#CzechHistory

[husheduphistory]

About Last Knight: The Famous Face-off of Josef Mencik

The townspeople all loved Josef, he was courteous, kind, and generous with all his neighbors. The children delighted in seeing him ride into town and loved hearing his stories. The only thing that could be better was visiting his home, filled with all manner of unique items with tales of their own that Josef was more than happy to tell. Josef Mencik was a historian, but he immersed himself in the past in ways that went far deeper than paper and ink. He may have been born in a more modern age but in his daily life Mencik was the last of the medieval knights.

As dedicated as Mencik was to history, he was extremely secretive of his own and there is almost nothing known about his early days. He never shared the names of any family members, his birthdate is a mystery, and there is no known record of where he was born with historians only able to narrow down that he was most likely born in the Böhmerwald region of Czechoslovakia. In approximately 1911 he ventured out into the world and set his sights on an aged castle in Dobrš. He decided to make it his own, but this was not going to be an easy task. The castle had been standing since the 14th century and when Mencik purchased it it was a ruin, severely damaged by a fire and countless rainstorms that left it a shell of its former self. But in this broken structure Mencik saw his ideal home and after purchasing it he began the long road to rebuilding it.

Böhmerwald region of Czechoslovakia via 1930s. Image via Wikipedia Commons.

Mencik’s idea of bringing his castle back to its glory days was meant in the most literal sense. He lived with no electricity, no plumbing, absolutely nothing representing the comforts available to him in the early 1900s. Where modernity was absent, it was replaced with beauty. The halls were lit with candles and torches and as time went on Mencik filled his home with rare antiques turning it into a literal living history museum, a time capsule of the days long past that he happily shared with anyone who wanted to see the collection of treasures. This full embrace of the medieval age extended far beyond a refurbished home and an extensive antique collection. Mencik lived his life as closely as he could to a knight, traveling on his beloved thoroughbred horse and wearing fine suits of armor crafted in France. Some accounts state that he even had a moat around his castle….filled with wooden alligator sculptures.

Josef Mencik in full armor. Image via DannyDutch.com.

Like so many parts of his past, it is unclear if he ruled his private kingdom alone. According to some accounts Mencik was married to a woman named Ema Mencikova and that they may have had two children, but this has not been proven. What is well known is that everyone who knew Mencik thought very highly of him. By all accounts he treated everyone with respect, was always willing to help anyone in any way he could, and he enjoyed spending time with his friends and neighbors. He was a regular patron of the local taverns where he would socialize with everyone, ending every visit with his personal ritual “to swallow a whole herringbone, which he then drank with a good glass of rum and then shouted menacingly."

Everyone who knew Mencik personally knew of his genuine character, but his actions on one particular day in 1938 would make sure his story was told for generations.

Images of Josef Mencik on his horse. Image via DannyDutch.com.

In an early act of aggression, in 1938 Nazi Germany moved to invade Czechoslovakia in order to annex the predominantly German region of Sudetenland. As the Germans crossed the border through Bučina they were not anticipating any resistance, but what they were met with was more stunning and confusing than they could have imagined. As they crossed they were met by Josef Mencik, seated high upon his horse, dressed in full armor, and holding a very large halberd. He met them standing strong, ready, and defiant, but he also met them alone. As the crushing, modern machines of war rolled closer to the knight he did not flinch and he stood taller as they became more confused as to what exactly they were all seeing. Unfortunately, there is no written account to tell us about the words exchanged between the knight and the Nazis, but what is known is that instead of engaging or attacking Mencik, they all simply hesitated for a short while before continuing to march past him. As they went by some Nazi soldiers tapped their helmets at him, a signal that said they believed that Mencik was simply a delusional man not to be bothered with. As they moved past Mencik they walked into an early chapter of a war that would tear the world apart.  

There are many differing opinions about the actions of Mencik against the Nazis with some feeling it was an act of pure bravery while others feel it was foolish. Regardless of opinions, it is technically true that he did successfully defend his castle home which was never taken during the war. In 1945 though, the fortress that Mencik brought back to life and made into a home where he welcomed everyone with open arms, was removed from his hands when the structure became part of the nationalization by the new Communist government. The last medieval knight Josef Mencik died only a few days later in November 1945 and was estimated to be in his late seventies.

For all his living days Mencik sought to bring the past back to life, not just for himself but also for the present to learn from and enjoy. Although he was probably heartbroken by his home becoming nationalized, today his castle is open to the public and serves as a museum, welcoming curious visitors just as he did. Josef Mencik, the last knight, passed away nearly eight decades ago but his private kingdom, his history lessons, and his story of bravery in the face of danger have withstood the test of time far longer than he could have dreamed.

The remnants of Mencik's castle and more recent additions. Image via Michal Klajban / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0

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Sources:

Josef Mencik: The Last Knight Who Stood Up to the Germans In WWII by Samantha Franco. War History Online. January 11th 2023. https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/josef-mencik.html

Josef Mencik – History’s Last Knight Stood Against the Nazis by Travis Pike. Sandboxx.us. November 14th 2022. https://www.sandboxx.us/news/josef-mencik-the-last-knight/

Josef Mencik-the Czech Don Quixote. WWII Forums Gateway to the Second World War. November 18th 2021. http://ww2f.com/threads/josef-mencik-the-czech-don-quixote.76341/

#husheduphistory #featuredarticles #history #forgottenhistory #truestory #strangehistory #weirdhistory #historyclass #truth is stranger than fiction #medieval #medieval knight #the last knight #JosefMencik #czechoslovakia #CzechHistory #wwii

[hollowfieddespair]

Loket castle in Czech Republic Step into a world of enchantment at Loket Castle, where centuries of history come alive. Discover the secrets that lie within its walls.

