children of the railway employees, teaches, customs officers, and gendarmes moved in, but also because of the fact that the boys’ orphanage of the City of Brno had moved in the town. A year later, the number of the Czech school pupils reached to 159.
As for the economy, the main sphere of the town’s business activities remained in agriculture, even though with some changes. The viniculture, which had suffered a crisis in the town before the World War, consolidated a lot its position after the annexation to the Czechoslovak Republic. An increased concern in the wine production found its manifestation in 1923, when the „Société Vinicole“ winery joint-stock company took under its control the Cross Cellar and focused its activities on champagne production.
A variety of small businesses arose in the town:
• show making plant of the Busi Company
• Emil Blum canning plant founded in 1921
• Cucumber canning plant of the Hejtmánek Company founded in 1927
• Smidt soda water factory founded in 1927
• R. Weiss Metal Works founded in 1935
• A. Bittner spirit making factory founded in 1936
Next to the above, three brick-kilns, two mills, municipal power station and the Josef Výška printing works were put in service.
All these factories ceased to exist in 1945.
On June 20, 1928, President T. G. Masaryk visited Valtice.
Town Development
The town of Valtice retained the position which very deeply affected its life and which indicated its difference from other German towns and villages in the South Moravian border regions. It was the residential town – the seat of the Lichtenstein princes. Their spirit and wealth were affecting the overall life of the town and imprinting their feature not only to the town itself, but to its neighborhood still during the interwar period.
The Lichtensteins were not only the thrifty persons, but also generous in decorating their castles and mansions in the neighborhood with the masterpieces of art. The town received from them an efficient support in its development.
John II of Lichtenstein remained at the head of his demesne further on even in the twenties, with his permanent residence in Valtice where he also had his cabinet office.
He died on February 11, 1929, being replaced by his younger brother Frank who devoted much of his activities mainly to the business issues. After his death on July 25, 1938, the grandson of the John’s II cousin, Frank Joseph, took over the demesne.
In the thirties, the town developed. A major expansion witnessed the Brothers’ of Mercy Hospital in the form of its newly built section. There was a merger of the Public Municipal hospital with the operations of the Brothers’ of Mercy Hospital.
A variety of acknowledgement, including those from abroad, was awarded to the Winery School. On July 5, 1933 the sound cinema was set up in the town.
On March 7, 1935, President T. G. Masaryk was appointed the honorary citizen of the town on the occasion of his 85th birthday.
On June 14, 1936, 8 year after the visit by the first president T. G. Masaryk, his successor, doctor Edvard Beneš visited Valtice.
At that time, Valtice were already entering the era full of revolutionary changes. In the restless political days, only a brief attention was devoted to the castle, where the Prince Frank I of Lichtenstein had just died on July 25, 1938. The family throne was taken over by Frank Joseph of Lichtenstein.
World War II
The Munich Dictate of September 30, 1938 implied a catastrophe for the Czechoslovak. The property of the Czech schools was evacuated from Valtice, as well as the Czech Public Library, puppet theater, cinema projectors, pianos, and all was brought away to Břeclav.
On October 8, 1938, the troops of the German forces’ 71st Infantry Regiment entered Valtice. Czech schools were closed immediately thereafter. By the ruling of the Mikulov Gestapo all the Czech societies were closed and their belongings confiscated on October 25, 1938.
In November 1938, the commissary surveillance was instituted over the Brothers’ of Mercy Hospital, bringing about not only the releases of the Czech personnel, but later also of the monk-nurses.
The war bought its first prisoners to Valtice. In 1939, they were the Polish soldiers, French servicemen, working then in the agriculture, were coming since 1940.
In February 1944, the town became flooded with the refugees from Vienna, which was subject to ever more frequent bombing.
Valtice knew the bombing of Břeclav on November 20, 1944 by the waves of wounded people being nursed and treated in the Valtice Hospital. In December, the town already turned to a frontline town. The staff of the military re-supplying detachment was based at the town hall. All the local schools were closed and evacuated on December 18, to be later used as the field hospitals.
On April 7 and 8, 1945, the municipalities instructed the population to carry out the voluntary evacuation. In Valtice, just the civil servants and a part of the town inhabitants obeyed the command, if in possession of any means of transport.
