Czech History - Tumblr Posts
…So after a week and a half it’s finally happening! What a relief~
Today’s post will be mostly about nostalgia and contemplation since I keep going back in my mind to those wonderful memories as it was a beginning of a new era in my life (of some sort).
It all started almost two years ago when the world seemed a little more stable and people could travel much more freely. That was the time when I was able to make a short three-day trip to… the Czech Republic!
Nowadays, this incredible country is a home for many monuments and treasures of the imperial past, Holy Roman or Austrian or Austrian-Hungarian imperial past in particular. At some point different noblemen who served the monarchs of those immense Empires were able to get some kind of property there: were they lands, castles or even entire cities…
That’s where the history of House Schwarzenberg shines out the most! ✨
And here is their majestic coat of arms. 🛡
Actually, this noble House was one of the richest Houses in the Empire: they had possessions in Franconia (a historical region in Germany part of which is located in modern day Bavaria (from here actually came their progenitor - the first bearer of the title “Herr zu Schwarzenberg”)), Bohemia (an ancient kingdom which is a part of modern day Czech Republic) and Austria itself! 🇩🇪🇨🇿🇦🇹
Thanks to incredibly beneficial marriages and personal contribution to the glory of the Empire, their fortune grew immensely over time. As usual it was transferred into property, mostly acquired by them in Bohemia. That’s probably why the descendants of this House are considered today more Czechs than anyone else.
(Well, during his lifetime the nowadays head of the House, politician Karel Schwarzenberg, former prime minister of the Czech Republic, continued living between Czechia and Austria because, you know, political reasons… but anyway!)
And as Prague already is one of the most mesmerising cities I’ve ever visited, it was even more fascinating to discover all the magnificent palaces which once belonged to the representatives of the family. So it starts with the Schwarzenberský Palác in the heart of the capital…
…goes to the streets of a small town Český Krumlov in the southern Czechia where the family usually resided when they weren’t living in Vienna…
…continues with the breathtaking sight of the castle Hluboká nad Vltavou, the main familial residence…
…and ends near the robust walls of Orlík (or “Worlik” in German) nad Vltavou, the castle whose most famous owner was one Austrian field-marshal, diplomat and Hofkriegsrath President, Karl Philipp zu Schwarzenberg. :)
He was the main reason why I chose that long tour (even though back then I knew practically nothing about him, his deeds and that important Austrian “piece” of Napoleonic “pie” in general) and why I slowly fell for Austrian history.
(Well, actually, I also read my first biography of Metternich on the same trip and from that point it all got “worse” eventually! 😂)
Soooo now I simply sit here with this very straight-forward, not very talented but good-hearted man on my hands and feel somehow… blessed.
It’s an incredible feeling actually. ❤️
P.S.
After all this time the only thing I feel regret for is my inability to explore all those fascinating sights much more carefully back then. Unfortunately, I had almost no time at all and the season was rather unsuitable (all the palaces are closed from late autumn to early spring since it’s an enormous task to keep the right temperatures inside of those immense buildings) …
I guess, from now on it’s a dream I want to fulfil one day - a long stay in Czechia with an opportunity to visit all the museums and palaces which once belonged to Schwarzenberg’s family. :)
Since I was finally able to make some sort of introduction to the history of House Schwarzenberg and field marshal Schwarzenberg’s family, in addition I would love to share some more photos from my own collection!
Now I simply want to show the solemn beauty of castle Orlík, the main residence of the cadet branch established by field marshal, as it’s entourage is so impressive and the views are breathtaking. ❤️
Perhaps, these photos don’t look as impressive as others, taken from air, for example, nonetheless you can feel all the grandeur and solidity of the residence even standing under its walls!
I wonder how the perception of such a robust castle (it is a literal c a s t l e, not some fancy “palais” in Vienna or Paris) changes, when the late spring comes. You know, when everything is so fresh and bright-green and incredibly lively... 🍃
(Also, as I start thinking about all the vast fields and forests, surrounding Orlík, I clearly understand why Schwarzenberg was so difficult to come by in Paris, even though he occupied such an important post of Austrian ambassador in France since 1809. Yes, he was benevolent, open-minded, amiable and sociable (at least, he visited all the necessary salons as he should) but when time came for some important diplomatic decisions, he was usually absent because of… the hunt.
I get it, that was one of the most common entertainment at the epoch but the coincidences still were truly hilarious! And since he was regularly able to spend fair amount of time in his precious Orlík (end of 1801 - first half of 1805 / beginning of 1806 - end of 1808) which he lovingly reconstructed and expanded, his lands probably offered him almost endless possibilities regarding the hunt.
I guess, for this particular man it was a true passion! 🦌)
All right everybody, we'll start by the oldest Czech song: Hospodine, pomiluj ny. (And if you don't understand it, don't worry, I had to google translation to modern Czech to be able to understand what they are singing about).
While you might have heard about Přemyslovci, at the begining they weren't the only influential dynasty. It is said that Hospodine pomiluj ny was composed by svatý Vojtěch (Adalbert of Prague, svatý = saint), a member of another important dynasty - Slavníkovci. Most of the members of this dynasty were killed in 995. Svatý Vojtěch survived because he wasn't in Bohemia, he never returned and was killed in 997 by pagan Prussians. We don't know for sure why and who killed Slavníkovci, it might have been ordered by Přemyslovci or another dynasty Vršovci - Přemyslovci later tried to kill them three times, but some members survived and we are not exactly sure what happened to them.
What we know for sure is that Hospodine, pomiluj ny was sang when Spytihněv II. (from Přemyslovci dynasty) was elected to be the Duke of Bohemia in 1055. His younger brother Vratislav II. became the first King of Bohemia in 1086, although his sons didn't inherit the title. The second King of Bohemia was Vladislav I., again, the title was not hereditary.
The title became hereditary during the reign of Přemysl Otakar I. in 1212, after the Golden Bull of Sicily was granted to Bohemia by Frederick II. The Golden Bull recognized both Přemysl Otakar I. (third King of Bohemia) and his heirs as Kings of Bohemia.
Lyrics:
Original:
Hospodine, pomiluj ny!
Jezukriste, pomiluj ny!
Ty, spase všeho mira,
spasiž ny i uslyšiž,
Hospodine, hlasy našě!
Daj nám všěm, Hospodine,
žizn a mír v zemi!
Krleš! Krleš! Krleš!
Modern Czech:
Hospodine, smiluj se nad námi!
Ježíši Kriste, smiluj se nad námi,
Ty, spasiteli všeho světa,
spas nás a vyslyš,
Hospodine, hlasy naše.
Dej nám všem, Hospodine,
hojnost a pokoj na zemi.
Kyrie eleison! Kyrie eleison! Kyrie eleison!
(Krleš is wrong pronunciation of Kyrie eleison).
English:
Lord, have mercy on us!
Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!
You, Saviour of all the world,
save us and hear,
Lord, our voices.
Give us all, Lord,
plenty and peace on earth.
Kyrie eleison! Kyrie eleison! Kyrie eleison!
Zřejmě to nebude mít s historií moc co společného, ale vypadá to sakra zajímavě.... 😁👍
On 30.9.1938 Nazi Germany took the territory of the former Czechoslovakia on the basis of the Munich Agreement.
On 30.9.2022 the Russian Federation took the territory of Ukraine on the basis of pseudo-referendums.
Don't tell me that history does not repeat itself!!