#EuropeanTravel #ExploreLoket #LoketVibes #CzechHistory

[sabrielart]

Loket castle in Czech Republic

Experience the grandeur of Loket Castle, a true architectural marvel in the heart of the Czech Republic. Prepare to be awed.

#EuropeanTravel #CzechCastles #LoketCastle #LoketVibes #CzechHistory

[brazilskavyprava]

Portrait of Milena Jesenska #harpersbazaar #strongwomen #czechhistory #femalepower #contemporary_art #figurativepainting #portrait #photography #100years #10authors #prague #czechrepublic https://www.instagram.com/p/BuLs_TLFT4m/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1amglxlb134lx

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[sedivalindacz]

So proud to be Czech ♥️ . .#Repost @czech_and_slovak_century with @get_repost ・・・ Je tolik osobností a milníků, na které můžeme být hrdí. Které byste přidali vy? Oslavme společné století 🇨🇿🇸🇰. . There are so many personalities and milestones in a 100 year Czech and Slovak history that they should be proud of. Would you be able to name any of big Czech or Slovak names? . #czech100 #spolecnestoleti #czechandslovakcentury #czechhistory #nemenilbych #nemenilabysom https://www.instagram.com/p/Bnsq0FhBZW7/?igshid=4lg4zcqvb0gy

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[iamlyle]

Děkuji, Czech Republic. 😉 I've learned so much about your fascinating culture and I'm really amazed on your beauty and rich history. I hope to visit again soon. Na shledanou! 😍🖒 #wheninprague #lyletravels #discoverprague #czechhistory #restlessfeet #heartseries (at Prague, Czech Republic)

#lyletravels #discoverprague #czechhistory #wheninprague #restlessfeet #heartseries

[moravianarchives]

Used by a Czech professor in the reading room this morning, I wanted to capture a photo of this interesting item before putting it back in the vault! Depicted is a manuscript history of the Bohemian and Moravian Brethren, copied down by Georg Neisser in the Moravian community of Herrnhut (Saxony). Dated February 26, 1738, Neisser describes the history of the Moravian Church (in 105 pages) from 1457 until the founding of Herrnhut in the 1720s. ••• "Historia derer Böhmischen und Mährischen Brüder," 26 Feb 1738, PP NG 24 at the #MoravianArchives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania ••• #moravian #moravianhistory #handwritten #manuscript #germanscript #kurrent #bibliothek #librariesofinstagram #czech #specialcollections #czechhistory #iglibraries #igbethlehem #bethlehempa (hier: Moravian Archives, Bethlehem)

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[infinite-bubble]

#TGM #TomášGarrigueMasaryk #museum #czechhistory #hodonín 📒 (v místě Masarykovo muzeum)

#hodonín #museum #czechhistory #tomášgarriguemasaryk #tgm

[sedivalindacz]

So proud to be Czech ♥️ . .#Repost @czech_and_slovak_century with @get_repost ・・・ Je tolik osobností a milníků, na které můžeme být hrdí. Které byste přidali vy? Oslavme společné století 🇨🇿🇸🇰. . There are so many personalities and milestones in a 100 year Czech and Slovak history that they should be proud of. Would you be able to name any of big Czech or Slovak names? . #czech100 #spolecnestoleti #czechandslovakcentury #czechhistory #nemenilbych #nemenilabysom https://www.instagram.com/p/Bnsq0FhBZW7/?igshid=ef00zmeyiugm

#repost #czech100 #spolecnestoleti #czechandslovakcentury #czechhistory #nemenilbych #nemenilabysom

[moravianarchives]

Happy #FinisFriday! Many ornate illustrations are found in the 10-volume 📚 popular history of the Kingdom of Bohemia by Bohuslav Balbín (1621-1688). This #finis is located in volume 3, book 6 (Miscellanea historica regni Bohemiæ archiepiscopalis). Also visible is the Jesuit motto, A. D. M. G. (Ad maiorem Dei gloriam), "for the greater glory of God." Have a great weekend, folks! --- 🔎 Malin 034 at the #MoravianArchives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. --- 📔 Bohuslav Balbín, Miscellanea historica regni Bohemiæ, vol. 3 (Pragæ: Typis G. Czernoch, 1679-88), 114. --- #czech #czechhistory #bohemia #böhmen #woodcut #igbethlehem #moravianhistory #mähren #moravian #bookstagram #moravia #jesuit #religion #history #specialcollections #finisfridays #librariesofinstagram #oldbooks #europe #rarebooks #17thcentury #1600s #bibliophile #iglibraries (hier: Moravian Archives, Bethlehem)

#europe #woodcut #czech #oldbooks #librariesofinstagram #iglibraries #igbethlehem #moravianarchives #religion #specialcollections #böhmen #bibliophile #mähren #bohemia #jesuit #finis #moravian #moravianhistory #finisfriday #17thcentury #rarebooks #1600s #finisfridays #czechhistory #bookstagram #moravia #history