The Serényi family—nobles who ruled Luhačovice for 300 years
Hungarian Nobles in Moravia
The Serényi family (Serényi de Kis-Serény) originated in Hungary, where its members became famous as brave warriors against the Turks. Thanks to this reputation, they were readily accepted into the Moravian nobility even before the Battle of White Mountain. They arrived in Moravia at the beginning of the 17th century and soon became one of the most prominent noble families in the region.
Gabriel Serényi — Founder of the Luhačovice Era
The year 1629 was a pivotal moment for Luhačovice. Following the confiscations that took place after the Battle of White Mountain, Prince Maximilian of Liechtenstein sold the Luhačovice estate to the Serényi brothers for 12,000 gold pieces.
Gabriel Serényi (c. 1598–1664) was an exceptionally capable nobleman and administrator. In his youth, he served in the imperial army; during the Thirty Years’ War, he held high provincial offices; and from 1655 to 1664, he served as Moravian Provincial Governor—the highest administrative office in the country. In 1656, he was elevated to the rank of hereditary count.
Gabriel expanded the family’s estates to include additional domains—Zlín (1655), Milotice (1648), Kunvald (1655), and Lomnice (1662). In doing so, he established the financial foundation upon which the Serényi family stood until the 20th century. For the subjects of Luhačovice, his rule meant relative stability after the turbulent period of the Thirty Years’ War.
The Baroque Castle — A Residence Worthy of a Count’s Family
In the first half of the 18th century, Count Wolfgang Serényi had a Baroque chateau built (1730–1738) on the site of the original fortress and added a chapel to it. The chateau became the family’s representative residence and the administrative center of the estate.
The construction of the chateau transformed the face of Luhačovice. From an insignificant village with a crumbling fortress, it became a small town with a stately manor, a park, and agricultural facilities. The urban footprint of the chateau complex is still visible in Luhačovice today.
Vincenc Serényi and the Birth of the Spa
Among the most prominent members of the family is Count Vincenc Serényi (1752–1810)—an educated Enlightenment-era aristocrat who laid the foundations of Luhačovice’s spa tradition. Vincenc recognized the healing potential of the local mineral springs and began to systematically utilize them.
In his honor, Luhačovice’s most famous spring bears the name Vincentka—a designation from 1792 that has endured to this day. Vincentka has become synonymous with the Luhačovice spa and one of the most famous mineral waters in the Czech Republic.
Other springs also bear the names of family members: Ottovka after Otto Serényi, Amandka and Aloiska after other members of the family. These names are a living reminder of the time when the spa belonged to a single family.
Otto Serényi and the Arrival of Jurkovič
The development of the spa continued throughout the 19th century, but a major turning point came at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1902, the Luhačovice Spa Joint-Stock Company was founded, which purchased the spa operations from the Serényis. Count Otto Serényi (1855–1927) became chairman of the board.
That same year, Dr. František Veselý brought the Slovak architect Dušan Jurkovič, then thirty-three years old, to Luhačovice. Between 1902 and 1903, Jurkovič designed and built twelve Art Nouveau structures inspired by the folk architecture of Wallachia and Kysuce, which gave Luhačovice its unmistakable character. Jurkovič’s Inhalation Building, the Jestřábí Colonnade, and the Slunečné Lázně water pavilion remain icons of Czech architecture to this day.
Radim Silný’s master’s thesis provides a detailed account of the spa’s architectural history.
The End of an Era — 1945
The Serényi family’s 300-year rule in Luhačovice came to an end in 1945. In May, the castle was placed under state administration, and Count Alois Serényi (1893–1957) was arrested and interned in a labor camp in Uherský Brod. The castles in Luhačovice and Lomnice were confiscated pursuant to decrees issued by the President of the Republic.
After 1989, the Serényi family began seeking the restitution of their property. After a long legal battle, the Luhačovice castle was returned to the descendants of the original owners in 2017. The restitution attracted considerable media and public interest—after seventy years, the Serényis returned to Luhačovice.
What Remains of Them
The legacy of the Serényis is omnipresent in Luhačovice:
- The Castle — the town’s landmark, now partially open to the public
- The castle park—a green oasis in the center of the spa
- Urban layout — the town’s layout respects the castle grounds
- Names of the springs — Vincentka, Ottovka, Amandka, Aloiska
- Spa tradition — the systematic use of the springs, initiated by the Serényis
Three hundred years is an unusually long time in the history of a single family and a single town. The Serényis came to Luhačovice as foreigners from Hungary, but they left a mark here that endures and will continue to endure.
You can find more about the family on the historickaslechta.cz website and the Czech Wikipedia.
Other articles in the series: The Oldest Residents of Luhačovice · The Prehistoric Sea Beneath Luhačovice · Surnames That Have Lived Here for Centuries