Church of the Holy Spirit

The Church of the Holy Spirit is a small late Baroque cemetery church on the edge of Kunštát, a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It does not dominate the skyline, but for visitors interested in quiet local history away from the main sightseeing route, it makes a worthwhile stop alongside a visit to the town's castle and old center.

How do you get to the church?

The church stands next to the town cemetery, a short walk from Kunštát's main square — plan on roughly fifteen minutes on foot from the center. Kunštát sits in the Vysočina region near the border with South Moravia, reachable by car via local roads from Boskovice and Blansko. Boskovice is the nearest town with a railway connection, and regular buses run from there to Kunštát. The easiest way to see the church is to fold it into a longer walk around Kunštát that also takes in the castle and the historic town core.

What is the history behind the church?

The present building dates to 1738, when it was founded by Jan Theodor, a free baron of Imbsen, on the site of an earlier church already recorded before 1670. That means some form of church has stood on this spot for well over three and a half centuries, even though the structure visitors see today is not yet three hundred years old.

The most dramatic chapter in the church's history came in 1783, during the Josephine reforms, when Habsburg authorities closed numerous churches they judged unnecessary. Kunštát's church was slated for the same fate, but it was saved by Ignaz Hypolit, free baron Honrichs of Wolfswarffen, who at the time owned the Kunštát estate. He personally committed to funding the church's upkeep, which kept it from being shut down. In recognition of that commitment and the family's ties to the place, a burial vault for the Honrichs family was later built beneath the church, and it remains part of the structure today.

The church serves as a subsidiary (filial) church of the Kunštát parish and has traditionally functioned as a cemetery church — which explains its modest, intimate scale compared with the town's main parish church. It is listed as a protected cultural monument, reflecting its historical and architectural value for the region.

What can you see on site?

The building follows the plain, functional proportions typical of late Baroque cemetery architecture — it was conceived from the start as a place for burials and quiet prayer rather than as a showcase parish church. The cemetery setting gives the site a contemplative atmosphere, and the nearby Honrichs family vault is a tangible reminder of how local nobility intervened to save the building nearly two and a half centuries ago. For anyone interested in regional history, it's a physical trace of the Josephine church reforms and the local disputes over the fate of smaller Moravian churches.

When is the best time to visit?

The church is best seen as part of a warm-season visit to Kunštát, when a walk through the cemetery and surrounding area pairs easily with a stop at the castle. It's also worth checking for the local Night of Churches event, during which the building is sometimes opened to visitors along with other regional religious sites — a good chance to see an interior that is not normally accessible.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Church of the Holy Spirit open daily? As a subsidiary cemetery church, it typically opens only for occasional services or events such as the Night of Churches — check with the Kunštát parish for current access before visiting.

Why does the church stand next to the cemetery, and where does its name come from? Its dedication to the Holy Spirit reflects its role as a place of prayer for the dead — it was built from the outset as a cemetery church, separate from the town's main parish church.

What saved the church from closure in the 18th century? Baron Ignaz Hypolit Honrichs of Wolfswarffen, then owner of the Kunštát estate, committed in 1783 to personally fund its upkeep, which spared it from closure under the Josephine reforms.

Are members of the Honrichs family buried at the church? Yes, a family vault was built beneath the church in recognition of the Honrichs family's role in saving it and their ties to Kunštát.