Liberation came to Valtice from the south. The troops of the Guardian Fusilier Corps XXVII were passing through the zone of Valtice. Liberation of the town came without any major resistance on April 21, 1945 in the late morning hours, when the troops of the 141st Fusilier Division entered Valtice. During the battles that had to be fought in connection with the liberation of Valtice 14 Soviet soldiers were killed as the liberating troops had to overcome sometimes even a tough resistance of the German opponents who had used the borderline pillboxes, constructed there against the German enemies in 1936 — 1938.
The town of Valtice now stood at the outset of its new path in the liberated Czechoslovak Republic.
War Aftermath
During the course of May and June already, new Czech settlers were coming to Valtice, mostly from the nearby areas.
On July 29, 1945, the administrative committee was constituted. Its main mission was in the strive for a stronger intervention against some adverse aspects of the uncoordinated settlement, for better safety and internal order in the town. But before soon, these fears showed not to come true.
The newly constituted Local National Committee was approved on September 8, 1945.
The Town of Valtice faced the huge and complicated tasks, not experienced in such a width any time in the past.
The ethnic Germens were first resettled. Still before the start of their organized resettlement a part of them were leaving for the neighboring Austria across the borders during the course of 1945.
Based on the Directive No. 7380 / 62-X, issued by the District Administrative Committee in Mikulov on March 19, 1946, the total of 2,466 people of the German/Hungarian nationality were designated as the enemies of the Czech and Slovak nations in Valtice. In accordance with §1 Para 1 of Presidential Decree No. 12 Sb., on confiscation and speedy redistribution of farming means of the Germans and Hungarians as well as of the traitors and enemies of the Czech and Slovak nations, date June 21, 1945, all the farming properties of these persons were confiscated for the purpose of the land reform.
The were very far reaching changes as it is obvious from the confiscated property figures. In May 1945, all the property of the Germans was confiscated, in particular 3,178 hectares of land and 84 houses by action of the Decree No. 12 /45 Sb. and 422 houses pursuant to the Decree No. 108 / 45 Sb.
A state-owned farm was made out of the Lichtenstein large estate in 1945.
The resettlement, which had started in August 1945, was actually completed in July 1946.
It was very difficult to realize the new settlement of the town. Valtice allured, being well-known from the interwar era.
Some of the new settles really came with a sincere strive to get there a new and better permanent home, their own land, then acting and working accordingly. But there were also the relentless people coming, looking for their personal benefits, not taking care of the properties assigned to them, leaving then hastily Valtice along with the easily acquired belongings.
Thus, the considerable moves of the population took place in 1945 to 1948.
In 1948, 14 % of the original inhabitants remained in Valtice and 86% of the people were the new settlers.
The period between 1945 and February 1948 was very complicated in Valtice.
Major influx of diverse settles was to make the basis of the new Valtice population.
February 1948
The February 1948 became a great milestone on the path of the Valtice development. At that time the decision was made about the further path to be taken by our society.
Minor Sacral Buildings
The Hunting Lodge Belvedere
A baroque work with the dome amidst and two side wings. Built about in the first half of the 19th century. Used as the prince’s pheasantry.
Fountain
In the middle of the square, there is a fountain with the sandstone statue of a girl by the sculptor Josef Bayer of 1816.
Plague Column
Erected in 1680 within the thanksgiving for the end of the pestilence epidemic in the town. At the top section, there the statue of the Holy Virgin. Four statues, which face exactly the cardinal points are standing on the column’s lower plinth.
Gate on the Square
You will come across two plastic reliefs if you want to pass from the square towards the Valtice Square. Above both of them, there are the Latin inscriptions whose word-by-word translation might sound ridiculous to a Czech ear. This is why we obviously prefer a somewhat approximate translation. But such one that will preserve the contextual fluency of both communications upon transferring from one to the other.
