Hidden in plain sight, the Zámek Petrovice whispers tales of bygone eras. This unassuming structure, once a simple fortress, blossomed into a baroque manor around 1725, thanks to František Leopold Voračický z Paběnic. Imagine the bustling activity of the accompanying court. Cattle lowed in the barn, sheep bleated in the pens, horses neighed in the stable, and the scent of brewing beer wafted from the brewery and malt house. The estate also boasted a distillery, sawmill, and two spacious barns. Zámek Petrovice wasn’t just a residence; it was a self-sufficient world.
Fast forward to 1911. Dr. Ing. Karel Bachrach, chairman of the Agricultural Distilleries Cooperative in Prague, becomes the new owner of Zámek Petrovice. A dark cloud descends in 1939 with Karel’s death in Gestapo custody in Tábor. Tragically, his son Viktor meets a similar fate in the Mauthausen concentration camp. Zámek Petrovice stands silent witness to this family’s devastation.
After 1948, under a new regime, Zámek Petrovice fell into disrepair. Neglected and abandoned, the once vibrant manor crumbled. After 1989, the property was offered back to the family. They accepted the land but refused the dilapidated Zámek Petrovice, leaving it to the municipality. Despite several attempts at restoration, the damage proved too extensive. Zámek Petrovice faced its final curtain call, demolished in 2019. Even the extensive surrounding lands and the economic courtyard, later owned by Václav Váhala (grandson of Karel Bachrach) in Australia, were eventually sold. Zámek Petrovice, a silent sentinel of history, vanished from the landscape, leaving only echoes in the wind.