J. G. Sommer (1847), "Kingdom of Bohemia", vol. 15, pp. 338-339
Translation Copyright 2001 by Urs Geiser - All rights reserved

Royal Castle in Eger

The dominion of the Royal Castle in Eger was originally a property of the [Holy] Roman emperors and kings and came to Bohemia as part of the mortgaging of Eger. Meritorious higher state officials received it sometimes for their lifetime and sometimes for a fixed duration, either for free or for a fee. Until 1791 and 1808 the loan properties in the Eger district, several loans in the Bayreuth area, and also several in the Saxonian Voigtland belonged to the castle.[1] Currently, the real jurisdiction of the castle extends, in addition to the villages that belong to the dominion (see below), to the estates Altenteich, Haslau, St. Clara, Kinsberg, Pograth, Vogtei Stein, Ober- and Unter-Wildstein.[2] After 1746 the castle obtained jurisdiction over the nobles in the Eger district, and in 1753 personal jurisdiction over the crown loan estate Liebenstein, and finally in 1770 also the civil jurisdiction over all persons of higher status in the Eger area. Until 1772 there existed especially appointed royal castle counts. Since then, in their place there is the position of Burggrafenamts-Verweser [castle count dominion administrator]. This position is usually filled by the k.k. district superintendent in Elbogen who receives the proceeds of the dominion and who is helped by the first k.k. district commissioner who acts as Burggrafenamts-Adjunct [castle count dominion assistant].[3]

The usable areas of the villages consist of 566 J. 373 sq.Kl. arable fields, 158 J. 42 sq.Kl. meadows and gardens (whereof 9 J. belonging to the authorities), and 41 J. 1027 sq.Kl. forests and pasture, for a total of 765 J. 1442 sq.Kl.

The immediate holdings are restricted to the surroundings of Eger, along the lower course of the Schlada Creek to its confluence with the Eger River, and upriver along the Eger from the city as far as west of the village of Stein. The qualities of nature and the ground, as well as the agricultural conditions are therefore the same that we have already described with regard to the dominion of the city of Eger. The main crops are wheat, rye, and barley.

The livestock numbers in 1837 were: 23 (adult) horses, 485 head cattle (161 cows, 69 heifers, 184 working oxen, 71 young oxen), 171 sheep (101 adults, 70 lambs), 13 pigs, and 2 goats.

On the grounds of the villages Aag, Langenbruck, and Türschnitz black limestone is quarried.

The number of inhabitants is 260, whereof 2 Protestant families.

In Schloppenhof, there is a mechanized cotton spinning mill (firm of Bachmayer & Co.) with k.k. countrywide [distribution] rights, with 72 spinning machines, 80 Krämpeln [?] etc., which employs 300 people and annually produces 3500 hundredweight of yarn (of gauges 20 to 60).

Furthermore, one finds in the villages the following craftsmen: 4 millers, 1 tailor, and 4 shoemakers.

Since 1835 the dominion has its own, properly regulated poorhouse, which at the end of 1845 had an endowment of 349 fl 54.8 kr. C.M. and in the same year had income of 85 fl. 18.4 kr C.M. from which it supported 4 indigents with 66 fl. 40 kr. C.M.

The dominion has its own administrator ("Burgverwalter") and its own Justiziär [a position in the legal system].

The villages[4] are:

(1) Aag, 1 hour NNE of Eger, on the left shore of the Eger River, small village of 7 houses with 37 inhabitants, in the parish of Trebendorf (Eger dominion), has 1 public chapel of the Holy Trinity, which was built and sponsored in 1744 by the community.

(2) Langenbruck, 3/4 hours N of Eger, along Schlada Creek, village of 10 houses with 31 inhabitants, in the parish of the [Eger] Dechantei church, has 1 mill.

(3) Türschnitz, Dirschnitz, 3/4 hours NNE of Eger, on the left side of the confluence of Schlada Creek [with the Eger River], village of 10 houses with 61 inhabitants, in the parish of the Dechantei church. These three villages have limestone quarries and lime kilns. The lime is used mainly as fertilizer in the fields.

(4) Stein, 3/4 hours W of Eger, on the left shore of the Eger River, village of 17 houses with 131 inhabitants of which 7 houses belong to the city dominion of Eger; is in the parish of the [Eger] Dechantei church and has 1 school, 1 cereal mill, and 1 paper mill.

Furthermore, portions of the following villages (from other dominions) belong to the Royal Castle:

(5) of Reichersdorf (city dominion Eger) 3 houses;

(6) of Honnersdorf (same dominion) 1 house;

(7) of Sirmitz (same dominion) 8 houses;[5]

(8) of Seichenreut (same dominion) 3 houses;

(9) of Romersreut (same dominion) 6 houses;

(10) of Ober-Lohma (same dominion) 5 houses (the locality Gesteckig or Gestöckig, including 1 mill; see above p. 331);

(11) of Franzensbrunn (same dominion) 1 house;

(12) of Lapitzfeld (estate Mostau) 2 houses;

(13) of Wildstein (estate Wildstein) 16 houses;

(14) of Grün (same estate) 4 houses;

(15) of Fleißen (same estate) 2 houses with Protestant inhabitants (the place Fuchsberg);

The dominical property Schloppenhof in the village of the same name in the dominion of the city of Eger (p. 331) is a loan of the Royal Castle and belongs to Mr. Bayer and Mr. Röder. (Here the above-mentioned cotton spinning mill is located.)

Footnotes

1. Pröckl: "Eger and the Egerland etc.", vol. 2, pp. 81 and following, where all these loan properties are listed. [back]
2. Ottengrün, near Neu-Albenreut, came to Bavaria in 1846 (see above, p. 335). [back]
3. Pröckl, loc. cit. p. 87. [back]
4. The Royal Castle itself, which gives the dominion its name, was already described above with the city of Eger, p. 312. [back]
5. [In the entry for Sirmitz, p. 332, the 8 houses are attributed to St. Clara instead.] [back]