Oblajovice

Oblajovice is a small village in the municipality of Dolní Hořice, in the Tábor District of the South Bohemian Region, roughly 15 km east of Tábor. Its main point of interest is a small castle set in an English park, with a history that stretches back to the early 16th century and passes through the hands of several notable Bohemian noble families.

How did Oblajovice's history begin?

The village is first documented in 1529, in a record concerning the division of property belonging to Petr Smrčka of Mnich. His grandson later added the village of Hartlíkov and part of Prasetín to Oblajovice, forming a small landed estate. Ownership changed several times over the following decades: in 1623 the estate was bought by Jan the Elder Vratislav of Mitrovice, in 1637 it passed by inheritance to his daughter Kateřina Polyxena, and in 1649–1650 it was purchased by Zuzana Černínová of Chudenice. During this period a stone fortress (tvrz) with an adjoining farmyard stood on the site — it is last mentioned in records from 1726, shortly before it was rebuilt.

From fortress to castle

In 1700 the estate was bought by Jan Rudolf Renn of Renn, and in 1750 it passed to Leopold Krakovský of Kolovrat. Between 1726 and 1759 the old fortress was rebuilt as a Baroque castle. A further, more visible transformation came in the second half of the 19th century under owner Rudolf Kolovrat (1830–1903), also known as a keen beekeeper: the castle was remodeled in Neo-Gothic style, a look it has partly retained ever since. An English park was laid out around three sides of the building, while a large farmyard was built on the eastern side, used mainly for sheep breeding.

What happened to the castle in the 20th century?

In 1878 the estate was sold to a buyer named Renner from Vienna. The new owners did not live there, and both the castle and its grounds gradually fell into disrepair. The situation changed when the Šantrůčka family bought the estate in 1909 and carried out repairs and modernization. After 1950 the family was forced to leave Oblajovice: the property was briefly taken over by the Prague Union of Invalids, and from 1953 it housed a training facility run by the Strojobal Hradec Králové enterprise. In 1992, under post-communist restitution, ownership returned to the Šantrůčka family. Today the castle belongs to the company Wasak s.r.o. of Brno; the building stands empty, and most of the farmyard structures have been demolished, with only the barn still standing.

How has the village's administrative status changed?

Between 1850 and 1919, Oblajovice was recorded as a settlement within the municipality of Prasetín, in the Pelhřimov district. From 1920 to 1971 it was an independent municipality, and since April 1, 1976, it has formed part of the municipality of Dolní Hořice in the Tábor district.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the castle in Oblajovice? It is a castle that grew out of an older stone fortress rebuilt in the 18th century, remodeled in Neo-Gothic style in the 19th century, and surrounded by an English park and a former farmyard.

Who owned the castle in Oblajovice? Over the centuries the estate passed through families including the Vratislavs of Mitrovice, the Černíns of Chudenice, the Renns, and the Kolovrats, before being bought by the Šantrůčka family in 1909, who regained ownership through restitution in 1992.

Can the castle in Oblajovice be visited? The building currently stands empty and is privately owned by a company; available sources give no indication of regular public access or organized tours.

Where is Oblajovice located? The village lies about 15 km east of Tábor, within the municipality of Dolní Hořice in the Tábor district of the South Bohemian Region.