A brief history of Kroměříž

Thanks to its history, unique monuments, and rich cultural life, the city of Kroměříž is known as the Athens of Haná. Since time immemorial, it has been associated with a rich history, traditions, the fertile Haná countryside, and ecclesiastical power. The fact that the bishops of Olomouc chose Kroměříž as their summer residence had a fundamental impact on the appearance and overall significance of the town. As early as the 13th century, Bishop Bruno of Schauenburg elevated the market town on the Morava River to a fortified town, and his successors built a Gothic castle here, which was later converted into a Renaissance chateau. The promising development at the end of the Thirty Years’ War was halted by Swedish General Torstenson, who conquered and plundered the town in 1643. Bishop Charles II of Liechtenstein-Castelcorn brought about a turnaround from the bleak conditions. In the second half of the 17th century, he raised the town from ruins and turned it into the pearl of Moravia. He transformed the chateau into a magnificent residence, repaired the town walls, converted the chateau garden into an English park, and built a mint. Outside the town walls, he created the Baroque Libosad, known today as the Flower Garden. The year 1848 marks an important chapter in the town’s history, when the Constituent Imperial Assembly of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was transferred to Kroměříž. Several decades later, in August 1885, Kroměříž even became the venue for a meeting between Emperor Franz Joseph I and Russian Tsar Alexander III, thanks to which it became the center of attention of the whole world.

To this day, the city draws on the legacy of its ancestors, cherishes its traditions and historical appearance, and protects its monuments in order to preserve its unique character. Since 1978, the center of Kroměříž has been a municipal heritage reserve. In 1997, it was declared the most beautiful historical town in the Czech Republic, and a year later, in 1998, the complex of the Archbishop’s Castle in Kroměříž, Flower Garden, and Castle Garden was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is one of the most visited monuments in the Czech Republic.

Kroměříž in dates

1110     First written record

1263     Market village becomes a town

1423     Battle of Kroměříž

1643    Conquest of the town by Swedish troops

1665     Establishment of the Bishop’s Mint

1675     Completion of the Flower Garden

1686    Kroměříž becomes the summer residence of Bishop Charles II of Liechtenstein-Castelcorn

1748     Visit by Empress Maria Theresa

1805     Kroměříž occupied by Napoleon’s army

1848    Session of the Imperial Diet of the Habsburg Monarchy

1885    Meeting between Emperor Franz Joseph I and Russian Tsar Alexander III

1908     Jubilee exhibition in the Flower Garden with the participation of Franz Ferdinand d’Este

1925     Provincial general economic and industrial exhibition in the Flower Garden

1929      Czechoslovak armed forces exercise attended by President T. G. Masaryk

1978     Historic center declared a municipal heritage reserve

1997     Kroměříž declared the most beautiful historic town

1998     Gardens and chateau in Kroměříž inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List