Hlavňovice Castle

Hlavňovice is a castle in the village of the same name, approximately nine kilometers west of Sušice. It was built in the second half of the seventeenth century by the Kocius family from Dobrše, who owned it for roughly three hundred years. In the second half of the twentieth century it served only agricultural purposes and fell into decline. The entire castle complex has been protected as a cultural monument since nineteen sixty-four, yet it remains in a dilapidated state.

Until the middle of the sixteenth century, Hlavňovice belonged to the Velhartica estate. Its indebted owner Adam Lev of Rožmitál ceded it together with other villages to his creditors. In fifteen sixty-nine the village was acquired by Zikmund Doupovec of Doupov, who established a manor farm with a fortified settlement there. The exact location of the fortification is unknown. However, it is assumed to have been on the site of the later castle.

Around fifteen eighty, Hlavňovice was purchased by Anna Kocová, born Bohuchvalová of Hrádek. At the beginning of the seventeenth century it was held by five brothers from the Kocius family of Dobrše. They apparently participated in the Estates' Revolt and in sixteen twenty hid in Sušice, which was besieged by the imperial army of Baltasar Marradas. Together with the city representatives they surrendered to the general and were allowed to keep their property in return. In sixteen twenty-three they did pay a fine, but Volšovy and Hlavňovice remained theirs.

The entire estate eventually fell to Václav Koc, the last surviving brother. His son Jan Dětleb held Hlavňovice until his death in sixteen ninety. It was precisely sometime in the second half of the seventeenth century that he replaced the old fortification with a new castle. Five years after his father's death, his son František Diviš kept it for himself, having to pay his siblings fifteen thousand florins.

The property then passed from generation to generation. In seventeen sixty-five Jan Hynek Koc relinquished it to his son Jáchym Štěpán for twenty-eight thousand florins. After eighteen oh-two the estate was taken over by Innocenc Koc, who expanded it in eighteen thirty-six by adding the nearby villages of Přestanice and Libětice. In eighteen forty-nine Ferdinand Koc retained the castle for himself in exchange for financial compensation to his siblings.

Ferdinand Koc of Dobrše bequeathed the property in April eighteen seventy-two, shortly before his death, to his wife Valérie, born of Kleeborn. She sold the estate in nineteen oh-five to her daughter Maria Valérie, married to Otomar Pelikán. In nineteen nineteen it passed to her son, who owned it until nineteen forty-six. It was then taken over by national administration.