Ernestinum Manor House

One of the most historically significant buildings in Příbram is Zámeček-Ernestinum, originally a wooden fortress belonging to the ecclesiastical owners of the estate, standing a few dozen metres from T. G. Masaryk Square.

As well as serving as a fortified administrative centre for the feudal lords, it also provided the most accessible route into the town centre from the north-east. Its existence in the 13th century is merely hypothetical, although a number of archaeological excavations have succeeded in confirming settlement in this area.
The conversion of the wooden fortress into a stone keep – the core of today’s Zámeček-Ernestina – is reliably attested only from the mid-14th century onwards. This is linked to the energetic activities of perhaps the estate’s most famous owner, Archbishop Arnošt of Pardubice.
Arnošt’s successor, Archbishop Jan of Jenštejn, had the fortress surrounded by a wall and a deep moat in the late 14th century. The moat was completely filled in between 1841 and 1847 as part of the town’s new development; this is the origin of the name of the adjacent street, Na Příkopech. The entrance gate to the courtyard faced south, from the square, and was probably secured by a drawbridge. However, the entrance to the main building originally opened onto the courtyard from the western wing of the fortress (it is now situated in the south wing of the Zámeček). Beneath the small castle, an extensive cellar system was carved out of the rock, with access to the ground-floor rooms of the building. The structure had its own well, which was of great importance during a siege.
This prominent landmark of Příbram was named Ernestinum after its founder, later Marienburg; for many years it was commonly known as Zámeček, and a few years ago the town reverted to its original name.
Its official name is currently Zámeček-Ernestinum.
The building suffered considerable damage during the Hussite Wars, and again in the 16th century during the townspeople’s uprisings against the feudal administration, during the Thirty Years’ War, and as a result of numerous inappropriate structural alterations.
Consequently, only the Gothic bay window of the chapel with its ribbed vault, situated on the eastern side, and a few other elements have survived to this day.
The fortress was the seat of the burgrave, who administered the archbishop’s estate. Arnošt of Pardubice is also said to have visited here frequently, as confirmed, amongst other things, by documents he issued here in 1358 and 1360. During his stay in Příbram, he is said to have carved a statue of the Madonna from pear wood, which he then placed on the altar in the bay window.
The historic building also welcomed the Austrian Emperor Leopold I of Habsburg in 1673 and 1680, whilst the Austrian Emperor Francis I of Habsburg spent the night here in 1810. In 1920, Czechoslovak President Prof. Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk set foot on the academic grounds of the Mining University here.

The year 1849 played an exceptionally significant role in the modern history of Zámeček-Ernestina, when, following extensive reconstruction, this building became the first home of the mining school, later the Mining Academy and the Mining University, which operated here until the 1945–46 academic year, as documented by a commemorative plaque unveiled on 23 October 1971 in the corridor by the main entrance to the building.

It currently houses the František Drtikol Gallery in Příbram, featuring a permanent exhibition of works by this world-renowned photographer, painter and mystic, a native of Příbram (František Drtikol, 1883–1961).

In 2002, the town erected a sandstone statue of Archbishop Arnošt of Pardubice in front of Zámeček-Ernestin. It was created by the academic sculptor Ivar Kodym.

In addition to the Information Centre and offices, Zámeček-Ernestin houses further exhibition spaces dedicated to themed exhibitions, usually of an artistic nature, as well as other cultural events, and a ceremonial hall, which since 2006 has been dominated by a glass sculpture entitled ‘Hrot’ by Milan Handl (born 1952), a native of Příbram and an academic painter and glass artist.
A graduate of the glassmaking school in Železný Brod and subsequently of the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague under Prof. Stanislav Libenský, entered the world of glass art in the early 1980s, and his works are represented in prestigious galleries around the world. Handl’s work *Hrot* is unique, amongst other things, for its colour-shifting properties depending on the angle of the light.
The historic Zámeček-Ernestina building – heritage number 17562/2-2513 –
is one of the enduring treasures in Příbram’s heritage collection.

Source: PaedDr. Josef Velfl: The Monuments of Příbram in Pictures, published in 2008

Photo: Archive of the František Drtikol Gallery, Příbram

http://www.galerie-drtikol.com/