Anyone who had visited Uherský Brod before 1981 was still lucky enough to appreciate the view of the already rather devastated construction of the Count Kounic summer countryseat located in a nearby park. It was a castle commonly known by its colloquial name,
Pepčín.Although I belong to the younger generation, I can still recall this building situated in the park from my childhood memories. It was not only visible from the Hradčovice railway station, but also from Podolí and other locations. The pinnacle protruding from the wooded hill beautifully dominated the entire neighbourhood for many decades.
However, let us move on from our own memories and go back in time to when building commenced on summer countryseat of Count Kounic. A direct participant in its construction, Mr. Zemánek from Drslavice, describes its development in writing.
Count Kounic originally wanted to have this building situated in Uherský Brod,
in the manor garden and in the manor field north of the old castle. Finally, it was decided to build the castle in a closure that had already been fenced off for fallow deer breeding for about 30 years. The Count accumulated the necessary funds by selling the Kojatínek
forest to the Veleťany family, part of the Bukovina forest to prospective buyers from Mistřice and Hradčovice, and the Špitálka and Chrástka forests to the Havřičany family. The Count’s steward, Mr. Hliněný, handled financial matters, and matters related to the preparation and the construction itself were entrusted by the Count to his employees. Some of them allegedly abused his goodness and faith.The construction began in 1903, and the material was provided by the location itself. Stone was quarried in the local quarry, there was more then enough wood, and water was supplied from a gully called Kaly (named so in Czech because of the water being made cloudy and muddy by wild boars). Bricks were transported to the construction from the manor brick factory in Uherský Brod via Drslavice, stored close to the gamekeeper’s lodge at the forest edge, and from here they were little by little transported up to the construction via forest paths. Here, there used to stand a wooden cabin for the gamekeepers; it was later taken down and a larger one with a canteen was erected not far away. Its warden was Mr. Tomala from Vlčnov.
Many people worked on the whole construction, especially bricklayers, who mostly came from Rašovice near Slavkov u Brna. Hradčovice residents accommodated most of them. There were also diggers, who allegedly dug out the well in the rock to a depth of 50 meters. Rocks were collected by a hand winch, which also served the purpose of letting the workers down. Working at such depths was very tiring and strenuous. Their foreman, who let himself be lowered down into these depths, said after returning to the surface: “I wouldn’t let myself be lowered down there again even if they gave me the whole world; I can’t breathe down there!“
Carpenters, labourers and some of the skilled workmen came from nearby villages. However, the ornamentalists came from Vienna, and even from Italy according to another version. Bricklayers from nearby villages earned 2 crowns 40 mites per day in the then Austrian currency, workers earned from 1 to 1,20 crowns.
Overall discipline was supervised by an overseer by the name of K. Aujeský, who lived in Drslavice in an old gamekeeper’s lodge at the edge of the forest. A new gamekeeper’s lodge was also built during the construction of the castle and it is here that the Count slept over if he decided not to return to Uherský Brod. When he visited the construction, he always talked to the people, and to his already common question “how is it going, guys?” he usually got the same answer “well, Sir, it’s hard work.” It is said that he sometimes gave some extra mites to the people.
Although there was a construction rush in the forest, everything had to be in order. And it was always so because the Count took care. Perhaps that is why the overseer had two gamekeepers helping him, namely Tomala from Vlčnov and Zemánek from Drslavice.
The castle was built in pseudo-Romanesque style and had five high-ceilinged floors. In 1905, when it was completed, it was supposed to be given address number 113. The future spouse of Count Václav Kounic, JUDr., Miss Josefína Horová, allegedly refused this number due to its superstitious nature, so it was assigned to a new house in Drslavice and the castle bore address number 114.
The castle was equipped and furnished not only to serve the owner’s purpose of living, but also that of many guests, which was demonstrated by the contemporary decor of the parlour rooms. The main parlour was a hall rich and beautiful in decoration. The Count’s flaunt was also a library decorated with many paintings by master Dutch painters. Not long before his death (1904), Count Kounic was allegedly visited in his still unfinished residence by his brother-in-law, the composer Antonín Dvořák.
The castle premises also included horse stables with quarters for the groom, a forest park with summer houses and rubble pathways, but also a small decorative pond approximately 15 minutes’ walk from the castle.
When the Count visited his summer country seat, he usually went along the road from Uherský Brod, and then, before arriving at Vlčnov, he turned onto a dirt track which led him to the castle past vineyards. Proof of this is also the name given to this dirt track by Vlčnov residents, who today still call it the Count’s road (Hráběcí).
After the death of her husband in 1913, Countess Josefína spent most of her time in Brno, and the castle was taken care of by the gamekeepers and a handful of other personnel.
The beginning of the disastrous end of this building came in 1945, when guerrillas were alleged to be hiding here. Then came the army. The library, precious oil paintings, antique furniture, as well as a collection of precious porcelain, was destroyed during this period. Many books were burnt, and the beautiful crystal chandelier in the large hall was blown to pieces. Residents of nearby villages took no
small share in this barbarian act, as is made clear from the correspondence the Countess led with the provost station during investigations into the disastrous act. Even the school chronicler in Vlčnov at the time followed up this incident in an entire chapter stating direct participants. However, these names were later carefully deleted by black pen by an unknown person.This meant the beginning of the gradual deterioration of the whole building and lasted several decades without even the slightest effort to save this, in its own way unique, piece of art planned by an architect called Václav Wittner. His buildings still grace some of our cities. An impulse for its preservation was not only given by individuals, but also by culture-concerned groups of people, who made efforts to save this historical sight. Ineffectively. Based on a decision made by the ONV (District National Committee), the castle was torn down in 1981. Since then, Count Kounic’s summer country seat, which bore the name of his spouse in its title, has become history and those who are born after this date will hear and find out about its existence only from the stories of surviving contemporaries or old photographs.