Mansfeld family lose appeal to hold on to Opocno chateau

Countess Kristina Colloredo-Mansfeld has lost her appeal to hold onto the Opocno chateau in eastern Bohemia. The Supreme Court in Brno judged on Thursday that the ruling of a regional court last September, which transferred the chateau from her ownership and back to the state, was correct. Opocno chateau was the historic home of the Mansfeld family until it was confiscated by the Nazis in 1942. The castle then came under state control in 1945, under decree of Czechoslovak president Edvard Benes. The family has been fighting to regain ownership of Opocno chateau since 1995. The property was handed over to the Colloredo-Mansfelds four years ago, but last September a regional court in Hradec Kralove reversed this decision. The chateau is one of the most visited heritage sites in the region. The Mansfeld family is considering taking its case to the European Court.