Description of the attraction
Špilberk was founded in the second half of the 13th century. Initially it was a Gothic castle of Bohemian kings, then it was the residence of the Moravian margraves, and from the middle of the 17th century the castle gradually turned into a mighty Baroque fortress. The fortification system of the fortress also included casemates, the construction of which was completed in 1742.
In 1783, as part of the reform of the places of imprisonment in the Austrian monarchy, Emperor Joseph II decided to arrange a prison in the Špilberk fortress for the most cruel and dangerous criminals. A year later, the following imperial decree was implemented: to put criminals sentenced to life imprisonment in the deepest and most terrible casemates. For this purpose, 30 cells were built, knocked down from thick wooden planks and beams, to which the prisoners were constantly chained. Although the prisoners were in such conditions for only five years, the Špilberk casemates, by their purpose and character, were the most terrible prison of the Austrian monarchy. It operated until 1855. So Shpilberk became notoriously famous as the "prison of peoples".
Now it houses the Museum of the city of Brno.
