Kundratice

Clasificación

Château

País

Chequia

Región

Klatovy

Dirección

342 01 Hartmanice

Kundratice is a chateau in the village of the same name near Hartmanice in the Šumava region. It is an example of a modest noble seat with a Renaissance ground floor and an Empire upper storey, adjoined by a landscape park. It has been protected as a cultural monument since 1964. From the Kolovrat family it was purchased in 1709 by Jan Nepomuk Kryštof František of Villani de Castello Pillonico, who in 1710 transferred Kundratice to František Karel Baron Villani. The latter is credited with the conversion of the manor into a chateau in the second half of the 18th century. Later, under Karel Baron Villani around 1840, the Kundratice seat was transformed into a modern Empire-style chateau. The chateau thus acquired its present form, including the chateau chapel of St Anthony. The Villani family owned the chateau until 1861 (or 1865), when Willibald Huttary became the owner, and from him the small chateau was purchased by František Hašek, a prominent Czech banker and co-owner of the Melantrich publishing house. Following the tragic death of František Hašek in 1942, when he was executed by the Nazis, his son JUDr. Josef Karel Hašek (1911–2001) briefly resided here; before February 1948 he was sent to the USA as a financial expert. After the Communist coup of 1948 he decided to remain in the USA permanently. The chateau was subsequently confiscated and converted into offices and apartments for a state farm. The devastated chateau was returned in restitution in 1992 to the Hašek family. At present the daughter of Dr Hašek, Mrs Eliška Hašková-Coolidge, lives at the chateau and is gradually restoring it with the vision of establishing a centre for education in social, communication, and lifestyle matters.

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