Sovinec

Because of the pressure from Olomouc, the brothers Vok and Pavel of the traditional Moravian family of Hrutovic, and who later called themselves of "Huzová", built a castle in Sovinec in the years 1329–1332 to mark the border of their territory.

As a proof of this might, the signature and seal of Petr of Sovinec is visible on the protest letter which Czech and Moravian noblemen wrote in the occasion of the burning of Jan Hus.

And it is not by chance that Sovinec was chosen as the meeting place for the important political discussions between Prokop Holý, leader of the Hussite army and Sigismund Korybut, a candidate for the Czech throne.

The lords of Sovinec were strong supporters of King George of Poděbrady, famous for his attempts at uniting all European monarchs, in his efforts to include Silesia in his project.

In 1540 he was forced to sell Sovinec in 1543 to one of the richest Moravian magnates Kryštov of Boskovice and Třebová, who made it into a renaissance residence for his interest in acquiring the mountains full of various ores and existing machinery.

Kryštov energy was not solely dedicated to mining, but also to colonial and industrial activities, continued by his grandson Jan, who not long before his death sold the Sovinec estate to Vavřinec Eder of Štiavnice in 1578.

The last lord of Sovinec, in the beginning of the 16th century, altered the central core of the castle by adding late gothic gate wings to it.

Key examples of this architectural change are the Gothic gate which leads to the inner palace built in the castle's fifth courtyard, and the surrounding buildings, as shown in the engraved insignia of Ješek and Jan Pňovský.

Her husband, a fervent Evangelical, having married a number of the rich Elder family, became one of the richest Moravian leaders and was able to climb the ladder of political career very rapidly.

After the defeat in the Battle of the White Mountain, Jan the Elder Kobylka of Kobylí, based on his participation in the Bohemian Revolt, was forced to cede Sovinec on 18 January 1623 for a derisory sum to the new proconsul and vice-regent of Bohemia, Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein, who committed it to the Teutonic Order in the same year.

Upon his return, Klippel carried out fortification of the castle most intensely between 1642 and 1643[3] when Northern Moravia was invaded by the Swedish army under general Lennart Torstenson.

Part of this fortification was a large round stone tower called "Lichteinsteinka"[1] connected to the castle by an underground passage visible even today.

The Nazis confiscated Sovinec as church property belonging to the Templars, who had in vain attempted to convince their German successors of their common goal.

From the 1980s, the renowned Czech photographer Jindřich Štreit regularly organizes exhibitions, concerts and theatrical performances at the Sovinec Castle.