To the left from the entrance, above the ‘goddess with a helmet’, you will find this communication: „One hardly forgets kindness.“
To the right, above the ‘angel with trumpet’, there is a continuation: „(But) brightness of faith will survive even a rock.“
Rendezvous (Temple of Diana)
Using the plans prepared by the Building Manager Joseph Hardmuth, the architect Joseph Kornhäusel built an Empire work called the Temple of Diana (more than frequently also referred to as Rendezvous) in 1810 — 1812. Simulating the Triumphal Arch in Rome, the monument in the midst of the old forest giants, was used by John I and his guests as the place of the hunters’ breakfasts during the numerous hunting event, used to be held in an extensive hall across the entire floor of the building. The relief and figural decoration was carried out by the sculptor Joseph Klieber. The Goddess of Hunting, Diana, to whom the work is consecrated, is depicted in the middle of the central relief of the portal on the throne seated on a column. She wears her attribute – a crescent Moon – on her head, as she also used to be identified with the Goddess of Moon. The hunting scenes (deer- and boar-hunting) are on the southern entrance side, the topics from the antique legends (bathing nymphs stared by Kupidos) on the northern side. The front façade of the building is further decorated with four forward-seated massive columns with the Corinth capitals. The Latin inscriptions on the attic on both sides of the building give a cue of the hunting purposes:
Front side of the building: „To Diana hunter and to her venerators form John, the Prince of Lichtenstein in 1812.“
Back side of the building: „This temple, your Lightness, sister of Phebus, is consecrated to you, let the groove ever grow without any damage for your honor!“.
Opening Hours
April and October
9:00 – 16:00 (Saturday and Sundays)
May – September
9:00 – 17:00
The last guided tour half-an-hour before the end of the opening hours.
Admittance
Normal
CZK 20.–
Reduced
CZK 10.–
Contacts
Státní zámek
691 42 Valtice
tel.: +420 519 352 423
fax: +420 519 352 680
e-mail: valtice@pambr.cz
Custodian: V. Moravčíková
tel.: 603 867 966
The Rendezvous hunting lodge can be hired any time (main hall – some 60 people, small hall – approx. 15 people) for the events such as concerts, wedding fests, training sessions, presentations, etc. For more information contact the custodian of the Rendezvous lodge.
The Colonnade
Also called Reistna. Valtice architect Josef Popellach built it after the example of the Schőnbrunn Colonnade at the edge of a forest system to the south of the town, in the vicinity of the contemporary state border in 1810 — 1817, instructed to do so by John Joseph I of Lichtenstein. He wanted it as a memorial for his father (Fraz) and brothers (Philip and Alois). Their statues, along with the statue of the project initiator, are in the niches. The triumphal arch is dominating in the middle of the portico. Under the communist rule, when the colonnade was inside the closed border zone, it was inaccessible to visitors, used only by the border guards who had build their watchtower on its top. It was made widely accessible only after the changes in 1989. In now dominates to the highest peak of the entire area, offering a fabulous panoramic view (of Mikulov, Pálava, alluvial forests, Lednice, Lower Austria, White Carpathian Mountains in the Czecho-Slovak border region, and Lednice/Valtice Area).
The Valtice Colonnade also has its two inscriptions, this time in German. Translated, they read:
„Son to (his) father brothers.“
„Let it not be forgotten (eternal commemoration) – the only son who survived.“
Convent of Brothers of Mercy
Convent of Brothers of Mercy (Hospital Order of St. John of God) with the St. Augustin Church.
Hospital of the Sisters of Mercy
Neugebaude (new building) in the Mikulovská Street.
Franciscan Monastery
Its remnants are standing in the Sobotní Street (old headmaster’s office of the High School of Viniculture in Valtice)
Town Hall
Built in the New Renaissance under the significant mayor Karl Haussner by the architect Jan Drechsler in 1887. The building has a noteworthy ceremonial room, decorated with beautiful stuccos.
The Castle Park
The spacious castle area resulted from the reconstruction of the old gothic castle in 1643 — 1730. Four fronts of the castle enclose the broad courtyard. A fairly small theater, riding school, and stable belonged to the castle itself. The surroundings are arranged in terraces with the plentiful figural decoration. The garden behind the castle was founded in 1727 and further developed under Joseph Wenceslas Lichtenstein in the first half of the 18th century. The regular part was connected via the alleys with the English park where also the groves with the fruit trees, two summerhouses, an artificial cave, and an open outlook pergolas were present.
Passing the right side of the castle and crossing the protracted terrace above the town, you will get into the park itself. The continuation of the garden porch of the imposing building is formed by the protracted, slightly sloped lea, which constitutes a spacing, and the foot of the opposite slope, arranged as a perfect natural amphitheater. In its upper parts this theater layout is rimmed with a higher wood vegetation which makes a background of the sandstone statues showing the mythological scenes.
