Poběžovice Castle

Poběžovice Castle stands right in the centre of the small Czech town of Poběžovice, in the Domažlice district near the Bavarian border. Over the centuries the building moved from a medieval stronghold through a Renaissance makeover to a Baroque residence, and its best-known chapter belongs to the aristocratic Coudenhove-Kalergi family.

When was the castle built and how did it change over time?

The first fortified structure on the site went up after 1459, when the town — then known as Ronšperk — passed into the hands of Dorohost of Ronšperk. Poběžovice received municipal rights in 1502. The original building was a heavily fortified, almost circular two-storey structure with a single entrance leading into an enclosed courtyard. Royal troops captured the castle in 1510, and in the 16th century the Švamberk family rebuilt it in Renaissance style. A far more thorough transformation followed between 1682 and 1696, when Matyáš of Wunschwitz turned the old stronghold into a comfortable Baroque residence.

What is the castle's connection to the Coudenhove-Kalergi family?

In 1864 Franz Karl Coudenhove bought the Ronšperk (Poběžovice) estate along with the neighbouring Pivoň estate, opening an almost eighty-year period during which the castle belonged to the Coudenhove-Kalergi family. It was under their ownership that the building saw its most significant later changes: Hans Coudenhove-Kalergi carried out renovations in 1920–1921, and in 1923 a pseudo-Renaissance entrance gate was added. Earlier, in the late 19th century, the castle was home to Count Heinrich Coudenhove-Kalergi, an Austro-Hungarian diplomat who, during a journey to Japan in 1892, met Mitsuko Aoyama, the daughter of a Tokyo merchant, and later brought her to Poběžovice as his wife. Heinrich died at the castle in 1906. Their son, Richard Nikolaus Coudenhove-Kalergi, founded the Pan-European Union in 1923 — one of the first organised movements for European unification — making him the most famous descendant linked to the estate. The last owner before the family's property was confiscated in 1945 was Johann (Hans) Coudenhove-Kalergi.

What happened to the castle after 1945?

After the Second World War and its transfer to state ownership, the castle was stripped of its furnishings and fell into disrepair for decades. Since 1989 it has belonged to the municipality of Poběžovice, which has been gradually restoring and securing the historic building. The pace of conservation work has varied over the years, depending on the level of engagement from local management.

Why is Poběžovice worth a stop?

The castle sits at the heart of a small border town that rarely appears on typical tourist routes, despite its ties to one of Central Europe's more remarkable aristocratic families of the 19th and 20th centuries. It appeals to anyone interested in Central European history, the Czech-Bavarian borderland, and the life of Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi, whose vision of a united Europe took shape in a family that once called this castle home.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Poběžovice Castle located? In the centre of the town of Poběžovice, in the Domažlice district of western Bohemia, close to the Bavarian border.

Who built the castle? The first stronghold was built after 1459 under Dorohost of Ronšperk; its present Baroque form dates from Matyáš of Wunschwitz's rebuilding between 1682 and 1696.

What is the castle's link to the Coudenhove-Kalergi family? The family owned the estate from 1864 until its confiscation in 1945. Count Heinrich Coudenhove-Kalergi lived there with his wife Mitsuko, and their son Richard founded the Pan-European Union in 1923.

Has the castle been restored today? Partially. It has belonged to the municipality since 1989, which has carried out gradual restoration, though the pace of conservation work has changed over the years.

What happened to the castle after 1945? It was confiscated from the Coudenhove-Kalergi family, stripped of its contents, and left to decay for decades before passing into municipal ownership.