The Role of Adolph Schwarzenberg
in Czechoslovakia during the First Republic

Adolph Schwarzenberg-Hluboka (as opposed to the Schwarzenberg-Orlik line) was born in Hluboka, Bohemia, in 1890, the eldest son of Jan (Johann) Schwarzenberg. A Czechoslovak citizen, he received his doctorate of law from the Czech university in Prague in 1914, and served in the Czechoslovak Army. In 1923 he became his father’s delegate general. When Johann Schwarzenberg died in 1938, Adolph inherited the family estate – agricultural land, forests, breweries and houses with valuable content, art collections and archives.

Adolph Schwarzenberg with Mrs. Beneš

In 1937 Adolph Schwarzenberg welcomed President Edvard Benes to his Cesky Krumlov estate, and donated a million Czechoslovak crowns to support the President's efforts to fortify the State borders against the growing threat of Nazi Germany.

Adolph Schwarzenberg in conversation with President Beneš, Český Krumlov

President Beneš signing the visitors` book at Český Krumlov

The Schwarzenbergs had been residing in Bohemia for centuries and had contributed significantly to the cultural and economic development of the region. Adolph Schwarzenberg was also very involved in economic, political and social issues in the country. He was a friend of the Lord Mayor of Prague, Dr Karel Baxa (whose obituary he wrote), and made generous financial contributions to the Narodni jednota posumavska (the National Union of the Bohemian Forest), of which Dr Baxa was President.