Hartenberg (or Hartenberk) is the

ruin Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...

of a castle over the village of Hřebeny in the municipality of

Josefov Josefov (also Jewish Quarter; ) is a town quarter and the smallest cadastral area of Prague, Czech Republic, formerly the Jewish ghetto of the town. It is surrounded by the Old Town. The quarter is often represented by the flag of Prague's Jew ...

in the

Karlovy Vary Region The Karlovy Vary Region () is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the westernmost part of the country. It is named after its capital Karlovy Vary. It is known for spas, which include Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázně. ...

of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

History

Hartenberg Castle was built by the lords of Hartenberg, probably in 1196. The first written mention is from 1214. The Hartenberg family owned the castle until 1362, when Těma of Koldice obtained it from them and traded it in 1364 with Charles IV for

Bautzen Bautzen () or Budyšin (), until 1868 ''Budissin'' in German, is a town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and the administrative centre of the Bautzen (district), district of Bautzen. It is located on the Spree (river), Spree river, is the eighth most ...

. At the beginning of the 15th century, the Hartenberg family received the castle again but soon sold it to Jan Maleřík. His descendants used the castle as the center of robbery attacks and that was why in 1459 the castle was besieged by the military of the town

Cheb Cheb (; ) is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Ohře River. Before the Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia, expulsion of Germans in 1945, the town was the centre of the G ...

, conquered and plundered. Later, the Schlicks owned the castle, the town of

Loket Loket (; ) is a town in Sokolov District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,100 inhabitants. The town is known for the Loket Castle, a 12th-century Gothic castle. The historic town centre is well preserved and is pr ...

and the Písnic family who held it more than 150 years. In the second half of the 18th century, the Ausperg family inherited the castle. From the 17th to the 19th century, modifications occurred. The last owner of Hartenberg was Františka Kopalová who inherited it in 1913 from her mother, Marie. After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, she was expelled and relocated to

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. After 1945, the castle was owned by the State Forestry Service and was used as a warehouse and granary. In 1983, there were plans for its reconstruction, but it never panned out. From 1984–91, the castle was several times deliberately set on fire and turned into ruins. The castle is now owned by Bedřich Loos,Dobrovolníci z celého světa opravují hrad
''denik.cz: 2009-06-03 a private owner who tries to maintain and repair the castle. As a result of his ownership, there is now the Hartenberg Workshop. Already, more than a thousand volunteers from all over the world have participated in the repair of the castle.While it is no longer as expansive,this workshop was the largest volunteer program in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

Gallery

File:Hartenberg castel Hřebeny 2010-08-21 (01).jpg, Castle palace (from courtyard) File:Hartenberg castel Hřebeny 2010-08-21 (04).jpg, Castle palace (from entrance road)

References

External links

* {{authority control Buildings and structures completed in the 12th century Castles in the Karlovy Vary Region Ruined castles in the Czech Republic Tourist attractions in the Karlovy Vary Region Sokolov District