History

The castle of Lipnice was established around 1310 by an important Czech aristocratic family - the Lords of Lichtenburg - who owned the nearby town of Havlíčkův Brod, where silver used to be mined. The wealth coming from the silver mines enabled the Lichtenburgs to start building a much-needed seat for their family - Lipnice castle. The first documented mention of the castle dates back to 1314. During the 14th century, Lipnice often changed hands between various owners - always influential Czech noblemen or Czech kings - proof of its past significance.
 

After the Lichtenburgs, the next owner of Lipnice was King John of Luxembourg. In 1319, he exchanged Lipnice for the dominions of Zittau with the mighty aristocrat Jindrich of Lipa. Jindrich and his descendants held the castle until 1370. Under the rule of the Lords of Lipa, the first form of the castle was completed. At that time, the castle chapel and dining hall were built in the underground of the residential palace.
 

In 1370 the dominion passed to the possessions of the Czech King and Roman Emperor Charles IV of Luxembourg, who granted freedom to the town below the castle, and allowed the burghers to build protective walls around their town. In 1379 Lipnice was inherited by the Lords of Landstein. The Landsteins significantly contributed to the development of the castle by establishing a chapter at the castle chapel, and a school in the town. The testament of Wilhelm of Landstein ordered the appointment of a priest, who preached in the Czech language every Sunday. But the Landsteins of Lipnice unfortunately died out on the spear side, and Catherine of Landstein brought Lipnice in her dowry to Vincenc (Cenek) of Vartenberg. Vincenc held the most important function in the Czech Kingdom, and was also a keen follower of Master John Hus's teachings. After Hus was burned at the stake in 1415, he initiated the signing of a protest letter written by the Czech aristocracy and sent to the Council of Constance. In 1417 Vincenc made the first Hussite priests ordained in the castle chapel - an act, which made Lipnice an important place in Czech history.
 

From 1436 Lipnice was owned by the wealthy knightly family of the Trckas of Lipa. At the turn of the 15th and 16th century under Burian II Trcka of Lipa, Lipnice was adjusted into the form of a late gothic castle residence. The last of the Trcka family - Adam Erdman - reached military fame as a general in Wallenstein's cavalry. In 1634 he was murdered along with his commander in the Western-Bohemian town of Cheb for disloyalty to Emperor Ferdinand II von Habsburg. In 1636 the Emperor gave the Lipnice dominion to general Matthew Vernier de Rougemont. At the end of the Thirty Years' War in 1645 the castle was seized and occupied by Swedish troops. Habsburg general De Condé tried to take the castle back in 1646, but wasn't successful, and the Swedes remained there until the very end of the war. Although the castle was reconstructed after the war, it quickly lost the importance it once had, as well as its original function. The last substantial building activity related to baroque conversion of the castle chapel in the 1780's. During the following centuries, the castle gradually and uncontrollably fell into disrepair, and was used as a farming estate. In 1869 the castle burned down along with the town, and became a ruin.
 

The first rescue actions began in 1913, and are continuing to this day with varying intensity. In 1924, the Club of Czech Tourists bought the castle for 100 Czech Crowns from the Trautmansdorf family. The Club invested much work and effort into the rescue and reconstruction of this cultural monument. From 1953 the castle has been owned by the State. The State also finances all the reconstruction work, which has cost nearly 70 million CZK from its beginning in the 1950's.

Reconstruction of the Castle

In the first half of the 20th century the castle was merely rescued from further dilapidation. In the 1970's and 1980's it was partially reconstructed and it was planned to be completed in its original form. This extensive reconstruction was not finished, and today it is seen as a series of very negative interventions. Therefore the preserved historic constructions are only conserved today, and their original character is preserved.