Krásný Les Castle, late Baroque château in Krásný Les, Petrovice, Ústí nad Labem Region, Czech Republic
Krásný Les Castle is a late Baroque single-storey building from 1708, shaped like an inverted letter L, in Krásný Les, part of Petrovice in the Ústí nad Labem Region. Its plain facade has a Baroque portal and three coats of arms with a German psalm quotation on the gable; the longest side wall bears the alliance coat of arms of František Ignác Vratislav of Mitrovice, his wife Viktorie's coat of arms and a German text about the construction. The roof is a steep hipped roof and the windows are rectangular, in the style of rural residences.
František Ignác Vratislav z Mitrovic had the castle built in 1708; it stayed with the Mitrovic family until 1791 and was rebuilt in 1745. From 1802 it belonged to Josef z Hackelbergu-Landau, from 1892 to Count Friedrich of Westphalia, and last to the Cvikov textile merchant Antonín Balle. The city of Ústí nad Labem bought it in 1931.
The German name Schloss Schönwald and the Czech Krásný Les both mean "beautiful forest", referring to the wooded setting. In 1941 the castle became the Sammellager Schönwald collection camp, through which 103 people passed; the regime was looser than in other camps, and internees could move freely through the village and shop in local stores.
The site is currently under renovation and not accessible for interior visits, but the exterior can be viewed from the surrounding roads. Visitors can reach the area by local roads by car or on foot and can also enjoy walks in the nearby mountains.
The Sammellager Schönwald camp held 103 people; the regime was looser than elsewhere, and internees could walk through the village and shop in local stores. 55 died in the camp, and others were deported to the family camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
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