Danube River Cruise #42: Cesky Krumlov's Bear Mascot!

Bearkeeper Jan Černý with Hubert in the bear moat at Český Krumlov Castle

Today's blog continues to explore the city of Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic, and we'll tell you abour their Bear Mascot! This beautiful city was one of the stops along the Viking Cruise on the Danube River. The Bear became a royal symbol in the Cesky Krumlov Castle, and not only are bear images on many things, but there's also a live bear still living in the castle's former moat. Today we'll explain all of those things! 

We did get a quick glimpse of one of the bears as we walked over a bridgespanning the dry moat (now bear haven) leading from the castle to the town. 

Bears on shutters

ACTUAL BEARS AT THE CASTLE -    When Wilhelm von Rosenberg, lived in the castle in the latter half of the 16th century, notes reveal he was the first to keep a bear. However, it's not clear where the bear was kept until 1707 when records indicate 4 bears were housed in the once-moat. Bears lived there to the 1790s. However, from 1800 to about 1850 there's no record of bears at the castle.  It was not until 1857 that Karl zu Schwarzenberg of the Orlík family line acquired a pair of bears from Transylvania. Of course, they hired a "bear-keeper." 

WHY BEARS? - The Rosenberg family legend held that the Rosenbergs were related to the noble Italian family of Orsini. "Orsa" means she-bear in Italian, and it is this animal motif which especially the last Rosenberg rulers used to demonstrate their relationship with the house of Orsini. They used the motif in their coat-of-arms, in which two bears are shown as shield-bearers.

BEAR IMAGES THROUGHOUT THE CASTLE -  According to the Cesky Krumlov Castle Website, "In many places, the Český Krumlov Castle is decorated with ostentatious coats-of-arms of the lords of Rosenberg bearing the sign of the five-petalled rose in a silver field and bears as the shield-bearers."


THERE IS A BEAR FESTIVAL AT THE CASTLE EACH YEAR! - The bear festivals are held regularly, and as the bearkeeper Jan Černý has put it, they are to contribute to people´s respect for bears because these graceful animals deserve more attention all year round and not only on the occasion of the festivals. For this reason, the bearkeeper Jan Černý regularly gives talks in schools and kindergartens about bearkeeping at the Český Krumlov Castle. For information: 
http://www.castle.ckrumlov.cz/docs/en/zamek_1nadvori_moslav.xml 

NEXT: Some Little Things We Heard About the Town, and aa Restaurant With a View