Church of the Holy Family (Havlíčkův Brod)

The Church of the Holy Family in Havlíčkův Brod is a Baroque monastery church built in the second half of the 17th century outside the town's original walls, in what was then the upper suburb. The building still stands today together with the former monastery and the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre, forming a protected cultural monument complex.

Why was a monastery founded here?

The church's origins are tied to the recatholicization drive that followed the Thirty Years' War. Havlíčkův Brod, then a largely Protestant town known as Německý Brod, was initially reluctant to host a mendicant order, wary of the financial burden of supporting another religious institution. It was only in 1674 that the town reached an agreement with the Discalced Augustinians and allowed them to settle in the suburb beyond the fortifications. The order had arrived in the Czech lands from Rome in the 17th century, and Brod became its third seat in the region.

How were the church and monastery built?

Construction ran from 1679 into the 1730s. A single-storey monastery building went up first, followed by a new Baroque church dedicated to the Holy Family. The eastern section, including the presbytery, was built by a master recorded in sources as Gian Batista, while the western part was completed by Daniel Měnický of Chrudim. The façade dates from the early 18th century and follows a design by the order's own brother, Filip à Sancto Hermanno, who also created the sculptures of the Holy Family that decorate it.

What can visitors find inside?

The main altar, dedicated to the Holy Family, along with the altar of the Five Wounds of Christ, was made by sculptor Ignác Rohrbach of Chrudim. The Five Wounds motif carries particular significance for the Augustinian order, and this altar is said to be the only surviving example of its kind in Bohemia. The monastery complex also includes the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre, protected together with the church and the monastery building as a heritage site.

What happened to the monastery after it was dissolved?

The Augustinian convent was abolished in 1807. Nine years later, in 1816, a school was moved into the former monastery buildings — the Augustinians had previously run their own school in a building opposite the monastery. The church itself changed hands more than once after the monastery closed: for a period it served the local Hussite congregation, which used the building until 1926.

FAQ

How long did construction take? Work on the monastery complex and church ran from 1679 into the 1730s, though the church itself was largely completed by 1696.

Who were the Discalced Augustinians? A branch of the Augustinian order that reached the Czech lands from Rome in the 17th century. Havlíčkův Brod was their third foundation in the region.

Does the interior still hold its original furnishings? Yes — the Baroque main altar dedicated to the Holy Family survives, along with the rare altar of the Five Wounds of Christ created by Ignác Rohrbach.

What occupies the former monastery building today? A school has operated there since 1816, established after the Augustinian convent was dissolved.

Was the church always used by Catholics? No — after the monastery's dissolution in 1807, the building was used for a time by the local Hussite congregation, until 1926.