Message from the Family

Our family’s return to our ancestral home after the 1989 Velvet Revolution was inspired by the seismic world events of that remarkable November. The call of our lost heritage was urgent and compelling, as was the chance to participate directly in the historic changes taking place in what had been the land of our forefathers for over seven centuries. This was made possible in part by the passage of a series of restitution laws under the inspired leadership of President Václav Havel soon after our return in 1990. Since that moment, we have been fully committed to our dual goals: restore the family’s cultural heritage through the restitution process (an effort now successfully completed) and make The Lobkowicz Collections available for public enjoyment and scholarly enrichment.

The injustices endured by confiscations under Nazi and Communist regimes are behind us. We feel very strongly that our family owes future generations our uncompromising efforts to carry out our mission. From the start, we characterized our role as managers and custodians of The Collections, establishing non-profit entities to enhance our efforts. As managers, we created concepts, business plans and organizational structures to establish physical and financial foundations of support. As custodians of The Collections, we developed programming and exhibitions, membership programs and friends organizations to be our pillars in all aspects of educational and cultural outreach.

We are humbled and incredibly motivated by the thousands of positive reviews received in our guest books and firsthand comments from our visitors, who are amazed by the accessibility and richness of The Collections at the Lobkowicz Palace Museum and Nelahozeves Castle.

However, what seems to make the strongest and most lasting impression is the story of the Lobkowicz family, from our noble ancestors with their vast resources to the current generations who work day-to-day introducing visitors to a living history.

The challenges remaining are many, but for the first time in our family’s history, we feel we have an unprecedented, historic opportunity. Rather than just preserving, we are actively transforming The Collections into an expanded, dynamic and contextual cultural heritage. Through creative stewardship, spirited public-private partnerships and visionary benefactors, we believe we can deliver a truly inspiring connection to civil society and make a lasting contribution to world culture.

We encourage you to join us on this journey by supporting the initiatives, projects and programs of The Lobkowicz Collections. On behalf of the Lobkowicz family, thank you for your interest.

Sandra and William Lobkowicz