FREUDENSTEIN CASTLE
Introduction
Approximately one kilometre west of the town, on Castle Hill, stand the remains of Freudenstein Castle. It was built according to the plans of the Schlik builder Jan Münnich between 1517 and 1523.
History
In 1525 the castle was captured during the miners’ uprising. It later became the seat of mining governors. After the Schmalkaldic War, the Schlik family lost control of the town in 1548, and the castle passed to the Crown. Its destruction came during the Thirty Years’ War. In 1634 it was largely destroyed by Swedish artillery under General Johan Gustafsson Banér, and in 1648 the remaining structures were blown up. Only two towers survived.
In the nineteenth century, one tower was converted into a town watchtower and the other into a powder magazine. The construction of a road through the complex further damaged the remains. The last major reconstruction took place in 1973.
Description
The castle had a rectangular ground plan measuring approximately 50 × 65 metres. Massive cylindrical towers with walls up to 1.7 metres thick stood at the corners. The north-eastern tower, known as Šlikovka, functioned as a battery tower. The design reflected early modern adaptation to artillery warfare.
Restoration
Today, the castle remains in unsatisfactory condition. One tower belongs to the town of Jáchymov, while the other is privately owned. The site is additionally disrupted by a road and a telecommunications tower.
Photogallery: http://mipalfi.rajce.idnes.cz/Freudenstein/