Not far away from here, there are the tennis courts. In its rear part, the park has landscaping finish (lawns, hills, vistas). An artificial cave, called The Hell, represents a romantic element. The precious woods can be found dispersed throughout the park.
The Castle Chapel
Built in 1726, under the rule of Joseph John Adam of Lichtenstein. The design was prepared by the significant Austrian architect, active in service with the Lichtensteins and in another places of Moravia – Jan Bernard Fischer of Erlach. The chapel, which takes the height of the southern castle wing’s two floors, is arched over with a trough vault, very richly decorated with the so-called illusionist painting with its aim to evoke a feeling of the richly architectonic breakdown of the walls and ceiling. The ceiling fresco depicts the view into the heaven with its central figure representing the God-Father. Authors of the décor are Antonio Beduzzi and Domenico Mainardi. On the ceiling, there is a Latin inscription, reading in translation:
„(Glory) to God on Heaven and Peace top the Goodwill People on Earth.“
The altar painting shows the shepherds’ adoration of the newly born Chris, being a copy of the painting by Quido Reni (1575 — 1642). Worthy of your attention is also the rich plastic decoration by František Bienert. He has harmonically combined the main altar décor with the design of the side altars.
Valtice Castle
The Valtice Castle was built not far away from a medieval castle, already mentioned at the end of 12th century. The castle belonged to the Seefeld family. When the demesne had later been acquired by the Lichtensteins, they built here a renaissance castle. The contemporary baroque building was commenced, at the end of 17th century by Charles Eusebius of Lichtensten, educated of this mighty aristocratic family, who had traveled a lot. Valtice became the main family seat, built up in involvement of the leading architects (F. Carrati, G. G. Tencallo, A. and K. Erno, D. Martinelli, A. J. Ospel). The final look was given to the castle by the Austrian architect J. B. Fischer of Erlach. Thus, one of the most noteworthy baroque entities in Moravia came to being.
In the first half of the 19th century, under the rule of John I of Lichtenstein, the extensive and unique landscaping of the wide Valtice neighborhood was carried out. A set of park works was set up in the area between Valtice and Lednice, where the Lichtensteins had their summer seat. The noteworthy family had owned the demesne until 1945, when the state expropriated it. In 1950, the castle was made accessible to the public, the reconstruction was commenced in the sixties. The current installation comes from these years.
Exterior
The double-story baroque castle has a closed central and four-wing layout, encompassing four courtyards. It is situated diagonally, with its entrance portal aiming northeastward. On the north side, underneath the castle, the ground floor and single-story buildings of the stable and riding school were newly built. The Spanish Stable with its state separated grotesque statues as well as the Winter Riding School survived. Both are now used to accommodate various social events, encompassing the courtyard of honor.
The castle can be entered through the amply decorated central portal with rectangular profiled tower reaching to the sky above it. The Valtice Castle forms one of the poles (southern one) of the unparalleled Lednice/Valtice (Lichtenstein) area.
Interior
The 1st floor of the castle is accessible to the visitors, formulating their image) of the life of the rich nobles in the baroque period. The interiors have been renovated within a free refurbishment. All in all, they comprise 17 rooms, furnished in the baroque and rococo styles. The ceilings are richly decorated with the gilded stuccos and marvelous paintings.
The guided tour will begin in the dining room, called the Marble Hall, with its rococo furniture and collection of the oriental utensils.
The chandelier is the statue of Triton whose tongue was the nasal bone of the predator sawfish.
The Social Hall, formally called Emperor Hall, with the antechamber decorated with the ceiling paintings of the Greek gods comes next. The other boudoir with its smoking room was designed for the aristocrats. Its ceiling paintings represent Hephaistos, the god of smokers who is handing the weapons to the Goddess Athena.
The large Dancing Hall is the largest of the prestigious areas of the castle. The walls have the false marble decoration with the gilded musical instruments. The furniture comes from the Rococo era, the chandeliers are made from the Czech crystal.
Three next salons – Yellow, Red, and Green – are typical for their color combinations. In the Yellow one, there is a series of the idealistic and fantastic landscape paintings by the Dutchman Hans de Jode. They come from the 17th century. To extend the set, there are also the Chinese vases.
