Disputes over the castle in Opočno have been ongoing for more than a quarter of a century

Strasbourg/Prague - A profile of the Opočno Castle and a selection of information regarding restitution disputes related to it (The European Court of Human Rights supported Kristina Colloredo-Mansfeld's efforts to renew proceedings in the case against the Czech Republic regarding the return of the furnishings from Opočno Castle):

- The Renaissance arcade castle, located approximately 30 kilometers east of Hradec Králové, is one of the most sought-after monuments in the Hradec Králové Region. The castle itself, which has been a national cultural monument since 1995, is accompanied by a richly landscaped park. Notable interior features include the knight's hall equipped with valuable armor, as well as the chapel and the representative salon. Opočno also has a unique gallery showcasing works from the Venetian and Neapolitan schools.

- The castle was built on the site of a medieval castle by the Trčka family from Lípa. The last family owner was Adam Erdman Trčka, who was murdered in 1634 along with Albrecht von Wallenstein. Subsequently, the Trčka properties were confiscated, and Opočno was acquired by an officer of the imperial army, Rudolf Colloredo. The Colloredo family renovated the castle in the Baroque style at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, based on the designs of the Italian builder Giovanni Battista Alliprandi.

- In 1942, the castle was confiscated by the Nazis from the Colloredo-Mansfeld family, and after 1945, under President Beneš's decree, it was handed over to the state. The Mansfeld family initiated legal proceedings for the property after the war, but they emigrated to Austria after February 1948 and the disputes subsided. It was only after the fall of the communist regime that Kristina Colloredo-Mansfeld, the daughter of the last owner, applied for the return of the castle in 1991.

- The district court in Rychnov nad Kněžnou was the first to decide on the lawsuit of Colloredo-Mansfeld, ruling in September 1995 that her claims were not recognized. Similar decisions were made in subsequent years by various courts at different levels. It was only in June 2002 that the Rychnov district court ordered the return of the castle, land, and buildings to the heiress, arguing that Kristina's father, Josef, had not lost his Czechoslovak citizenship during World War II and that the post-war confiscation of the castle was unlawful according to the court.

- This decision was later confirmed by the Regional Court in Hradec Králové and state heritage officials, and their appeal to the Supreme Court was unsuccessful. In January 2005, the Constitutional Court annulled the rulings of the district and regional courts and referred the entire matter back to the district court in Rychnov. The Constitutional Court confirmed the restitution cut-off date of February 25, 1948 in its annulment of the judgments. According to the Constitutional Court, previously confiscated property can only be returned in cases of racial genocide or Holocaust, which did not apply in the case of Opočno.

- In September 2005, the Rychnov district court ruled that Opočno Castle should belong to the National Heritage Institute. This verdict was also upheld by appellate courts. In April 2007, the state, represented by the National Heritage Institute, regained control of the castle after about four years. However, Kristina Colloredo-Mansfeld did not give up and continued her efforts to reclaim the castle in subsequent years at all levels of court, including the Constitutional Court.

- The Constitutional judges initially affirmed in April 2012 that the castle and other properties would remain with the state, but two years later they granted her request for the renewal of the process, which had previously been denied by lower courts. Colloredo-Mansfeld tried to prove that her grandmother was of Jewish descent and that the confiscation of property by the Nazis in 1942 had not only political but also racial undertones. The renewed proceedings, however, left the castle with the state, and the Supreme Court confirmed the verdict last February.

- In addition to the castle building, Colloredo-Mansfeld and her cousin Jerome are striving for the return of furnishings, including several hundred items such as weapons, paintings, chandeliers, or a rare carriage. Czech courts initially granted them rightful ownership of 68 paintings. However, subsequently, their claims for the return of the remaining furnishings from Opočno Castle were rejected in two separate proceedings. The Constitutional Court also denied the return. The year before last, however, Jerome found support for his request to renew the proceedings at the European Court of Human Rights.

- Last autumn, however, the Constitutional Court rejected Kristina Colloredo-Mansfeld's request to renew the proceedings regarding two older unsuccessful complaints concerning the furnishings of the castle. According to available information, two of her cousin Jerome's requests for a decision are still pending before the Constitutional Court, as he is also seeking a renewal of the proceedings.

- The European Court of Human Rights today published a ruling supporting Kristina Colloredo-Mansfeld's efforts to renew proceedings before Czech courts regarding the return of furnishings from Opočno Castle. Specifically, it concerns the fact that Czech courts did not include among the evidence a decision by the Czechoslovak Ministry of Agriculture from 1947 regarding the nationalization of Opočno. "The court finds that this complaint is not manifestly unfounded" and must be declared admissible, states the verdict.