J. G. Sommer (1847), "Kingdom of Bohemia", vol. 15, pp. 345-348
Translation Copyright 2001 by Urs Geiser - All rights reserved

Estate Kinsberg

The estate Kinsberg is located in the southeastern part of the [Elbogen] district and the Eger district, where in the north and east it borders on the Eger dominion, in the south on the province Upper Palatinate of the Kingdom of Bavaria, and in the west also on the Eger dominion.

In the middle ages, Kinsberg was a loan of the empire, and in 1223 it belonged, as proven by documents, to Heinrich von Kinsberg who died in 1260 without male heirs, whereupon the estate returned to the empire. In 1396, King Wenzel IV loaned the estate to Heinz Pflug; however, already in 1401 a Peter Rorer appears as the owner, who then sold it to the city of Eger. The latter sold it in 1402 to Albert and Lorenz Frankengärtner in whose family it remained until 1506, when Christoph von Thein purchased it. Ludwig Bartel (Bartholomäus) von Thein sold Kinsberg in 1605 to Johann Hauer, cashier in Waldsassen, and in 1608 it was purchased by Wolfgang Elbögner, Noble von Schönfeld and Ottengrün, who in 1632 left it to his sons Wilhelm, Hanns, Ernst, and Adam. While in their possession, but in part also due to the Swedes in 1648, the estate was run down so much that in 1658 the Eger Jesuits were able to buy it for the small sum of 17,750 fl. When the order was dissolved in 1773, the estate came to the royal Chamber. It was auctioned publicly as k.k. state property in 1824, and the new owner became the Prague citizen Johann Nonner, whose widow, Margaretha Nonner, currently owns it.

The usable areas are:

The surface is mountainous but has no particularly prominent or named peaks. The rock type is slate.

The Muglbach [creek], originating in the southwest in the Frais, flows through the area and below Neu-Kinsberg joins the Wondrab (Wondreb), which for a short stretch forms the northwestern border with the Eger dominion. Both creeks yield carp, pike, trout, burbot, grayling, perch etc.

Of the formerly numerous ponds, the Dorfteich and Mühlteich in Unter-Lindau, and the Bergauer-Teichel near Neu-Kinsberg still exist. They are stocked with carp, to a smaller extent also with pike.

The population is 1348 persons.

The income and food sources are agriculture, cattle raising, some industry and home work for the neighboring cotton spinning mill in Schloppenhof.

The soil is on average only moderately fertile and requires hefty fertilization and diligent cultivation. All the grain varieties are grown, as well as potatoes, cabbage, flax, and some hemp. Fruit trees are found scattered in enclosed gardens.

The livestock numbers were on 30 April 1837:

The former 2 dairy farms of the authorities near Alt-Kinsberg, along with the sheep farm were emphyteutisiert [removed from the dominical property?] in 1777; however, one of them was restored under the later owner.

Before the last border correction in 1846, when this dominion's portion of the village Querbach including the adjacent forest tract came to Bavaria, the forest area of the authorities amounted to 1375 Joch 1206 sq.Kl. They, as well as the subjects' forests, only yielded evergreen wood, a part of which is exported to the Eger dominion.

The game animals are mainly transient, and the hunting yield suffers heavily from poaching.

Near Neu-Kinsberg a kind of white clay is harvested and used as raw material in the long-time authorities' factory that fires bottles for the shipment of Eger (Franzensbad) mineral water.

The trades people are: 2 coopers, 1 butcher, 1 linen weaver, 4 millers, 2 blacksmiths, 2 tailors, 4 shoemakers, 1 furniture maker, 1 potter, 1 wainwright, and 1 baker of white bread.

The health personnel consist of 1 surgeon and 1 midwife (both in Alt-Kinsberg).

The poorhouse that was founded in 1832 by the administration and the clergy had an endowment of 305 fl. W.W. at the end of 1845, and the income in the same year was 78 fl. 45 kr. W.W. Four indigents were supported.

The connection with the surroundings is through trails. The nearest post office is in Eger.

