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Rabi
- Address: Rabi, Susice [show on the map]
- Telephone: (+420) 376 596 171
- Website: http://www.rabi.cz/
- E-mail: info@rabi.cz
Description
The centre of the castle probably originated as a watch and dojon tower and a residential estate handy to the strategically important point trade route linking the towns Susice and Horazdovice in the 13th century. The castle was to protect this route and the rich goldpanning area along the Otava river.
There are not many written records about the first owners of the castle. The latest historician's professional qualifications indicating the castle was built by German count from Bogen and later used by Wittelsbach, since the area of Sušice belonged to Germany from 1124 to 1273.
At the end of the 13th century this area became the property of Bohemia when this defensive castle was inhabited by the Lords of Velhartice.
Rabi enters first written records much later, in 1380, when the land was owned by the Ryzmberk family. The family bought the castle from the Lords of Velhartice during the 14th century. Between the 14th and 15th century the castle was rebuilt and fortified and became one of the most reliable castles in Bohemia. It was probably in the period when the followers of the King Vaclav IV were fighting against members of Lordly Unit a member, the owner of the castle, was Brenek Svihovsky from Ryzmberk. In 1407 the owner of the castle Rabí became Jan z Ryzmberka, known as a political enemy of the Hussites. It then is no wonder the Hussites sieged the castle twice and conquered in 1420 and 1421 (In the second siege Jan Zizka of Trocnov lost his second eye.). After Jan Ryzemberk's death Rabi was inherited by Vilem from Ryzmberk and later his nephew Puta II.
P?ta II was very rich and powerful and as the Chief Justice pushed the building work forward. It is probable the famous architect Benedikt Rejt was involved in this rebuilding. The castle was fortified by defense wall with outworked cannon bulwarks. Unfortunately Puta's sons fell into debt and began selling the family ownership. That happened in 1548 when Rabi was sold. Different owners took turns: Jindrich Kurcpach from Trachmberk, Divis Malovec from Lib?jovice, Vilem from Rozmberk.
In 1570 Adam Chanovsky from Dlouha Ves purchased the castle and held it until the first decade of the 18th century. Then a difficult period of 30-year war and the ownership of the family of Lamberk influenced the development of the castle.After the fire in 1720 the destruction was finished when the accessible castle became an easy source of building material for inhabitants of the surrounding villages. In 1920 the family of Lamberk dedicated the ruin to the Society for preservation of Historic and natural Monuments based in Horazdovice in 1920 for a symbolic price of one Czech crown. Since that time first preservation and reconstruction work began. In 1954 the castle was taken over by the state and in 1978 it was declared a National cultural monument.