Zámek Komořany

Komořany Chateau is a Baroque reworking of a medieval fortified manor, standing in Komořany — a former village that today forms part of Prague 12, in the south of the city.

How old is the settlement of Komořany?

The place is first recorded as far back as 1088, under the name Comoraz, as property of the Vyšehrad Chapter. Its name derives from "komora," meaning an estate, rent or income belonging to a ruler or nobleman, worked by the village's inhabitants. Over the following centuries Komořany passed through several hands: it belonged at various points to King Wenceslas II, then to the scholastic Dobeš, later to the monastery at Zbraslav, and in the 15th century to George of Poděbrady himself.

When did the fortified manor that preceded the chateau appear?

Before any chateau stood on the site, there was a tvrz — a small medieval fortified manor house. When the local deputy judge Václav Šturma of Hyršfeld bought Komořany in 1589, the purchase contract explicitly mentioned an existing tvrz on the property. That structure later became the foundation for the Baroque rebuilding that followed.

How did the fortified manor turn into a chateau?

The chateau in its proper form dates to 1742, when the old fortified manor was rebuilt in Baroque style. The new building served as a summer residence for the abbots of the Zbraslav monastery, to which Komořany then belonged. That same year is tied to one of the more notable episodes in the building's history: on 2 July 1742, during the siege of Prague in the War of the Austrian Succession, the chateau hosted negotiations between the besieging side — French Marshal Belle-Isle together with the Bavarian duke — and Count Königsegg and Prince Esterházy, representing Empress Maria Theresa. The French commander sought free passage for the troops encircled in Prague, but the talks ended without agreement.

What happened to the chateau after the monastery was dissolved?

In 1785 the Zbraslav monastery was dissolved, and Komořany passed to a religious fund. The fund administered the estate for forty years before selling the farmstead, chateau and sheepfold to Prince Friedrich of Oettingen-Wallerstein. From that point on, the chateau remained in the hands of a succession of secular owners, drifting away from its original role as a monastic residence.

What did the chateau look like at the turn of the 20th century?

Around the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the chateau's owner was the engineer Karel Schulz, founder of the Modřany Engineering Works (Modřanské strojírny) in Prague. Schulz carried out relatively modest building works: he raised one of the wings by an extra storey and converted the chateau tower for use as a water tower, fitting it with a water tank. These were practical, functional changes typical of the industrial era, when suburban residences increasingly took on working, economic roles.

What happened to the chateau after Karel Schulz's death?

Karel Schulz died in 1932, and the chateau passed into state ownership. From that point the building began serving institutional purposes, moving further away from its earlier life as a private residence.

Who uses the chateau building today?

Since 1954, the building of the former Komořany chateau has housed the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (Český hydrometeorologický ústav). The institute has occupied the site for seven decades, which means the chateau is not open to the public in the usual tourist sense — it functions as an office and research building rather than a visitable historic monument.

Where exactly is Komořany located?

Komořany today is a cadastral part of the Prague 12 municipal district, in the southern part of the city. The former village has been absorbed into the wider urban fabric of Prague, while retaining its own name and an identity tied to the chateau's history and to this stretch of the Vltava valley.

Frequently asked questions

Can Komořany chateau be visited? Since 1954 the building has been occupied by the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, so it is not a tourist attraction in the usual sense — there are no regular interior tours.

When was the chateau built? Its present Baroque form dates to 1742, when an earlier medieval fortified manor (tvrz), already documented in 1589, was rebuilt.

What notable historical event is linked to the chateau? On 2 July 1742, during the siege of Prague, the chateau hosted negotiations between the French-Bavarian side and representatives of Empress Maria Theresa — the talks failed to reach an agreement.

Who was the chateau's last private owner? The engineer Karel Schulz, founder of the Modřany Engineering Works, who owned it in the early 20th century; after his death in 1932 the chateau passed into state ownership.