Written by Marie Dlaskova
Sychrov is a chateau from the Romantic period. It has a large park. It’s located in the Village of Sychrov in the Liberec region. Sychrov Chateau is a Czech national cultural monument.
The history of this chateau is very rich because its owners have changed many times. The first mention of this place comes from the 15th century when there was a fortress. At that time, the village where the court with the fortress was located was called the Village of Svojkov. Instead of a fortress, a manorial stone house was built in the 16th century. Later, this court was owned by the Lamott family of Winthrop. At the end of the 17th century, this new owner rebuilt the manor house into a small Baroque chateau. At that time, the chateau had only one floor and a tower, there was also a chapel and an ornamental garden. This chateau was named the same as the previous house Sychrov. In 1740, the chateau was bought by Frantisek of Valdstejn, who did not settle there permanently, so the chateau was used only by servants.
Since 1820, when the chateau was bought by the Austrian Marshal Karel Alain Gabriel Rohan, Sychrov has once again become the permanent seat of the nobility. The Rohan family took care of the chateau for 125 years. The castle was in poor condition, as it was not much maintained by the previous owner and therefore it wasn’t suitable for his needs. So Karel Alain Rohan began rebuilding the castle into a Classicist form. The biggest changes in the form of the chateau took place during the time of his nephew, Prince Kamil Josef Filip Idesbald Rohan. Under the leadership of these rulers, Sychrov Chateau began to change into today’s Romantic-neo-Gothic building. The project for this reconstruction was created by Bernard Grueber, a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts. With this reconstruction, Sychrov Chateau became one of the most important monuments of the historical styles of the 19th century. All work on this castle was done only by Czech artists. During the first reconstruction, the second floor was added, the chateau was extended on both sides and a gallery was also built there. Kamil Rohan also modified the chateau park, which was created in the English style. The park later became a model for many other places. During further building modifications in the first half of the 20th century, functionalist changes took place, some decorative neo-Gothic elements were removed and replaced with new modern equipment.
The Rohan family lost the chateau after World War II and it became the property of the state. The state first used it as a collection point. In 1950, a small part of the chateau was opened to the public. Over time, the tour route increased. Since the end of the 20th century, the chateau has been reconstructed and restored. The aim is to be as similar as possible to its form from the second half of the 19th century when it was in its best days.
There is a memorial of composer Antonin Dvorak at the Sychrov Chateau. It was located there because in the years 1877 – 1896 Antonin Dvorak visited Sychrov Chateau nine times. Dvorak went there to rest, to compose new compositions and he also played the organ in the Sychrov chapel. During his visits to Sychrov Chateau, he lived at his friend’s Alois Göbl flat. Alois Göbel was the secretary of Prince Kamil Rohan.
This chateau is very important for the Czech Republic, many well-known Czech fairy tales were shot there. Several Czech and foreign films and series were also shot there.
For more information about the Liberec region, from which this chateau comes, click here and here.
