Sedlec Chateau

Chateau Sedlec is located on the edge of Sedlce, the local part of Karlovy Vary, in a landscape rich in mineral materials. Originally, there was only a trail to Přomilice, which defined its geographical position in the 17th century.

The construction was probably created in the second half of the 17th century as a Baroque chateau with a master brewery. As soon as the village became part of the island estate, the owner had the chateau modified shortly after 1690. In the very end of the 17th century, the Saxony-Lauenburg Marking Court stopped here. In the spring of 1698, the chateau was used as its seat by this very high guest, suggesting its representativeness.

During the 19th century, the chateau went through a number of other modifications, which were no longer related to courtly tradition, but to the newly emerging industrial activity. The production of kaolin and the associated production of porcelain changed the character of the region and the construction itself. As a result of these reconstructions, the chateau has acquired its classical form today. In 1927 he went through another reconstruction in which the east wing was created. At that time, Zentralverwaltung der Zettlitzer Kaolin-Werke A.G. was located here, managing the saddlehouse Kaolin mines. Ten years later, in 1937, another floor was added at the rear of the north facade, and a surface kaolin mine Pfeiffer-Lorenz was built near the chateau, which has been known since 1952 as mine Sedlec.

After World War II, the chateau became an administrative center. Since April 1958, the Directorate of the National Company Ceramic and glass raw materials has been located here. This industrial dimension of the chateau lasts until the early 1990s, when it went through privatisation. The ownership changed: it was acquired in 1993 by the company Ceramic raw materials Božičany, two years later converted into a public limited company Sedlecký kaolin. It is currently owned by the Russian company Green Forest.

The last chapter of the chateau's history is rather sad. The new owner didn't care about the building, and the one gradually decayed. Yet after 2010, attempts to save it appeared by entering the list of cultural monuments. However, these rescue efforts stopped the fire on 23 July 2012. Since then, the chateau has been in permanent decline and is expected to move towards its final end.

Today, the Sedlec Chateau represents the remnant of four centuries of landscape changes - from noble ambitions to an industrial centre to a neglected object. His fate is an important example of how buildings with rich history can fall into oblivion.