STORY OF THE OWNER OF THE HOUSE and his potion of immortality
“The potion of Immortality for the Governor of Krumlov, Mr. William of Rosenberg …”
William of Rosenberg (1535 – 1592) was an influential and self-confident nobleman who successfully managed his estates in southern Bohemia. He was the richest Czech nobleman of the time. That is why the life in Krumlov castle was very similar to life in the court of Emperor Rudolf II. Many artists, alchemists and adventurers came there. At first Wilhelm did not trust the art of alchemy. He gradually became interested in esotericism, occult science, and astrology. He became a supporter of alchemy just like the Emperor Rudolf II.
William of Rosenberg has set up alchemical laboratories at his houses in Treboň and Český Krumlov. He invited to him many famous scholars. The alchemists aspired to convert lead into gold called Aurum potabile (drinkable gold) and desired to produce the infamous Potion of Immortality.
Český Krumlov was said to be the Mecca of Alchemists. There were many alchemists at the court of William of Rosenberg, such as Edward Kelly and John Dee. It was also said that William of Rosenberg was easily tricked by various fraudsters and charlatans.
From 1565 the scholar Antonín Michael from Ebersbach supervised by the laboratories in Krumlov. At the same time, he was given the position of the regent of the Rosenberg mines by William of Rosenberg himself.
The ruler of Český Krumlov did not have any children with his first wife. After her death he decided to marry the young Polyxena of Pernštejn. Their spectacular wedding took place on January 11, 1557, in the Rosenberg Palace in Prague. The Emperor Rudolf II. personally attended the magnificent wedding. William of Rosenberg hosted thousands of poor people during his wedding.
At that time Antonín Michael of Ebersbach was to create for William of Rosenberg a beverage to stop aging. The alchemists called the drink “conservationem senectutis”. Antonín Michael of Ebersbach tried to concoct this miraculous drink. It took him more than five years. Eventually he managed to produce a golden-colored liquid. William was already very sick. Antonín Michael of Ebersbach wrote to William about his discovery, and brought the promised potion to him.
“It’s aurum potabile, drinkable gold, which heals all diseases and prolongs life.”
The governor of Krumlov drank the potion given to him by his alchemist. And after a few days he died.
Mr. Peter Vok of Rosenberg, brother of William, cast Antonín Michaela of Ebersbach into the prison under the tower of the Krumlov castle. The alchemist died there in 1593.
The legend of the bat
Antonín Michael of Ebersbach came from Germany. From 1575 he worked for the nobility as a regent of mines. He oversaw the mines of William of Rosenberg and the ore extraction. He devoted himself to alchemy and magic. Antonín Michael of Ebersbach bought the house in Široká Street no. 77 in 1588. The entire house was reconstructed with a generous budget. Ebersbach benefited from the interest in alchemy and strived to produce the so-called drinkable gold, aurum potabile.
He tried to convince everybody that he could make such a potion. However, he did not succeed in making solid gold. He decided to achieve his goal using black magic. In this house, he was said to use a magical circle painted on the floor with holy chalk to call out ghosts from the world beyond to his aid.
The ritual chanting was suddenly interrupted by a bat which flew into the room through the window. Today it is the room 203 in our hotel. The window opened and the bat came into the room. The bat got under his nightgown and began biting Ebersbach. He lay on the ground and eventually managed to kill the bat.
The legend says that by breaking the secret formula, he brought misery and bad luck on himself. At that time people believed that bats were flying in the evening to look for a people willing to give their soul to the devil. As soon as they find such people, they fly into their hair and take their souls to hell.
1523
comes the first written mention of the house. It was owned by Pavel Zbiják, the master cooper. After his death, the widow sold his house to mister George, said Schon Greg, who was a maltster. The house was sold to him with a brewery basin and other brewery facilities. The building had brewery facilities and the right to brew beer. The house was created by merging of two neighbouring separate houses.
1578
the house was owned by the bookbinder Martin Gallus. He sold the house to a butcher, Jiří Rožďalovský.
1588
the house was bought by master Ebersbach, the alchemist, from Jiří Roždalovský. Antonín Michael of Ebersbach was the master mining regent of William of Rosenberg. He devoted his life to alchemy, magic, and occult sciences. Master Ebersbach renovated the house at the time of his own prosperity.
1588
master Ebersbach was commissioned to produce a miraculous elixir of youth for his ruler. After the death of William of Rosenberg in 1592, Peter Vok of Rosenberg had the Alchemist put in prison under the castle tower. In 1593 Antonín Michael of Ebersbach dies here. Peter Vok confiscated all of Ebersbach's property.
1593
Peter Vok of Rosenberg gifted the house to his secretary, Mr. Martin Šurer of Waldheim.
1594
Martin Šurer exchanged the house with Kryštof Albín from Helfenburk for the house no. 4 on the square. Albín lived in a house with his large family.
1607
the house was bought by Conrad Koller, the hatter.
1628
the house served as a German school.
17th - 19th cent.
the dyeing craft, which has been inherited for generations, was run in the house. The first of the Finks was Tomas, who dyed fabrics only in dark shades. From 1790 to 1806, the dyer Ignác Miko lived in the house.
1806
the draper Antonín Riemer has acquired the house. His family lived there until the 1940s.
20th cent.
according to contemporary photographs, the facade of the house was not yet painted in bright red. To the left of the entrance portal there was an asymmetric house sign on the facade.
21st cent.
brought the first part of the reconstruction of the shingle roof in 2005. The original project for the reconstruction of two buildings in Široká Street no. 77 and in Hradební Street no. 172 into the hotel was carried out in the years 2006 through 2010. In 2014 a demanding reconstruction of the house into the current form was begun…
