Vokšice and Schlik family

The village of Vokšice in the 16th century gradually changed to farmyard belonging to the Schlik family. It has been known from the 14th century and the members were usually recognised personalities. The first known member of the family – Kašpar Schlik – was the highest chancellor of king Zikmund, Jáchym Schlik was the commandant of German fiefs in the Lands of the Bohemian Crown. Schlik family was often in the opposition to the king. Jeroným Schlik offended the king Ferdinand I. and he was sent to prison. The most recognised personality of the Schlik family is Jáchym Ondřej Schlik, who was the leader of anti Habsburg uprising of the Czech estates and was executed in 1621 on Old Town square in Prague.

In the manor in the south of Jičín the first member of the family was Jindřich Schlik who followed the army route. His son František Arnošt was employed at the court; he was the highest land trustee. He was a skilled manager and extended his local estates. His son František Josef, born in 1656 continued in his father’s work. He was also involved in many public functions. František Josef Schlik was a skilled manager and also active builder, who commenced the construction of chapels, churches, and castles in his manor, all sensitively fitted in the landscape, and comprising a Baroque landscape composition known as the Marian garden. The architects J. B. Mathey, P. Spannbrucker, and G. Gilmetti worked at the manor. František Josef Count Schlik lived to 84 years of age.

In the middle of the 19th century, the Schlik family managed the manors Kopidlno, Staré Hrady, Veliš and Vokšice. Crop growing was completed with pasturage and fish farming – they were the nobility for 8,077 serfs. František Josef decided to plant the slopes and alleys with fruit trees with the seeds imported from mountain areas to enable their growing and produce in the infertile land; he built gamekeeper’s lodges and also constructed two brickworks. In Kopidlno, new granary was built, and in Jičíněves the granary and a greenhouse in the castle park.

Here, at the castle in Vokšice a background was built for large farming courtyard between 1815–1835. The administration buildings, two office houses, a house for servants, barns, stables, sheepfold, brewery and vegetable garden were place on an area of a large rectangle. It included two three-storey granaries – the younger from 1831, and the older Baroque from 1700, according to the design of J. B. Mathey, it includes the sala terrena on the frontage turned to the castle. The castle includes three wings, single-storey, and the with the park and administration house it was surrounded with the wall containing Baroque arched gates. The premises were later included in the state estates, and the state management affected the estate significantly.

After 1989 the castle was returned to the Schlik family.