Holy Trinity Column in Nový Berštejn

The Holy Trinity column in Nový Berštejn stands by the wall of the former castle game park (obora) belonging to Nový Berštejn castle, near the town of Dubá, in the Česká Lípa district of the Liberec region. It is a votive column with a triangular ground plan dedicated to the Holy Trinity — a much rarer form than the round plague-column type found on the market squares of many Czech towns.

Who commissioned the column, and when was it built?

The column was placed there by the then-owners of Nový Berštejn castle, the Sweerts-Špork family. The monument most likely dates from the first half of the 18th century. It is possible that the sculptures were carved by the same stonemason who created the 1724 plague column on the main square in nearby Dubá — though this attribution remains unconfirmed and should be treated as uncertain rather than established fact.

What do the oldest records say about it?

The earliest known written mention of the column comes from parish records. They note that Countess Marie Valdštejnová commissioned a complete restoration of three sculptures located on the Nový Berštejn estate grounds — including this Holy Trinity column. This shows that care for the monument passed through several generations of estate owners over time, not only its original founders from the Sweerts-Špork family.

What happened to it in the 20th century?

In 1996 the column was seriously damaged in a traffic accident — a vehicle struck the monument standing by the game park wall. A general repair was completed the following year, in 1997, and thanks to that work the column has survived to the present day in a form close to its pre-accident state.

Is it worth visiting today?

The column stands in a spot that does not sit on the region's main tourist routes — it is more of a stop for visitors already exploring the grounds around Nový Berštejn castle and its former game park than a standalone destination in its own right. For anyone interested in small-scale sacred architecture and the estate history of the Dubá area, though, it is a telling example of how landed families commissioned and maintained religious monuments on their estates across generations — and of how such monuments have had to survive damage caused by modern road traffic.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly does the Holy Trinity column at Nový Berštejn stand? By the wall of the former castle game park at Nový Berštejn castle, near the town of Dubá, in the Česká Lípa district of the Liberec region.

Who commissioned the column? The then-owners of Nový Berštejn castle, the Sweerts-Špork family, most likely in the first half of the 18th century.

Has the column ever been restored? Yes. The earliest record documents a restoration of three sculptures commissioned by Countess Marie Valdštejnová, and after a traffic accident in 1996 the column was fully repaired in 1997.

How does it differ from the plague column on Dubá's main square? It is a separate monument — a triangular column by the game park wall at Nový Berštejn castle, as opposed to the round 1726 plague column standing on the main square in the center of Dubá.

What shape does the column have? It has an unusual triangular ground plan, symbolically referencing the three Persons of the Holy Trinity.