Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary

The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary stands in Poběžovice, a small town in the Czech Republic near the Bavarian border, southwest of Domažlice. The late-Gothic building has anchored the town for more than five centuries and served for generations as the burial place of the noble families who held the local estate.

When was the church built?

The church was founded around 1500 by Dobrohost of Ronšperk, a member of the family that then ruled Poběžovice (historically known as Ronšperk). It was built in the late-Gothic style typical of the Bohemian-Bavarian borderland at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. The founder died in 1506 and was buried inside the church he had built; his gravestone is still preserved in the presbytery today.

How has the building changed over the centuries?

In the second half of the 17th century, after suffering fire damage, the church underwent a Baroque renovation. That work added Baroque architectural and decorative elements that still coexist with the original Gothic structure. The facade originally featured two towers, but around 1900 the tower on the right side of the entrance was removed and the whole building was repaired. Since then the church has kept its current single-tower silhouette.

What can visitors see inside?

The interior is covered by a wooden coffered ceiling, one of the building's most notable features. Furnishings and decorative elements dating from the 17th through the 19th centuries have survived inside, tracing the church's history through successive periods. The main altar holds an early Baroque statue of the Virgin Mary. The church also houses a painting of Saint Nicholas, which was brought here from a nearby church in Šitboř.

Who is buried in the church?

For centuries the church served as the burial site of the owners of the Ronšperk estate. The presbytery preserves the gravestones of its founder, Dobrohost of Ronšperk, who died in 1506, and of Peter of Švamberk, who died in 1575 and represented the family that later held the estate. Alongside them stand two tombstones of the von Coudenhove family, who owned the local estate in subsequent centuries. This concentration of noble gravestones makes the church an important record of the region's aristocratic history.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the church located? In Poběžovice, a town in the Czech Republic's Plzeň Region, close to the German border.

Who founded the church? It was founded around 1500 by Dobrohost of Ronšperk, who was later buried inside it.

What architectural style is the church built in? It was originally built in the late-Gothic style, then given a Baroque renovation in the second half of the 17th century after a fire.

How many towers does the church have today? One — the second tower, originally on the right side of the entrance, was removed around 1900.

Whose gravestones can be seen in the presbytery? The gravestones of Dobrohost of Ronšperk (d. 1506) and Peter of Švamberk (d. 1575), plus two tombstones of the von Coudenhove family.