The Red Salon, also called „Olympic“ because of its ceiling paintings with the Olympic gods. The walls are lined with the red brocade, the oriental vases are decorated with a golden décor. The Green one was called the Salon of Troy after the ceiling scene with Agamemnon.
Dominating to the south corner of the area, there is the Hall of Ancestors with an allegoric ceiling paintings – science, art, with „schwelgerei – trunksucht“ on the opposite side. The portraits come from the prestigious gallery of the Lichtenstein family – showing Joseph Johan and Johan Adam. The corner Prince Charles Salon is dedicated to the commemoration of Charles VI., farther of Maria Theresa, who spent a night here. The noteworthy French cupboards, decorated with a gilded bronze, represent the culminating point of the handicraft of that era.
On the walls of the long through corridor, there are the portraits of Roman emperors – Nero, Titus, Villtelius, and Gaius Julius Caesar.
The Castle Chapel in the western corner is most noteworthy from the artistic point of view. It has a rich stucco and painting décor, the marble-lined walls. Its acoustic is also unique, being therefore often used for the musical performances.
Other noteworthy halls follow in the northwestern front. The visitors can see here the Prince’s Office, Mirror Cabinet, a noteworthy baroque Picture Gallery, further the bedroom, and reception room.
Just adjacent to the chapel, there is a fabulously decorated Mirror Cabinet, which was – together with another office – used as the suite of the princess. It is lined with the mirrors in gilded frames, the bust is a replica of the philosopher Seneca’s head, the ceiling paintings represent the allegory of the morning with the toilette of the Goddess Aphrodite.
The ceiling painting in the Princess’ Office shows the allegory of an evening, the one at the front portal then the Queen Christine’s arrival in Rome. Both the desk and the cupboards are decorated and lined with ivory.
The Picture Gallery is a set of 29 paintings – landscape works and scenes from the life. They are the remnants from the collections of the era of romanticism that were destroyed at the end of the World War II. Decorating the ceiling, there is the largest ceiling painting „Goddess Diana on Return from Hunting“.
The painting by G. Liebalt „Life with Trophies“ is one of the oldest paintings with the hunting trophies in Europe.
A bed is dominating in the Prince Bedroom. It is a typical baroque example of the place from where the prince was receiving his visitors and accomplished the castle ceremonies. The ceiling decoration represents an allegory of the spring. The neighboring reception room was used by the guests and visitors, providing a wonderful window view of the landscape.
Photograph of the Castle Courtyard
The sundials are on courtyard of the Valtice Castle. You will find one of them on the western side, the second on the eastern side of the marvelous castle, which used to belong to the Lichtensteins since the 14th century.
On the western side – illuminated from east – bear the Latin inscription, whose approximate translation reads: „Time is working calmly to the years of our old age.“
On the eastern side (illuminated from west) – the following Latin wisdom can again be found: „Happy time passed ahead of (increase) the times of pain.“
Holy Virgin Ascension Church
A Renaissance Baroque work whose construction was ordered by the Prince Charles Eusebius Lichtenstein and realized in 1634 — 1671. The church is amazing by its size – 48 m long, 28 m wide, and 34 m high. The original Valtice church was replaced by a monumental work designed by the Italian architect Giovani Giacom Tencalla, working for the Lichtensteins. But the work was completed by Andrew Erna of Brno, after the vault had collapsed in 1641. The oriented single-nave structure with the dome-vaulted transparent has a rectangular terminated presbytery. At the Gospel side of the presbytery, there is a sacristy, the God Tomb Chapel on the opposite side. Oratories are above them.
