His cathedral presbytery built between 1616 and 1618 represents the very beginning of Baroque architecture in the Czech lands. During his time as bishop and through his significant contribution, however, religious freedom was finally lost in all Moravian royal cities including Olomouc. Non-Catholics returned to the city council only briefly, supported by a delegation of the Estates in 1619.

In February 1620, Olomouc burghers along with Moravian Estates paid homage to the "winter king" Frederick, Elector Palatine. At the same time the action against the Holešov priest Jan Sarkander took place. The priest was accused of treason and conspiracy with the Polish army, which had pulled out to Moravia to help the Emperor Ferdinand. He denied the allegation even under torture and died from his injuries on March 17th 1620. Many years later, in 1993, John Sarkander was declared saint by Pope Pope John Paul II. The canonization process took place two years later, right in Olomouc.

Thirty Years' War

Events snowballed after the defeat of the Bohemian and Moravian Estates in the Battle of White Mountain. Olomouc was occupied without resistance by the Imperial Army on January 11th 1621. Soon afterwards the town council got under catholics loyal to the Emperor. Margrave Jan Jiří of Krnov unsuccessfully tried to conquer the city in the same year. In 1642, the legend of the impregnable city was, however, destroyed after a four-day siege by the Swedish army, led by General Lennart Torstenson. The city capitulated probably not only because of the vain waiting for a military help from imperial troops, but also due to the poor state of the city fortifications. Swedish troops were subsequently busy engaged in the construction of new Olomouc fortifications. Tried by war, Olomouc endured still more unsuccessful sieges by the Imperial forces in the years 1642-1644. The Swedes liked Olomouc so much that they stayed eight long years and did not leave until war reparations had been paid in 1650.

The situation in the city after their departure was aptly described by Imperial Commissioner Jan Jakardovský of Sudice: “Before the Swedes' arrival there were 700 family, aristocratic and clerical houses in the city of Olomouc, and now out of 77 aristocratic and clerical houses only 23 have been left habitable, 18 are partly destroyed and 36 completely destroyed. Out of 623 family houses only 145 have been left habitable, 242 half-destroyed and 236 completely destroyed. Before 1640 there were more than 30,000 inhabitants, and now there are no more than 1675.”

The very existence of the former proud royal city was in jeopardy now. The Imperial commander Raimund Montecuccoli even suggested to the emperor that the city should be demolished. Fortunately this proposal was not implemented. Perhaps due to the pride of the common as well as aristocratic citizens of the city, perhaps due to an unbroken cultural tradition, maybe because of these and other reasons, Olomouc managed to survive. And not only that.

Baroque bloom

After several decades, a new imposing city arose. This was largely due to the effort of the art-loving Olomouc Bishop Karl II of Liechtenstein-Castelcorno. Thanks to his endeavour, many buildings were designed by Italian architects, who also worked for the Vienna court. The Bishop brought to Olomouc a number of sculptors, painters and plasterers. Talented artists worked on building sites of the Premonstratensians, the Dominicans and others.

After 1655, when Emperor Ferdinand III declared Olomouc a fortress town, a gradual construction of new baroque town fortifications was under way. This was accomplished in the Theresian period in 1742-1756. The fortress was able to demonstrate strength only once, namely in 1758, when it withstood a siege by Prussian troops, with contribution of the famous General Laudon. Since this famous event, no other army has bothered to capture the city (after all the fortress could get simply bypassed ...). Even so, the event from 1758 was glorified and, in the same year, the Empress upgraded the city’s coat of arms and promoted the fortress commander to Field Marshall. In 1762 she confirmed the town’s privilege to use the title of Royal Capital City.

The whole 18th century was more than rich with important events. Aside from the wounds which Olomouc suffered at its beginning - a huge fire in 1709 and the plague of 1713-1715 -many nicer events took place. In 1746, for example, Baron Josef Petráš founded the first Scientific Society in the Austrian Empire called "Societas incognitorum“ in Olomouc. In 1770 a permanent theater was established in the city. Of great importance was the elevation of the Olomouc Diocese to an Archdiocese in 1777. During his stay in Olomouc in 1767, the eleven year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed his Symphony No.6 in F major. Somewhat less enjoyable was the stay for the French General J. P. Lafayette, who spent the years 1794-1797 imprisoned in the fortress casemates.

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