Walderode family restitution dispute continues in Czech courts

The long-running restitution dispute involving the Walderode noble family assets continues in the Czech Republic. The case, which has lasted over thirty years, involves claims to more than a thousand plots of land and the Hrubý Rohozec castle, with an estimated value reaching billions of crowns.

Johanna Kammerlanderová, the widow of Karel des Fours Walderode, is seeking the return of property confiscated under the Beneš decrees after World War II. While a previous ruling by the Semily District Court granted a 1,554-square-meter plot in Turnov, it rejected claims for nearly 60 other parcels.

The Hradec Králové Regional Court has recently intervened, noting that while the restitution is justified, the lawsuit requires more precise identification of the properties. This process requires the land registry to compare the status of parcels from 1945 and 1991 with their current state, a task expected to take approximately one year.

Opposing the restitution are several entities, including the town of Turnov, the National Heritage Institute, and Lesy České republiky. The legal proceedings follow a 2024 Constitutional Court decision stating that the judiciary must respect the citizenship status held by the family in 1947 when assessing restitution claims.