It does not surprise anyone that castles around the world were an ideal place to build prisons in the past. The reason was the fact that these were strong buildings from which it was almost impossible to escape. Prisoners used to be locked either in the tower or underground in the dungeon. While in the Middle Ages most of the prisoners were nobles captured in the war, after the Middle Ages castles were used to lock criminals. There are a number of famous castle prisons, which currently serve as an attraction or museum for tourists. However, one castle is different from the others and has been a prison for 165 years!

A history from which frost runs down the back

One of the most famous and famous castle dungeons, about which Shakesper also wrote in his play Richard III., Is the Dungeon Castle Pontefract in Yorkshire. The castle is clearly one of the most amazing castle dungeons in all of England. Pontefract Castle was used as a prison in the 13th century. The dungeons were huge and spread out in several rooms 35 feet below the main part of the castle.

Other well-known castles included Jedburgh Castle in Scotland. During the War of Scottish Independence, a castle was fought for and was destroyed by the Scots in 1409. A reform prison was built on the site of the original castle in 1823. It was closed in 1868. At present, it is fully accessible to the public not only as a museum, but also as an interactive example of prison life in the 1920s.

The Lancaster Castle is also unique, in which until 2011 the prison was fully functional. Today it serves as a magnificent "living" monument that offers an insight into the often dark past of England.

However, we don't have to go beyond distant borders for breathtaking history, we just need to move to nearby Brno. It was there that the most feared prison in Europe and the Gestapo headquarters called Špilberk were located. It was built as a royal castle and fortress, which stopped the Swedes. Today it is surrounded by a beautiful park with a functional unusual carillon.

Convict, to the castle!

Although in most cases the phrase "castle prison" belongs to the distant past and it may seem absurd that something like this still exists today, the Trenčín region abounds in uniqueness, which we will hardly find anywhere else in the world.

We are talking about the Ilava Prison, one of the oldest prisons in Slovakia. It is part of the castle complex, which is located in the heart of Ilava. The first credible records of the castle date back to 1446, but the exact year is not yet known. The original inner castle was bricked with a four-wing floor plan. It was surrounded by a moat, but its exact form is still unknown and information can still be drawn mainly from graphic documentation from the 17th century.

In the same century, the castle was modified and completed with a Baroque church, at which a large complex of a two-storey monastery and a hospital was added. The castle once functioned as an execution site. Since 1855, the building has served as a prison with a capacity of 750 seats. Prisoners perform work such as packing glass, sewing shoes or making furniture. For the work performed, they receive a payment, for which they pay arrears, alimony, operating costs, but they can also spend some in the buffet.

Although the "castle gates" are not open to the general public, during the service it is possible to visit the castle church, which is an unusual experience for many.

In Trenčín, 20.11.2020

Text: MT

Photo: Lukáš Koník