Eggenberg Collection of Theatrical Items and Repertoire

A look at the catalogue of the Eggenberg Library shows us how deeply the interest in theatre art penetrated three generations of Eggenbergs. Over the course of the 17th century, the Castle Library in Český Krumlov obtained over 600 volumes of theatre plays from antique, Italian, French, Spanish, and German dramatists. Even though there are no documents telling us exactly which plays were performed in the Krumlov theatre, such theatralia serves as a picture of the cultural orientation of the castle society. From several authors, we could name for example Lope de Vega, Calderone, Shakespeare, Moliér, Racin, Corneille, Dancourt, and others.

From preserved account statements it seems that even from the beginning, dramatic texts were purchased and expanded upon. The court Eggenberg actors performed a repertoire of mostly German plays. Of these plays however, not even one survived in the castle library or archives.

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