History of the Castle

The oldest written mention of Kolštejn Castle, built near the trade route from Silesia to Olomouc, dates back to 1325. The castle was apparently built in 1308-1310 during the period of peace after the extinction of the Přemyslids for the purpose of plunder and looting, after which the town of Kolštejn was probably founded. It was from that time that a standing round tower, the so-called bergfrit, was located behind the wall, fragments of which are still visible today. In the 1430s, the castle belonged to the Czech King Jan Lucemburský, who gave it to Pertold of Lipá in 1339. At the end of the 14th century, the estate and the castle were acquired by the Lords of Wallenstein, of whom Hynek, also known as Kolštejnský, became famous in the pre-Hussite and Hussite periods. Kolštejn Castle became his main seat and played an important role during the Hussite Wars. However, in the service of Emperor Sigismund, Hynek was killed in September 1427 and then Kolštejn was acquired by Markvart of Zvole. It was under the lordship of Zvole that the castle complex received its final form. A new palace was built in the eastern part of the castle and a large fortified forecourt was built north of the castle core. The Gothic entrance tower, which was rebuilt in the Renaissance style in the 16th century, was probably also built at that time. After the death of Václav of Zvole, the estate passed to his sister Barbara, who left part of the estate to her son-in-law Jan Černický of Kácov. He sold it to Charles the Elder of Žerotín in 1575. In 1578 Karel had to leave the Kolštejn estate to his brother Jan Jr. of Žerotín, probably because of large debts. He died childless and his sister Bohunka sold the estate in 1581 to the related Bruntálský family from Vrbno. Under both Žerotíns, the grounds of the central castle were gradually rebuilt into a chateau. Subsequently, the manor was purchased by Hynek the Elder of Bruntál in Vrbno. In 1584, he issued church, school and marriage rules for his subjects, introducing the Lutheran faith to the Kolštejn manor. After his death in 1596, his son John the Elder, who studied at Swiss Calvinist universities, took over the estate. After his return and taking over the manor, he was also active politically, from 1601 to 1603 he was the administrator of the supreme governorate of the Moravian Margraviate. His two sons, Hynek Jr. and Bernart, jointly held Kolštejn from 1608 to 1614. Near the castle they built a new church, the present parish church of Archangel Michael, originally dedicated to the Resurrection of Christ.v

Hynek Jr. Bruntálský of Vrbno was active in politics, from 1608 to 1614 he held the office of the provincial governor. In February 1610 he proposed to move the Provincial Boards to the castle in Bruntál and in case of a heated situation to Kolštejn, which testifies to the importance and strength of the castle and Kolštejn Castle in his time. The lack of time, political function and high costs of the construction works, when the entrance "Black Tower", the so-called Upper Castle with its unique sgraffito decoration, was completed and the interiors of the castle modified, caused the estate to be heavily indebted. After Hynek's death, the guardians of his minor sons sold the Kolštejn estate to Hanus Petřvaldský of Petrvald for 130,000 gold coins. The Lutheran Hanus Petřvaldský of Petřvald took an active part in the Estates Uprising, was a member of the provincial directory, a provincial judge and a commissioner for the sale of church estates. During his tenure, the so-called Lower Castle was completed, the whole building was unified in style by a single arcaded courtyard with a fountain with the symbolism of the apocalypse on the foot of the arcades and masks of devils and witches. He also had a mannerist portal built into the courtyard of the entrance tower with the emblems of the couple and the head of a Turk impaled on a stake. After the Battle of White Mountain, the Kolštejn estate was confiscated. It was acquired as a fief of the Crown of Bohemia by Charles of Liechtenstein. Kolštejn lost its residential and representative function and never became a seat of nobility again, because the Liechtensteins had many other residences. During the Thirty Years' War Kolštejn became an important stronghold of the imperial troops and the seat of a large garrison. A fortified forecourt was quickly completed towards the town, where the buildings of the manorial offices were concentrated behind a gate protected by a cylindrical tower on the sides of the courtyard. After the Thirty Years' War, however, Kolštejn became only the economic seat of the administration of the manor, and with the progressive centralisation of the Liechtenstein estates in the 18th and 19th centuries, the importance of the local administration declined. The village of Goldenstein (Kolštejn) acquired the castle after 1918. During the Second World War the area was part of the north-eastern Sudetenland. There was a military garrison and a school in the castle, but other premises were unused. After 1945 the name of the village was changed to Branná. The premises of the castle were used as a storehouse for medicines, a school and a gymnasium. Attempts to reconstruct the chateau were started in the first decade of the new millennium, but due to the lack of necessary funds, the chateau remained empty. It has been newly renovated and rebuilt only nowadays.