The nave covered with two fields of the barrel vault. Altar painting with the Holy Virgin Ascension is a copy of the Rubens original, prepared by Gaetano fanti. Coming from the Rubens’ shop, there is the painting in the altar superstructure, depicting the Trinity, as well as the paintings in the side altars with the Adoration of the Holy Three Kings and Jesus Christ Circumcision. The pulpit with the Lichtenstein emblem is obviously the work of the Italian F. Farneho. Noteworthy is the ceiling stucco in the church interior, authored by other of the Tencallo brothers. In the mirrors, a painting décor should have originally been carried out, but it was not because of the lacking funds. In the early 20. century only, both corner towers were fitted with a tent roof, made then Baroque in 1908. Two new bells were put onto the tower in 1992. They are to symbolize the reconciliation between the Czech citizens of Valtice and original German ethnic, expatriated to the neighboring Austria after the World War II. The church is consecrated to the Holy Virgin Ascension. On the front side of the church, there is the Latin inscription, which reads in translation:
„Charles Eusebius, Prince of Lichtenstein, Duke of Mikulov, Opava, a Krnov.“
Another inscription is also above the entrance to the Valtice church, bud this time above the convent church, which was built during 1668 — 1671, consecrated to As. Augustine. This is at the Valtice Hospital, used to be managed by the Hospital Order of St. John of God, or the Brothers of Mercy. Translated, it reads:
„To Saint Augustine, publicly built by Johanna Beatrice, wife of the younger prince of Lichtenstein, Duke of Opava and Krnov.“
Bells
The original bell from the Holy Virgin Ascension Church can now be seen in the corridor of the Valtice Castle. The bell has a Latin mission inscribed on its both sides and the Gernam inscription around its top – but the latter verse sounds somewhat clumsily: „1618 was cast in Vienna – I was Jerwening for more glory of God.“
The sides contain:
„Charles, the administrator and Lord of Opava from the mercy of God, seated on Lichtenstein in Mikulov.“
„Anna, Princess of Opava from the mercy of God, Lady of Lichtenstein in Mikulov.“
In 1972, the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – UNESCO adopted the convention on protection of the vital worldwide cultural and natural heritage.
Proclamation by the town and other communities
The purpose of this international document is to pay proper attention to the cultural heritage and natural localities with the worldwide appreciated universal values that must be unconditionally preserved for the future generations.
In 1990, Czechoslovakia acceded to the Convention and the Czech Republic has taken over all the obligations from this Convention just after it had come to being.
480 cultural monuments, 128 natural localities, and 22 combined cultural & natural localities from all over the world were registered in the list of UNESCO as of Jan. 1, 2001.
Monuments of UNESCO in the Czech Republic:
• City of Prague, Historical Part
• City of Kutná Hora, Historical Part
• City of Český Krumlov, Historical Part
• City of Telč, Historical Part
• Castle in Litomyš
• Castle and Historical Gardens in Kroměříž
• St. John of Nepomuk Church in Žďár nad Sázava
• Site of Lednice & Valtice
• Holašovice Village
• Olomouc – Trinity Column
• Brno – Tugendhat Villa
• Třebíč – St. Prokop Basilica & Jewish Quarter
The commemorating sign posted inside the gateway to the courtyard of the Valtice state-owned castle reminds the passersby of the entry of the Lednice/Valtice Site in the UNESCO list of the world-famous cultural and natural heritage of 1996.
Seal of the Valtice Municipality
An amply profiled shield cut out on its both sides is laid out in the damasked field. The dotted shield is split in halves, divided thrice in its right half with a fiber into four fields. The second and forth fields are empty. In the left half, there are two cones reaching with their downward pointing tips up to the half of the shield. The sealing field is rimed with the line bearing the words:
X SIGILVM X CIVITATIS VELSPVRGENSIS X ANO X 1566
A laurel wreath is along the seal’s circumference with a line beneath.
Flag and emblem
PRESIDIUM OF THE CZECH NATIONAL COUNCIL
Election Term VI
Resolution No. 956
of the Presidium of the Czech National Council
from its 93rd meeting on May 7, 1992
Concerning the proposal to assign to some of the Czech Republic municipalities the right to use the emblem and flag.
The Presidium of the Czech National Council
(I) is awarding
to the town of Valtice the right to use the emblem and flag
Emblem description: Split shield, divided thrice in gold and red on its right side, with two red wedges in gold reaching to the half of the field on its left side
Flag description: The sheet is yellow, with two red wedges in its staff section, reaching to the flag sheet mid-point, length-to-width ratio is 3 to 2
(II) is imposing the duty
on the head of the Czech National Council Office to notify the municipalities of these towns accordingly
Dagmar Burešová v. r.
presiding over the Czech National Council
Antonín Hrazdíra v. r.
Authenticating Officer of the Czech National Council’s Presidium
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