State Castle Žebrák – maintenance works based on project design documents

This operation aimed to perform emergency maintenance of the curtain walls masonry at the State Castle Žebrák. The castle was founded in the latter half of the 13th century by Oldřich Zajíc of Valdek near an important trade route leading from Prague to Bavaria. The castle was acquired by the Bohemian Crown during the reign of John of Luxembourg.

 

The castle was expanded during the reign of Charles IV and his son, Václav IV, who also often stayed there, but after the fire of 1395, Václav IV ordered the construction of a new castle, Točník, on a nearby hill. Žebrák gradually lost importance and by 1552, it had fallen into ruin. In the 1980s, the castle’s main drum tower underwent emergency repairs and was eventually opened for the public. GEMA ART GROUP a.s. carried out works aimed at preserving the castle’s masonry, based on project design documents by Ing. Vít Mlázovský. Despite the poorly accessible terrain, self-seeded plants and trees were removed from the walls, the joints between stones were refilled and part of the masonry was treated against climate effects.