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In 1584 Vilhelm of Rožmberk, master of the house of Rožmberks, knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece - highest order of Prague and a strong Catholic - invited the Order of Jesuits to Cesky Krumlov. He built for them a university monastery. The corner stone was laid on March 19th 1586 and this building is now Hotel Růže. The architect was the Jesuit Alexander and constructed by Vilhelm's court builder Baltassare Maggi di Arogno. Upon completion two years later, Vilhelm handed over the keys and freehold documents of the richly furnished building to the Jesuits at a ceremony attended by the Papal Nuncio. He had also promised to erect a church, which never came to fruition, as compensation he gave them the parish of Krumlov and its entire income.
The Jesuit University monastery was a two storied rectangular building built on rocks above the Vltava River. There were dormitories for the monks, classrooms, and an eating and prayer hall. A chapel was erected on the second story. The stone entrance portal bore the Rožmberk's seal. A high tower was also built that burned down in 1768 and was replaced by a smaller clock tower, of which the original mechanism now stands in Hotel Ruze's foyer. A corridor connected the nearby church of St. Vitus. The Order also owned the "Jesuit Garden" now a town park across the river. At that time there was a covered connecting bridge that was ofter rebuilt and finally removed and sold at auction in 1830.
In 1586 a Latin school was established in order to recruit under privileged boys from the area to the Order. The Jesuits loved theatre, and put extravagant and expensive plays, written by the monk professors to strengthen the religious belief of the local population. Performances were held both at the residence and the church and in public places. The plays were performed on moving stages pulled by strong men or horses. The mentally sick Don Julius d'Austria, the Emperors illegitimate son who brutally murdered Marketa, daughter of the Latran barber Pichler was a great supporter of the theatre. The Eggenbergs another princely local family, also made handsome contribution.
On Vilhelm's death his younger brother Petr Vok, who was Protestant, inherited the title. In 1595 a Lutheran priest arrived in Krumlov and from that time conflict between the Catholic and Protestants escalated to the point that in 1618 the Jesuits were forced to leave Český Krumlov and sought refuge with the Bishop of Passau. The monastery was pillaged, part of the interior burnt and the contents thrown into the river. Subsequently, the situation changes and the Jesuits returned to the city under Imperial protection. The Imperial General Count Karel Bonaventura Buquoy, ensured that their property was returned and the town was forced to apologise and to compensate the Order.
The monks started a pharmacy in 1640 on the first floor of the monastery, in 1655 it was moved to street level to sell medicines to the citizens and the pharmacy became very prosperous. Prince Schwarzenberg bought the pharmacy and it was moved to the castle. The original Baroque pharmacy can be seen at the Krumlov Museum across the street from Hotel Růže.
The Emperor Joseph II. dissolved the Jesuit Order, which was established in 32 centres of the empire, in 1773 and the monks became Catholic priests.
Following the departure of the Jesuits the residence became a military barracks until 1887 when the garrison was abolished. The building was auctioned and bought by a Czech resident of Budějovice, knight lawyer Dr. Jungmann for 24,000 gulden. The new owner transferred the title to his company the Krumlov Saving Bank and it became the cultural, meeting place for the citizens of the city. A hostelry and public halls were added to this beautiful building. In addition a small but excellent Czech language theatre was established in 1889 plus a school and stables. Following a long fight with the town's German majority the Bank was granted a licence to run a pub and hotel called U Růže (At the Rose). The new theatre flourished with packed theatrical performances and certainly no shortage of fine actors. In 1919 Krumlov became Český Krumlov and a part of the new Czechoslovak Republic.
Germany annexed the Sudentenland in 1938 and most Czechs were expelled from the city. The Jewish inhabitants fled or were rounded up and sent to concentration camps. Wounded German officers lived at Růže during WWII, the city was not damaged during this period.
At the end of the war the hotel once again, became the favourite entertainment rendezvous for balls, social events and theatrical performances. The building deteriorated during the Communist era and was finally closed in 1950. As the town badly needed a prestigious hotel, restoration work started on the building in 1970, this took around 20 years, poor workmanship did not enhance the hotel.
Following the "Velvet Revolution" Hotel Růže became communal property, handled and run by the Krumlov Development Fund who also became owners of the most of the city properties due for privatisation. As the hotel needed immense capital for modernisation, the Fund decided to sell it. The new owner, a Czech émigré, who left his country during the totalitarian times has reconstructed and decorated the hotel to its present 5-stan standard.
The aim is to make Růže with its rich history and tradition into a "time travel" to the Renaissance period combined with the atmosphere, furnishings, music and culinary specialities served by staff in 16th century costume. Our guests should have an impression of life at that time.
The hotel has its own special friendly ghost. According to legend, in the 17th century a beautiful lovesick girl jumped from the terrace into the river below. It is said that she visits the hotel to warn and protect young virgins of the danger of forbidden love. The present management has no notice of these warnings, is it due to a shortage of this specific young woman? We have our own bats, which normally hide in old dark buildings, they become active during September of the riverside of the hotel where we install a special mesh to keep them out. The management assures its guests they are peaceful Krumlov inhabitants and we can vouch they are not related to Count Dracula.
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