The villages are:

(1) (Alt-)Kinsberg (formerly also spelled Künsberg, in the local dialect Kinschberg), 7 hours SW of Elbogen and 2 hours S of Eger, on the right shore of the Mugl Creek, village of 110 houses with 964 inhabitants, has 1 localist church of the Holy Spirit, 1 Lauretta (Loretto) chapel, 1 chapel of Mary's Annunciation, 1 localist rectory, and 1 school, all under the patronage (since 1836) of the authorities, 1 castle church of the Holy Trinity, 1 castle of the authorities, 1 dominical brewery (of 6 1/2 barrels), 1 dominical restaurant, and 2 mills. Separate are 3 dominical houses on the grounds of the emphytisierte sheep farm. The Lauretta chapel with the church of the Holy Spirit are almost a quarter hour northeast outside the village and are surrounded by 4 cloisters and in addition a calvary with 29 stations. -- During Lent and the following months until All Saints, but especially on Maundy Thursday, on the 5th Sunday after Easter, and the day of the Ascension of Christ, numerous pilgrimages, both from neighboring areas of Bohemia and from the Upper Palatinate, take place, not uncommonly with 10-12,000 people. Besides Kinsberg, the villages Neu-Kinsberg and Unter-Lindau of the present dominion, and the foreign villages Ober-Lindau and Klein-Schöba, as well as the Red Mill of Pograth are in the parish of the localist church. -- The church of the Holy Spirit existed already in old times, but it was rebuilt in 1664 by the Jesuits. The latter also built the Loretto and the Mary's chapels as well as the stations of the calvary. Significant cash contributions for the construction came from Countess Maria Franziska von Heißenstein, born Countess von Wrtby [sic], Baron Johann Adam von Garnier, and several other pious benefactors. After the departure of the Jesuits, the first city chaplain of Eger was always the administrator of the churches in Kinsberg. In the 1782, the localist parish was established, and the priest's salary was paid from the religious foundation. In 1836, the owner of the estate, Mr. Johann Nonner, obtained the patronage. -- The castle is very old and once had two towers. The so-called "Black Tower", at the castle entrance, is round and has walls that are 10 feet thick. Its circumference is 93 feet, and its height is the same. A portion of the moat was filled in by the authorities and converted to gardens. The second tower, in the rear part of the castle and usually called "Faulthurm" [lazy or rotting tower], reached deep into the ground. The above-ground portion was also demolished by the previous owner, Mr. Nonner, because it threatened to collapse, and in its interior a large knight's sword and a well preserved so-called bag bottle made of glass were found. Both antiques are now in the collection of Prince Metternich in the castle of Königswarth. This tower already existed in the 13th century. Wladyk Hroznata, founder of the monastery of Tepl, was held prisoner here until his death on 14 July 1217.1 -- The current chapel of the Holy Trinity in the castle was built in 1758 from a bequest by the Jesuit Kaspar Wagner.

(2) Neu-Kinsberg, 1/2 hour NE of Alt-Kinsberg, a village that was newly built in 1777 on the grounds of the emphyteutisierte dairy farm, 28 houses with 234 inhabitants, in the parish of Alt-Kinsberg, has 1 tavern and 1 tile firing factory of the authorities. Separate, along the road from Eger to Mähring in Bavaria, is a roadside tavern with 2 houses. The formerly existing k.k. auxiliary border customs office was discontinued in 1846.

(3) Unter-Lindau, 3/4 hours NE of Alt-Kinsberg, along a small creek that flows into the Wondrab, village of 19 houses with 150 inhabitants, in the parish of Alt-Kinsberg, has 1 emphyteutisierte dairy farm, 1 tavern, and 1 subjects' mill.

Furthermore, the following belong to the estate:

(4) of Gosel (Goßl, Eger dominion), 2 houses, and

(5) of Rohr (same dominion), 4 houses.

Footnote

1. See vol. 6 of our work (Pilsen district, Tepl dominion), p. 247.