History of House No. 2

The owner who left the biggest mark on the Červená Lhota estate was Jan Kába of Rybňany, who invited in the middle of the 16th century the Italian builder Hans Vlach, to reconstruct the Gothic fortress into a Renaissance chateau. In 1597 the descendants of Jan Kába from Rybňany sold their father’s inheritance to Vilém Růt from Dírná. At that time, several new buildings were erected, such as a farmstead, a mill, a little church, but also the building No. 2, which began to serve as the main administration centre of the estate.

In 1641, Count Vilém Slavata of Chlum and Košumberk became the owner of the Červená Lhota estate, during which time it experienced great economic prosperity. The original wooden brewery was replaced by a brick one and vaulted cellars were built under the House No. 2 to store barley malt. In the chronicles of the estate, a description of House No. 2 – known as the Director’s house – is mentioned, noting that the inscription Cancelaria was added above the entrance in 1758. A Latin inscription under the gable announced that the house honoured work, peace and law – and punished any transgressions or resistance. In 1835 the House of Schönburg-Hartenstein acquired the Červená Lhota estate and the House No. 2 continued in its administrative function. In 1945, the estate was confiscated from the Schönburg-Hartenstein family and the house began to be used to accommodate workers from the South Bohemian State Forests company.

In 1995, it was sold into private hands. In 2020, the family-run Gallery Helen was built in the historic cellars.

The text on the history of the building No. 2 by Stanislava Nováková has been abbreviated for the website by PhDr. Miloslav Paulik.