The diploma thesis "The Chotek Family and Sophie Chotek" deals with the development of a traditional Czech noble family from the first historical record to the last members of the family who died in 70's of 20th century. Central person of the thesis is Sophie Chotek, the best known woman of the family, who lived from 1868 to 1914. We can read about her life of a single young noblewoman during her service in Bratislava, where she was as a maid-of-honour and where she met her future husband archduke Francis Ferdinand d'Este. They got married on 1st July 1900. The last part of the thesis speaks about fourteen years of marriage. The greater part of this happy time they spent in the Konopiště Castle in Central Bohemia. Sophie and Francis Ferdinand also had three children Sophie, Maxmilian and Ernst of Hohenberg, whose life stories are included, too.

(in English): This thesis aims to provide a comprehensive picture of the famous Czech aristocrat, official and philanthropist Charles Chotek in his roles of life. Karel Chotek successively held the authority of the provincial chief of Trieste, Innsbruck and Prague. The period of his administration in the Czech countries is characterized by great development of economy and social institutions. The thesis is divided into two major parts, the first is represented by the study and the second are supplements with the editions of used archives - diary, memorabilia and autobiography. The chapters are divided thematically-chronologically according to a roles, which Count Chotek in his life held - a nobleman, son, brother, student, husband, father, officer, philanthropist, traveller, observer of the revolutionary year of 1848, a businessman, builder, landowner and social being. The exception is chapter two, which gives a theoretical introduction to the topic of research of diaries, memoirs and autobiographies. In conclusion, I think about the personality, character and temperament of Count Chotek.

The subject of this paper is the study of history of the Kačina Chateau from the point of view of its inspiration from the art and architecture of the ancient world. The introductory chapters were dedicated to the general atmosphere of the time in which the castle was designed and built, the general ideas of the Enlightenment, and also to its relations to Count Chotek. There is an unresolved problem whether its relations to Classical antiquity monuments existed directly, or if they were mediated by other sources. While working on the theme it turned out that the foundation of Kačina Chateau derived from earlier models that were developed during centuries. The work of Marcus Vitruvius Pollio was of substantial importance for all Classicist architecture and especially the architects of the Renaissance knew it very well and used it frequently. For the architecture of Kačina Chateau the most important stimuli were those of Andreas Palladio who transformed earlier patterns according to his own artistic views. One of the following chapters concentrates on the personality of the owner of the estate, the Count Jan Rudolf Chotek, and then on the architects and builders of the castle. Following chapters are dedicated to the description of the castle, of its exterior, the segmentation of its interior...