Klášter Letovice

The Monastery of the Merciful Brothers with the Church of St. Wenceslas in Letovice, Moravia, is a Baroque monastery-and-hospital complex built in the second half of the 18th century. For more than two centuries the site was home to the Order of the Merciful Brothers (Brothers Hospitallers), and the complex still dominates the townscape of Letovice, a small town in the Boskovice region within the Blansko district.

Who founded the monastery in Letovice?

The monastery was founded on the initiative of Heinrich Cajetan Blümegen, then owner of the Letovice and Malá Slatinka estates and the highest court chancellor. In 1750 he decided to establish a monastery combined with a hospital on his property and place it under the care of the Order of the Merciful Brothers. The foundation was designed to house six brothers and six patients. Blümegen financed the entire project from the interest on a capital of 24,000 gold coins that he set aside for the purpose, and he also supplied the building materials needed for construction.

How was the monastery built?

Construction began on 26 April 1751 and continued, in stages, until 1784. The design of the Baroque complex was prepared by Brother Longinus Traub, a member of the order. Because the project stretched over more than three decades, the monastery grew gradually, eventually combining living quarters for the brothers with hospital wards for patients.

What does the monastery complex look like?

The monastery was laid out as a four-wing complex arranged around a square courtyard, a layout typical of Baroque monastic foundations that combined residential and charitable functions. The northern wing is formed by the rectangular Church of St. Wenceslas, which serves as both the architectural and spiritual center of the whole site. In the western wing, a historic Baroque monastery pharmacy with a vaulted ceiling has survived intact — one of the most valuable interiors in the entire complex.

What is inside the monastery crypt?

Beneath the Church of St. Wenceslas lies the monastery crypt, the resting place of the founder Heinrich Cajetan Blümegen, members of the Merciful Brothers community, and members of the noble Kálnoky family. The crypt therefore brings together the memory of the lay founder, the monastic community, and an aristocratic family tied to the history of Letovice.

What happened to the monastery after 1949?

In 1949, during the communist-era crackdown on religious institutions, the authorities confiscated the monastery, its estates, and the pharmacy operating on the town square in Letovice from the order. The situation changed only after 1989, when the Merciful Brothers returned to Letovice and established a novitiate there. The order remained active in the town until 2017, when it left Letovice. The church stayed in the order's hands, while the regional government took over the hospital complex and the former monastery building.

Frequently asked questions

When was the monastery in Letovice built? The decision to found it was made in 1750, construction began on 26 April 1751, and work continued until 1784.

Who designed the monastery building? The Baroque complex was designed by Brother Longinus Traub of the Order of the Merciful Brothers.

Whose remains are in the crypt beneath the church? The crypt holds the remains of founder Heinrich Cajetan Blümegen, members of the Merciful Brothers, and members of the Kálnoky noble family.

Are the Merciful Brothers still active in Letovice? No — the order left the town in 2017. The Church of St. Wenceslas remained the order's property, while the former monastery and hospital passed to the region.

What has survived from the original monastery furnishings? A Baroque monastery pharmacy with a vaulted ceiling has survived in the western wing of the complex.