Château de Buchenek is a castle in the commune of Soultz-Haut-Rhin. Dating from the second half of the 13th century, it was altered, possibly in the 14th century, and in the 16th century.
The castle was first recorded in 1251. The logis, of a rectangular plan, possibly still dates from this period at the lower level; it was altered in the 14th century (there is evidence of building work) as well as in the second half of the 16th century (staircase tower). Restored after the Thirty Years' War, the castle was sold as national property. In the 19th century it was used as a factory. Bought by the town in 1976, the castle has had a significant restoration and, since 1990, has housed the municipal museum.
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.