2 part: Perchta of Rosenberg



The second part of the project is dedicated to the figure of Perchta of Rožmberk – one of the most famous women in Czech history, surrounded by legends, strength and inner suffering. Her fate, connected to the Rožmberk family, still resonates today as a symbol of female courage, perseverance and hidden dignity.

The main motif of the jewelry is a five-petalled red rose – the coat of arms of the Rožmberk family. In this interpretation, it is not just a heraldic symbol, but a living rosehip flower, carrying layers of meaning: beauty and thorns, love and pain, fragility and strength. Just like the story of Perchta.

The piece is designed as a signature artifact that combines historical symbolism with natural form and contemporary technology. It is created as a tribute not only to one woman, but also to deeper themes - the place of women in history, inner freedom and the transformation of suffering into strength.
  

Its basis is a real rosehip flower, which I preserved using electroforming and transformed into a piece of jewelry. It is no coincidence that I chose the rosehip. Its simple five-petal flower became the coat of arms of one of the most important Czech noble families.

The rose is complemented by river pearls. Pearls have long been associated with nobility, femininity and nobility. South Bohemia and the rivers of Šumava once hid one of the rarest treasures of Central Europe - freshwater pearls. They became part of this piece of jewelry as a reminder of the region from which Perchta came. However, I perceive another meaning in Perchta's story. They remind us of the tears of a woman who spent most of her life searching for help, understanding and a home.

In the center of the flower is amber. Amber was a valued material in the Middle Ages, which was also known among the nobility. I placed it in the center of the rose as a symbol of time and memory that has endured for centuries. Just as amber retains the imprint of the ancient past, this piece of jewelry also preserves the story of a woman who became a part of Czech history and legends.

 


In addition to the jewelry itself, the project also includes visual and audiovisual processing - a photographic series and an author's video, which bring Perchta's story closer to the contemporary viewer and open up space for their own interpretation.

  

THE STORY OF PERCHTA OF ROŽMBERK

Perchta of Rožmberk (1429–1476), daughter of Oldřich II of Rožmberk and Kateřina of Vartenberk, was born in Český Krumlov, where she experienced her first, perhaps only, moments of true peace and happiness.
  

For her father, Oldřich II, self-interest and the accumulation of wealth were always in the first place. Her father married Perchta against her will to Jan of Liechtenstein on the Mikulov estate – and did not pay the promised dowry of thousands of groschen. From the reproaches that she did not bring the expected money, open hostility gradually arose between the spouses. Psychological pressure grew into physical torture and plots to kill her. She gave birth to two children – a daughter and a son. However, both died at an early age. She found herself in need, and only her famous Rožmberk origin became her only wealth, protection and guarantee of survival.


  

…She found solace in faith. Under the vault of the church, the red Rosenberg rose intertwines with the story of suffering – as a symbol of Christ’s blood… the sacrifice and tears of the Sorrowful Mother. Perchta is also reflected in her silent image – a woman whose life has turned into a shadow and a cry for help.
  

Her letters, written by a scribe, were addressed to her father and later to her brothers. She begged for money. For food. For a blanket. For salvation. “Have mercy on me as a father has on his child…” But help did not come. She did not forgive her husband. And for this she was cursed by him. After his death, she lived only a few years.
 

In the mid-17th century, Baroque historian Bohuslav Balbín identified Perchta as the true White Lady. A good ghost. She protected the family, cared for children, helped the poor. She watched over her descendants… until the last of the family – Petr Vok of Rožmberk. According to an old legend, she still walks through the corridors of her homes, holding a bunch of keys in her hands. If she has white gloves – expect joy. Black ones mean sadness. Red ones warn of fire.
  

CONCLUSION

History is not only made up of events… but of the people who had to carry them. And of the legends in which people preserve those they do not want to forget.

The rose in Krumlov remains forever, preserved in many forms in the gables of houses, on gates, frescoes and stone walls. In the emblem of the city. As part of the coat of arms. As an imprint of history. As a symbol. As a jewel that speaks instead of words. A silent reminder of stories that time has not silenced.

For the support of the project and cooperation, we thank:

The Town of Český Krumlov

The National Monument Institute – State Castle and Chateau Český Krumlov,
personally to the castellan Pavel Slavko

The State Regional Archive in Třeboň,
personally to Mgr. Blanca Čechová, Ph.D. and the director of the archive department Mgr. Markéta Hrdličková

The Town of Rožmberk nad Vltavou,
personally to the mayor Mgr. Bohuslav Čtveráček

The Cistercian Abbey of Vyšší Brod,
personally to the prior P. Justin Jan Berk, O.Cist.
To the company BLUEmbro.cz,
personally to Jan Zahradník


PERFORMING
Perchta – model, singer and dancer Neira
Photography - Kateřina Kramolisová
Camera and editing – Jan Sommer
Make-up – Martina Schreibová
Costumes – Hana Ambrůžková, Český Krumlov Municipal Theatre
Text and historical consultation – Mgr. Veronika Polnická, Rožmberk State Castle
Voice-over – Kateřina Sněhotová
Jewelry and script – Olga Vondráková