Liechtenstein Palace — Kampa

opening hours

Open only during Open House events.

history

Liechtenstein Palace (Kaiserstein Palace, Odkolek Palace)

Walking across Charles Bridge towards Lesser Town, you can see the freestanding, three-storey Liechtenstein Palace below on the left, on Kampa Island. Its façade is clearly visible from Smetana Embankment. Standing right by the Vltava, the building has always been at risk of flooding. In the sixteenth century, the land belonged to the Knights of Malta. After the great fire that swept through Lesser Town in 1541, rubble from destroyed houses was brought here to shore up the riverbank and help protect the site from flooding. A house was later built on the land and purchased by Kryštof Kobr of Kobršperk, one of Lesser Town’s most notable residents. He was subsequently sentenced to death for taking part in a conspiracy against Emperor Ferdinand II. Later owners included Imperial Governor František Helfríd, Baron of Kaiserstein. In 1696, he commissioned a two-storey Baroque palace on a hexagonal plan, arranged around a central courtyard and featuring two towers, an ornamental parapet and an elaborately articulated entranceway. The design was probably the work of the prominent architect Giovanni Battista Alliprandi. At the time, the building was known as Kaiserstein Palace after its owner. The most significant architectural changes were made by the Liechtenstein family, who owned the palace from 1831, when it was purchased by Prince Johann Joseph of Liechtenstein. He had the palace remodelled in the Neoclassical style, removing the graceful towers and the parapet linking them, and replacing them with a simple pitched roof. Only the columned entrance portal remained from the original Baroque building, and this was embellished with the Liechtenstein family coat of arms. This was identical to that of the Principality of Liechtenstein, except that the principality later removed two cannon barrels from its arms. In 1864, the palace was purchased by the miller František Odkolek, who commissioned the builder František Srnec to remodel it in the Neo-Renaissance style. The plans, which added an extra storey to the entire palace, were probably drawn up by Vojtěch Ignác Ullmann, with contributions from the architect Josef Zítek, who was primarily engaged in rebuilding the neighbouring Sova Mills for the Odkolek family. The increased height of the building attracted considerable criticism because it disrupted the familiar view of Prague’s historic skyline from Smetana Embankment. Although the palace’s appearance changed, its eastern side remained exposed and at risk from the force of the river. The palace and garden were subsequently acquired from the Odkolek family by the Prague municipal authorities. During the occupation, the building was seized by the Germans. After the war, the municipality opened the garden as a public park and set up offices in the palace.

Over time, the Vltava had undermined the building to such an extent that it was in danger of collapse. Its marlstone foundations had begun to disintegrate, leaving the palace in a critical condition. In 1982, comprehensive reconstruction work began for the Office of the Presidium of the Government of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, which was then managing the building. Working in partnership with the water-engineering company Vodní stavby, the Prague Construction Company enclosed the palace’s perimeter walls with diaphragm walls to protect them from the river. These concrete barriers extend 10—14 metres below ground to the underlying shale bedrock. The palace was enlarged by the addition of a basement level. Its walls were strengthened by grout injection, and the building was stabilised with steel tie rods. The interiors were also restored and furnished as luxury suites for distinguished guests of the Czech government. The work included the painter Eva Kyšková restoring the original murals on the vaulted ceilings of the second floor. The renovations were completed in 1991, and the palace has since been used by the Government of the Czech Republic. That same year, it accommodated the queens of the Netherlands and Denmark. The Grand Duke of Luxembourg and his wife stayed there in 1994, followed by the Spanish royal couple in 1995. Later guests included the Governor General of Canada and the President of Portugal. In 1996, the English Queen Elizabeth II stayed at the palace with her husband, Prince Philip.

During the 1980s, the palace was featured in the lower left-hand corner of the 100-crown banknote.