Maleč - Chateau

The late renaissance chateau stands in the village of Maleč, near Chotěboř in the Havlíčkův Brod region of the Vysočina Region. Jan Beneda of Nečtiny had the chateau built on the foundations of an original medieval fortress in 1602. Over the centuries, it passed through the hands of numerous owners and was expanded and raised to include a second floor. In 1862, the castle, including the estate, was purchased from František Xaver Auersperg by the prominent Czech politician František Ladislav Rieger as his summer residence, which he used for 40 years, until his death in 1903. His father-in-law, the “Father of the Nation” František Palacký, spent the last 14 years of his life at Malč, and among other things, he also completed his most famous work, “The History of the Czech Nation in Bohemia and Moravia,” there.

After 1948, the castle, including the extensive estate, was confiscated by the communists. Its last owner was F. L. Rieger’s grandson, Bohuslav Rieger, and his wife Vladimíra Riegerová, née Vondráčková. The designation as a Cultural Monument did not help the castle’s use during the communist era, let alone its maintenance, care, and the preservation of its complete furnishings.

In 1995, the castle and estate were returned to F. L. Rieger’s great-granddaughter, Doc. Věra Macháčková-Riegerová. The current owner is her son, Václav Macháček – Rieger, who repaired and restored the severely neglected castle, including the remaining original furnishings, and opened it to the public in 2018. He created an exhibition that is unique in its content, introducing visitors to the rich lives and works of these two figures—who rank among the most significant in our 19th-century history—through authentic interiors. The results of their work and the values presented here inspire feelings of admiration, pride, and genuine patriotism in visitors. A pleasant addition is a stroll through the English park, featuring a number of mature rare trees and a castle pond.