Eicks Castle lies in the deep ravine of Bruchbach, virtually undisturbed by centuries in its romantic atmosphere. At first sight it appears to be a dream palace, which has always been a familiar stately home. The buildings comprise a two-part castle with moat, part of which has remained since medieval times. The fore-castle is a spacious three-wing building with two corner towers, built in 1680. The manor house is an oblique-angled rectangular building, framed by two protruding corner towers. In the cellar evidence of the original castle can be found.
Today Eicks Castle has the appearance of a baroque castle, which came after the original manor farm in the early 14th century. Like all the other castles, Eicks Castle often saw changes of ownership, although unlike most of them it was never disposed of.
During its long history, the castle only changed hands as a result of marriage or inheritance. In the early 17th century Eicks Castle was the property of an aristocratic family called Syberg. Franziska von Syberg, last of the house of Syberg, gave the estate to her nephew, Wilhelm, Baron von Hövel, in the 18th century. Today the castle is still owned by the von Hövels.
References:The Jan Hus Memorial stands at one end of Old Town Square. The huge monument depicts victorious Hussite warriors and Protestants who were forced into exile 200 years after Hus, and a young mother who symbolises national rebirth. The monument was so large that the sculptor designed and built his own villa and studio where the work could be carried out. It was unveiled in 1915 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Jan Hus' martyrdom. The memorial was designed by Ladislav Šaloun and paid for solely by public donations.
Born in 1369, Hus became an influential religious thinker, philosopher, and reformer in Prague. He was a key predecessor to the Protestant movement of the sixteenth century. In his works he criticized religious moral decay of the Catholic Church. Accordingly, the Czech patriot Hus believed that mass should be given in the vernacular, or local language, rather than in Latin. He was inspired by the teachings of John Wycliffe.