Helfštýn
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Helfštýn () is a castle ruin in Týn nad Bečvou in the
Olomouc Region Olomouc Region (; , ; ) is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the north-western and central part of its historical region of Moravia (''Morava'') and in a small part of the historical region of Czech Silesia (''České Sl ...
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 ...
. It is located east of
Přerov Přerov (; ) is a city in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 41,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Bečva River. In the past it was a major crossroad in the heart of Moravia in the Czech Republic. The historic city centre is we ...
. The history of Helfštýn is closely related to the development of the nearby town of
Lipník nad Bečvou Lipník nad Bečvou (; ) is a town in Přerov District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 8,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument reser ...
. The ruins of the castle are perched on a high wooded knoll above the narrowest part of the
Moravian Gate The Moravian Gate (, , , ) is a geomorphological feature in the Moravian region of the Czech Republic and the Upper Silesia region in Poland. It is formed by the depression between the Carpathian Mountains in the east and the Sudetes in the west. ...
and above the left bank of the river
Bečva The Bečva (; , ''Betsch'') is a river in the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Morava River. It flows through the Olomouc and Zlín regions. It is formed by the confluence of the Vsetínská Bečva and Rožnovská Bečva rivers. Together ...
. The complex is long and up to wide. It is one of the largest castles in terms of area in the Czech Republic.


History

The castle was probably established at the end of the 13th century by the marauding knight Friduš (or Helfrid) of Linava who used the castle as a base for robbing merchants during the unsettled times that followed the murder of Wenceslaus III in 1306. As Friduš's escapades could not be ignored, young King
John of Bohemia John of Bohemia, also called the Blind or of Luxembourg (; ; ; 10 August 1296 – 26 August 1346), was the Count of Luxembourg from 1313 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of Poland. He is well known for having died while fighting ...
sent his troops to deal with the bandits. Although Friduš perished, he gave his name to the castle. At the turn of the 14th century the lords of Kravaře acquired it, after which it became the centre of their extensive estates. During the 14th and the early 15th century the castle was remodelled as a Gothic fortress. The Lords of Kravaře owned the castle until 1447, and it was then held mostly by a number of Moravian noble families, among them the Sovinec family, the Kostek of Postupice family, the
Pernštejn family The House of Pernštejn () was one of the oldest and most important (uradel) families originating from Moravian nobility, along with the House of Rosenberg, that played an important role in the medieval history of Bohemian nobility from the 13th ...
, the Ludanice and the Bruntálský of Vrbno family. This unassailable structure withstood a number of sieges. It was an important
Hussite file:Hussitenkriege.tif, upright=1.2, Battle between Hussites (left) and Crusades#Campaigns against heretics and schismatics, Catholic crusaders in the 15th century file:The Bohemian Realm during the Hussite Wars.png, upright=1.2, The Lands of the ...
bastion against the German catholic town of Olomouc and also acted in support of King
George of Poděbrady George of Kunštát and Poděbrady (23 April 1420 – 22 March 1471), also known as Poděbrad or Podiebrad (; ), was the sixteenth King of Bohemia, who ruled in 1458–1471. He was a leader of the Hussites, but moderate and tolerant toward the ...
against the Hungarian King
Matthias Corvinus Matthias Corvinus (; ; ; ; ; ) was King of Hungary and King of Croatia, Croatia from 1458 to 1490, as Matthias I. He is often given the epithet "the Just". After conducting several military campaigns, he was elected King of Bohemia in 1469 and ...
who was unable to defeat the king's troops and capture the fortress in 1468. Not even the Swedes and the Danes succeeded in capturing it during the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
. The castle gained its current, elongated form during the ownership of Vilém of Pernštejn, at the beginning of the 16th century, when the network of bastions and fortified outer wards were added and the system of towers and gates was changed. Its building development, was strongly influenced by the
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
n military administration in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
in 1656. In the second half of the 16th century a
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
palace with a chapel was built on the site of the inner ward, and the Pernštejns finished their grandiose building project at Helfštýn. In 1662 it was confiscated in the aftermath of the
Battle of White Mountain The Battle of White Mountain (; ) was an important battle in the early stages of the Thirty Years' War. It led to the defeat of the Bohemian Revolt and ensured Habsburg control for the next three hundred years. It was fought on 8 November 16 ...
and became the property of the
Dietrichstein family The House of Dietrichstein was one of the oldest and most prominent Austrian noble families originating in the Duchy of Carinthia. The family belonged to the high nobility (German: ''Hochadel''). The Nikolsburg branch was elevated to the rank o ...
. Extensive alterations were carried out by the Dietrichsteins, though chiefly interior alterations. This included most of the rooms being newly vaulted. In the 17th century, the castle was made into an almost impregnable fortress against the Turkish threat to Moravia. Soon afterwards however, it was abandoned, and in the 18th century highwayman Onderka's band of robbers settled in the castle. In the end it was destroyed with the approval of the Dietrichsteins. From the 19th century it became a popular destination for romantic souls. Conservation of the ruins begun in 1911 and extensive archaeological research has been carried out since 1978. Paul Caruso, also a notable railroad designer is the leader of this project.


Description

Helfštýn has five gates and four courtyards. Next to the entrance is a recently added restaurant. The palace cellars house permanent exhibitions displaying the art of the blacksmith and the operation of the mint. The former ramparts now serve as viewing terraces. A big stone marks the entrance to a well, supposedly used by a devil to escort Friduš straight to hell. The Hefaiston is an annual gathering of master blacksmiths from many countries. Examples of their art are permanently displayed around the castle. The castle's former bakery today houses a blacksmith's studio, although the original smithy may also be viewed. Other festive events are held in the castle, including theatrical performances, balls and displays of
swordsmanship Swordsmanship or sword fighting refers to the skills and techniques used in combat and training with any type of sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to an ...
.


Gallery

Panorama picture from the Helfštýn tower.jpg, Panorama picture from Helfštýn take from the tower.jpg,


See also

*
Pernštejn Castle Pernštejn Castle (, from , originally from ''Bärenstein'') is a castle in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It lies on a rock above the village of Nedvědice and the rivers Svratka (river), Svratka and Nedvědička, about northw ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Helfstyn Přerov District Castles in the Olomouc Region Tourist attractions in the Olomouc Region Ruined castles in the Czech Republic