Chotek´s mausoleum
By katarina
15 comments
As I promised, I visited today Dolna Krupa, a small village at the foot of Carpathian mountains, close to Trnava (Slovakia). Once residency of aristocracy whose family members were in the highest positions in Austrian-Hungarian monarchy in the 19th century. Once long-term refuge of L.van Beethoven in time of progressing hearing loss and personal crisis, leading to composition of one of the most beautiful sonatas. And also the birthplace of countess Henrietta Chotek, who founded the largest rosarium in monarchy and who breeded new sorts of roses. Some of them wee destroyed in WWII and by communistic regime, bust some are still kept, to my knowledge, in Germany and France. Her burial place was my goal.
If you travel to Dolna Krupa, you must cross the most fertile fields in the country. This region is not famous just because of delicious vines, but also thanks to “white gold” as is called sugarbeet. And apples. Apple festivals are here just in top season.
I saw another festival of colours at the end of all roads.
A church tower in the distance is symbol of Horna Krupa, the last village before Horna Krupa. Then just fields with sunflowers.
Many strange things happened later. This was first strange thing. All sunflowers were turned to the east, as if showing me exactly the direction to Dolna Krupa.
…and an old road in the field, used until now by farmers. Maybe it was once Beethoven´s road, where he broke the wheel on his coach rushing to his “immortal lover”, as he once wrote to his friend.
…old Jewish cemetery and falling leaves on the way…
And finally I saw it – mausoleum of Chotek family, built in Neo-Renaissance style in 1895. There are buried 6 members of the family. To my shock, just yesterday and today two of them had anniversaries…
The only decoration of the mausoleum. Inside it is very simple.
Inside the space is full of garbage and dust. And marble Jesus Christ from Vienna artist A. Schmidgruben. Villagers believe His eyes are watching them. And they really do! Great work.
Starry sky above the graves.
But darkness in the crypt.
It starts to rain. My guide urges me out and up to the garden. She cut for me bunch of roses, which “Rose Countess” liked in white and red colours.
These roses have pink buds but marble white petals. Their speciality is, that they are without thorns.
13 Oct, 2011
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Comments
Very interesting thankyou, the mausoleum is very beautiful.
Have you heard of the Hohenzollern Family?
14 Oct, 2011
tell me...
14 Oct, 2011
Hohenzollern, the Romanian Roayal family. It's a long, long story!!
14 Oct, 2011
Hello Bloomer, thank you very much, I am happy you enjoy my blog. I like history too. If people turn more to the history, we should not do the same mistakes over and over again.
14 Oct, 2011
Lulu, do the Hohenzollerns something to do with the Choteks?
14 Oct, 2011
What an interesting blog Katarina, I really enjoyed it thank you.
14 Oct, 2011
Only in so far as they all have German royal connections.
14 Oct, 2011
Thank you, Stroller. You are wellcome. Nice rose, isn´t it?
14 Oct, 2011
Very interesting, and nice views too
15 Oct, 2011
like taking a trip with you; with that beautiful rose at the end....thanks.
28 Oct, 2011
You are welcome, Noahsgarden, just for information, the rose at the end of blog is Lambert´s Schneewittchen (1901), I got this information from Rose Society of M.H.Chotek.
28 Oct, 2011
Katarina this blog is something special .
Until now History has been of no interest to me.
Living in Singapore as a Forces child all I ever heard was the horrors of what happened to our POWS . I use to see the infamous Changi Jail twice a day, going to and from school.
Return to UK and learn about old Kings and Queens having their heads cut off. The slave trade, Boer War, WWI, WWII Korean War, it goes on and on The vast majority of past history and today's history in the making seems to be based on death to survive
My History teacher was never like you, if she was I might have got my A levels instead of a C+ . Your Geography is pretty sound too.
7 Nov, 2011
Lol. Thank you.
7 Nov, 2011
Thank you Katerina, I am also fascinated by the history of all the places we visit, so really enjoyed this blog, not only for its lovely photo`s but also for all the information you have given about the area,monuments and its past occupants...
7 Nov, 2011
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Whaat an interesting and lovely blog,Katarina..I love anything with History..wherever it is in the world..and the pictures are so nice to see..love that Rose too..thank you..:o)
14 Oct, 2011