In this episode, František Záruba, an art historian and casteologist from the Historical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences takes us on the wheel of time to the secrets of medieval castles in Central Europe. We will begin with an introduction to the first castles, exploring their purpose and importance in terms of defense and representation. We will then focus on different types of castles, including the massive keep, and discuss who had the right to build these defensive structures. We will look at the very process of building the castle, from financing to obtaining materials to the technologies that were used. We will also not forget the people who worked on the construction site - from stonemasons to masons to woodcutters. We will zoom in on life around the castle, the mutual distance between the individual castles and the logistics that were connected with the construction. Next, we will focus on the defensive aspects of castles. We will explore how the ramparts and other defenses were designed to withstand enemy attacks and how the castle was besieged. We will present examples of long and quick conquest of castles and clarify what significance the castle's conquest had for the besiegers. The next part will be devoted to the siege engines and strategies used during the siege, and we will look at what happened when the castle fell or surrendered. The episode culminates with an examination of the role of castles during the reign of Charles IV. and explaining why their construction came to an end. At the end of the episode, we will invite you to further deepen the topic through the book "Castles of the Přemyslov Age" and point out useful resources on the YouTube channel of the Historical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, which will help you learn even more about medieval castle buildings and their history. A section on Herohero is dedicated to answering your questions. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:18 The beginning of the construction of the first castles in our territory and their purpose 00:03:42 Donjon type of castle and other types 00:07:29 The right to build a castle 00:14:46 Construction of the castle 00: 20:46 Surroundings of the castle 00:23:11 Distance between castles 00:25:23 Castle construction and finances 00:28:21 Obtaining materials for castle construction 00:30:23 Numbers of people and examples of professions involved in construction 00:32: 34 Technology 00:36:02 Castle Background 00:45:53 Castle Attack 00:47:10 Defense Elements 00:54:33 Examples of Long and Fast Castle Conquest 00:58:29 Importance of Reclaiming a Castle 00:59:33 Besiegers 01 :02:33 Siege engines 01:04:50 Supplying the besiegers 01:06:28 When the castle fell or surrendered 01:08:10 The castle during the reign of Charles IV. and the end of their construction.