Nezamyslice Castle

Nezamyslice Castle is a Baroque residence in the village of Nezamyslice in Moravia, in the Prostějov district, built on the site of an older Gothic fortress. The building is closed to visitors — for well over a century it has served as a care institution — but its chain of owners, from a minor knightly family through Augustinian canons to an archbishop, is unusually eventful for such a small place.

What stood here before the castle?

The oldest written record of a fortress in Nezamyslice dates from 1371, when the seat belonged to the lords of Nezamyslice, a minor knightly family who gave the settlement its name. That Gothic fortress stood on the same spot where the current Baroque castle was later built, though nothing of the original structure survives beyond the mention in historical records.

When and why was the current castle built?

The present building dates from 1764. It was commissioned by the provost of the Augustinian monastery in Olomouc, which owned the Nezamyslice estate at the time. The Augustinians had already been investing in the estate earlier: in the late 17th century they built a Baroque granary (dated 1679) and, between 1697 and 1701, enlarged the neighboring Church of St. Wenceslaus. The castle was meant to serve as lodging during the monks' visits to oversee the estate's administration, which is why the building was directly connected to the church by a wing.

How did ownership change after the Augustinians?

The Augustinians held Nezamyslice until 1784, when their Olomouc monastery was dissolved under the Josephine religious reforms and the estate passed to a newly established religious fund. In 1813 the property was bought by Count August Segur, who sold it only a few years later to the Austrian archduke Ferdinand d'Este. It later passed to a Count Mundy, who in 1871 sold it to the Archbishop of Olomouc, Bedřich Fürstenberg, for a Catholic charitable association of the archdiocese.

Where did the religious sisters come from?

In 1876, Archbishop Fürstenberg granted free use of the building to the German Order of St. Hedwig. The first residents were mainly noblewomen from Silesia, and over time the castle came to house a boarding school for girls and an orphanage run by the sisters — a caregiving role that has continued in a different form to this day.

What does the castle look like today?

The complex is a three-wing Baroque castle built around an enclosed courtyard, with a separate multi-story Baroque granary standing nearby. Two coats of arms and a Latin inscription commemorating the founder are displayed above the entrance. The whole complex has been listed as a protected cultural monument since May 1958. Next to the castle lies a park of roughly two hectares, revitalized between 2001 and 2003.

What is the castle used for now?

The castle is currently owned by the Olomouc Region, which operates a care facility for people with intellectual disabilities there. Because of this function, the building is not open to tourists and cannot be visited inside — it can only be viewed from the outside, from the square and from the side of the Church of St. Wenceslaus, which stands right next to it.

Frequently asked questions

Can Nezamyslice Castle be visited? No. The building houses a care facility for people with intellectual disabilities and is closed to visitors; it can only be viewed from the outside.

When was the current castle built? In 1764, on the site of an earlier Gothic fortress first recorded in 1371.

Who built the castle? It was built on the initiative of the Augustinian canons of Olomouc, who administered the Nezamyslice estate at the time.

Who owned the castle after the Augustinians? After the monastery was dissolved in 1784, the estate passed through a religious fund, Count August Segur, Archduke Ferdinand d'Este, and Count Mundy, before being bought by the Archbishop of Olomouc in 1871.

What is the Order of St. Hedwig mentioned in the castle's history? It is a German religious order that used the building free of charge from 1876, first housing Silesian noblewomen and later running a boarding house for girls and an orphanage there.

Is the castle a protected monument? Yes, together with its adjoining Baroque granary it has been listed as a cultural monument since May 1958.