Poděbrady Castle (Czech:Zámek Poděbrady) is a castle in the town ofPoděbrady in theCzech Republic.

A woodenfortress originally stood at the site of the present castle. KingOttokar II of Bohemia replaced it by a stone castle, which became the seat of the Lordship of Poděbrady. KingJohn of Bohemia pledged the Lordship and the Castle to Hynek of Lichtenburg in 1345. When in 1350, Hynek's daughter Eliška marriedBoček I of Poděbrady (d. 1373), the castle came into the possession of the Kunštát family. After EmperorCharles IV gave Poděbrady to Boček as a hereditary possession, Boček called himselfBoček of Poděbrady, thereby founding the Poděbrady line of the Kunštát family.

According to legend, KingGeorge of Poděbrady, Boček's great-grandson, was born in the castle. After George's death in 1471, the Castle and Lordship of Poděbrady were inherited by his son,Henry the Younger of Poděbrady, whose heirs had to transfer ownership of both the castle and the lordship to KingVladislaus II in 1495. Both were pledged several times before the loan was repaid by KingFerdinand I. They remained in the possession of theBohemian Crown until 1839.

The castle was rebuilt several times. Between 1548 and 1580, it was reconstructed to aRenaissance style, after a design byGiovanni andUlrico Aostalli andHans Vienna. After theThirty Years' War, the castle lost most of its importance. In 1723 and 1724, it was reconstructed in aBaroque style under the direction of the builderFranz Maximilian Kanka. Further modifications were made after 1750.Maria Theresa, in her capacity as Queen of Bohemia, stayed at the castle on several occasions. Under her sonJoseph II, the castle was the residence of retired Imperial Army officers.

In 1839, the Crown sold the Castle and the Lordship to the Viennese bankerGeorg Simon Sina (1783–1856). Through marriage, the castle came into the possession of the Counts of Ypsilanti in 1884.^{[citation needed]}

• Joachim Bahlckeet al.:Handbuch der historischen Stätten — Böhmen und Mähren, Stuttgart, 1998,ISBN 3-520-32901-8, p. 459–461.

• hrady.cz: Poděbrady zámek (in Czech)

50°08′29.7″N15°07′09.6″E / 50.141583°N 15.119333°E /50.141583; 15.119333