Nemilkov Castle was a surprise. It even has a mysterious hiding place where the owners hid their son.

Written by Alena Hesounová for Pardubický denik.cz.

The Nemilkov country manor is an example of cultural heritage preservation. Alena Hesounová from Pardubice "discovered" this interesting monument during her summer travels. She also saw the bedroom with a mysterious hiding place where the original owners, Mr. and Mrs. Schreiner, allegedly hid their 16-year-old son from Hitler so that he would not have to go to war. (Note from the owners: There is a hiding place in the castle, but we can only guess whether Georg Schreiner really hid his son there.)

During our summer trip around Šumava, we discovered a poster in Velhartice inviting visitors to Nemilkov Castle. So we decided to go there! I felt that our day's program needed something extra, so we got some more information at a pastry shop in Velhartice, where a helpful lady confirmed that it was indeed possible to visit the castle in Nemilkov, and so it was decided. On the way from Velhartice to Klatovy, we got off the bus in Nemilkov and headed for the local castle.

After a few meters, a view of a small country castle opened up before us, and the open gate invited us to enter. We were accompanied by the owner herself, Mrs. Markéta Kaplanová, a very nice and friendly lady who approached the tour in an unconventional way, with humor, and we learned many interesting facts.

I feel more like a castle maid than a castle lady here, laughed Mrs. Markéta. The castle was purchased by the Hager and Kaplan families in 2016. Mrs. Markéta soon drew us into the story of castle life with her impressive storytelling.

The history of the castle began as most castle histories begin, with a 14th-century fortress originally standing on the site. In the 16th century, renovations took place and the fortress was replaced by a Renaissance castle. The most notable residents were the Schreiner family. They lived in the castle from the 18th century. They were excellent stewards, and the estate flourished under their rule. The educated and progressive Martin Bartoloměj Schreiner added 450 hectares of fields and forests to the castle and founded a brewery, a distillery, a hammer mill with a sawmill, and a hydroelectric power plant.

Adolf Schreiner bought a decommissioned steam locomotive and converted its boiler into the first steam-powered brewery in the Klatovy region. The last owner was Georg Schreiner, an art lover.

Unfortunately, the Schreiners were German, and although they had done nothing wrong, their origins were enough to cause the entire family to be displaced after the war. The Schreiners left a deep mark on the castle. They were hard-working, educated, progressive, and did a lot of good for the region. They were expelled simply because they were German. This is another dark chapter in our modern history. A chapter that is silently overlooked, and the injustices have never been redressed.

The Schreiner family's daughter is still alive. Today, she is an elderly lady living abroad and has no interest in visiting her former home. She left as a little girl, lost her home, and closed the chapter of her life in Nemilkov. It is still very painful for her, and she does not want to stir up old memories.

During the Schreiner era, the castle was surrounded by a park with fruit and vegetable gardens. The Schreiners cultivated conifers here, which they supplied throughout Europe. They correctly assumed that if the trees could survive the harsh conditions here, they would thrive anywhere.

When the Schreiner family was expelled from the castle in 1945, the collective farm moved in. The communist lady, wife of a local official, was given an entire wing of the castle. She probably imagined life as a lady of the castle to be somewhat different. She did not stay here long and soon moved to a prefabricated apartment building. She didn't like the cold and discomfort.

When the Kaplans moved in, there was nothing left in the castle. The furnishings, furniture, and equipment had all been stolen or destroyed. All that remained was a mess and piles of rubbish. The first year was spent cleaning up, with dozens of containers of waste being removed.

Today, the castle has been partially repaired. The chaplain lives here and has opened the castle to the public. Because the owner herself is our guide and is showing us her home, we feel as if we are visiting her.

Mrs. Markéta gave us an insight into what life was like at the castle during the Schreiner era. We see Mrs. Schreiner's bedroom, where there is a mysterious hiding place where they allegedly hid their then 16-year-old son from Hitler so that he would not have to go to war. Hitler conscripted young boys, still children, and their parents naturally wanted to protect them.

What could ordinary German people do under Hitler and during the war? History keeps repeating itself; innocent people who just want to live normal lives always pay the price for politicians' bad decisions. Nobody wants war!

While clearing out and exploring the castle, the Kaplans discovered many interesting things. For example, a window that looks ordinary at first glance, but has ingeniously built-in shutters on the sides.

The Schreiners were history lovers. When something original was missing, they replaced it with a replica that was indistinguishable from the original. For example, when building a new staircase, they sensitively incorporated the original Baroque steps into it.

The heart of the castle is the ballroom with a chapel. It is not customary to have a chapel in a ballroom. But it was actually very practical. Services were held here, and when it was time for entertainment, the chapel was hidden behind a curtain and balls could be held in the hall. The hall thus served a dual purpose, for the then obligatory religion and also for secular pleasures. The hall is currently being restored. Underneath the damaged paint, the restorer is uncovering the original painting – roses, which is why the hall is called Růžičkový (Rose). Once the hall is restored to its original beauty, it will be the pride of the castle.

Concerts are held in the hall. The proceeds go towards the restoration of the castle. Anyone who wants to help financially can buy a rose.

The castle could serve as a textbook on architecture, as it features elements ranging from Gothic to Renaissance to Classicism.

The Kaplans moved here from a comfortable apartment in Prague. Mrs. Markéta used to be a coach for the Czech national swimming team, and her husband Michal is a real estate agent and a great lover of antiques. He searches for and buys furniture and equipment for the castle.

In July of this year, the Kaplans unveiled a memorial plaque to Mr. and Mrs. Mencl on the facade of the castle. They had been coming here for their summer residence from 1962 until their deaths. Václav Mencl (1905-1978) was a prominent Czech historian and preservationist, director of the State Heritage Institute, and author of many professional publications. Dobroslava Menclová (1904-1978) was an art historian, architect, archaeologist, studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, and was one of our most famous castle experts. Her life's work is a two-volume encyclopedia of Czech castles (published in 1972).

A visit to the little-known castle in Nemilkov is a great experience. We are witnessing the gradual restoration of the castle. The owner herself, who radiates enthusiasm, energy, and passion for the project, tells us about the restoration. Bringing the entire complex back to life is a demanding and lengthy task. Some call it an adventure, others call it suicide, and both are probably true, says Markéta. Nemilkov Castle is an example of cultural heritage preservation.

And our unplanned visit to the castle ended up being the highlight of the whole trip!

Original text of the article Nemilkov Castle surprised us. It even has a mysterious hiding place where the owners hid their son.