Present time in Český Krumlov

During the 15th century an office of Burgomaster and Aldermen (which was similar to the city council) was introduced. Also, a mining of precious metals (mainly of silver, less of gold) began. The first half of the 16th century is considered as a time of a big prosperity, thanks to extensive reconstructions done by Vilém of Rosenberg, the most known representative of the family. He wanted to make Krumlov similar to european headquarters by the reconstruction of the town centre and by remaking the castle into a Renaissance chateau^[2]. He was inviting the top from artists, intelectuals and alchymists to/on his court. It was during his reign, that two independent units – Latrán and the Old town – were integrated. Although Vilém's projects were spectacular, there cost a lot of money and they nearly made the Rosenbergs family to go bankrupt. Therefor his brother Petr Vok, who started to reign after Vilém's death, must a part of their property (including Krumlov) sell to the Emperor Rudolf II of Habsburk in 1601. The Emperor settled his mad illegitimate son Julius d'Austria, who had violent tendencies, to the Krumlov castle and he murdered his mistress there. This incident made him become a model for a favourite Krumlov tale about Don Julius.

Krumlov had difficult times ahead.

The Thirty Years War has begun and the town was attacked first by a Passau army^[3], then by the imperial one and finally by a Swedish one. During this war the manor moved from the Hapsburk property to Eggenberk hands as an expression of gratitude for the financial support in the war.

Within the Czech Lands, the manor was established as the Duchy of Krumlov in 1628. The Krumlov castle did not again become the official residence of (the czech branch of) the family until the reign of Johann Christian I of Eggenberk, who also started its Baroque renovation.

The family of Eggenberk had unexpectedly died out and the manor was given after less than hundred years a new owner. The Schwarzenbergs inherit it in the twenties of the 18th century. During their reign, the castle and some other important buildings (e.g. the Plášťový bridge or the Masquerade Hall) were renovated in the Baroque style. The family also started to build a unique and still functional Baroque theatre. The main benefit od their function in our region was mainly economical, focusing on water management, forestry, mining and infrastructure.

Let us mention at least the unique Schwarzenberg navigation canal, which effectively transported the wood to the key towns of the monarchy. It also (primarily at Šumava) helped the strong economic development. In Krumlov the graphite mines were open, a factory for moldings and frames started its service, a paper mill in Větřní was originated and a railway infrastructure was built in the region. There was also – except the youngest Budweiser gate – demolished the fortification system of the town.

On the turning point from the 19th and 20th century Krumlov became the district town. Over nine thousand people lived there, but two thirds od them were speaking German. This German majority did not want to join the new republic after the World War I, so they announced the so-called Bohemian Forest Region, which avowed to Austria. However, the Czechoslovak army started to occupy the town and its citizens gave up without fighting. It was then that the name Krumlov changed to Český Krumlov.

During the interwar period the town prosperate in all aspects. That finished with the invasion of Wehrmacht and the following connection of the borderland, including Český Krumlov, to the German Reich. Must be said that the Schwarzenbergs bravely resisted the new order, JUDr. Adolf of Schwarzenberg actually refused to welcome Adolf Hitler when arriving to the town and he did not let him into the castle. After that, a forced administration was put to the ancestral property, the war brought misery and stagnation. In 1945 Český Krumlov was liberated by American soldiers, by a forced displacement it lost the majority of its original inhabitants, who were soon replaced by the immigrants. The property of the Schwarzenbergs was unconstitutionally expropriated, the original firms were nationalized. New panel housing estates, various administrative buildings and a hospital were constructed and the Objížďková street, a main road around the town was built. In 1963 the centre of the town became the so-called historical town reservation. The conservation of historical houses was not good at all until the revolution, but at least no new buildings were constructed in the historical centre. The dilapidated houses had to wait for their renovation to the post-revolution years, when there were large sums of finances invested to the reconstruction of the town. The town and castle of Český Krumlov were thanks to their rediscovered beauty ceremonially written into the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site list.