Kryštof Harant of Polžice and Bezdružice was a courtier and diplomat, author of travelogues, musician.
Kryštof Harant of Polžice and Bezdružice came from an old, wealthy aristocratic family. His father held various positions in provincial offices. Kryštof Harant received a careful upbringing, partly from a home teacher, partly at a school in Pilsen.
From the age of twelve, Christopher Harant was brought up in Innsbruck at the court of Archduke Ferdinand II. Tyrol, later Emperor, where he came in 1576 at the request of his father. He learned Latin, Greek, Italian and German. He deepened his knowledge of geography, history, music and painting. He was also initiated into the secrets of politics, he also devoted himself to theology and natural sciences.
His social life, contacts with foreign guests and trips to Italy, on which he accompanied Ferdinand, laid the foundation for Harant’s passion for travel.
After returning to his homeland, probably after his father’s death, Kryštof Harant took over the administration of the family estates. In the years 1594 – 97 he took part in the anti-Turkish military campaign. Upon his return, his mother died and he together with his brother-in-law, the knight Heřman Černín of Chudenice , set out on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The journey led through Bavaria and Tyrol, to Italy, then to Crete, Cyprus, Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem and Egypt.
After his return in the autumn of 1599, Kryštof Harant stayed alternately at the Bělá fortress and in Pilsen, where he personally met Emperor Rudolf II. In 1600, Kryštof Harant was summoned to the Prague court, where he held high state functions and was promoted to the nobility.
The court environment was also conducive to the development of Harant’s composing art. After the death of Rudolf II, Kryštof Harant worked briefly in the service of the Matthias family.
In the years 1614 – 15, Christopher Harant was sent with a diplomatic message, from the then deceased Rudolf II, to Spain. It was the Order of the Golden Fleece and was received at the Spanish court by Margaret of Austria, the wife of the Spanish King Philip III. He allegedly described his journey through Western Europe – Germany, the Netherlands and France – in a German travelogue, the manuscript of which has not been preserved.
After returning to Bohemia, Kryštof Harant left the Habsburg service. He lived in Pecka Castle, which he acquired in 1603 by his second marriage to Anna Saloména Hradišťská. He devoted himself to farming, literature and especially music.
Kryštof Harant of Polžice and Bezdružice took part in the uprising of the estates and Frederick of the Palatinate appointed him privy councillor and president of the Czech Chamber. In the persecution after the White Mountain , Kryštof Harant was deprived of his property and executed on June 21, 1621 on the Old Town Square in Prague.
The work of Kryštof Harant of Polžice and Bezdružice:
A journey from the Kingdom of Bohemia to Venice, from there by sea to the Holy Land, the Land of Judea and further to Egypt and the great city of Cairo, then to Mount Oreb, Sinai and St. Catherine. Catherine, located in barren Arabia – published in 1608, travelogue. The first part follows the journey to Jerusalem, the second its conclusion. The book shows how thoroughly Kryštof Harant prepared for the journey, as he comments on the encounter with places related to ancient culture very extensively. The author is a witty judge and a good observer. The whole travelogue is accompanied by one hundred and fifty of his own drawings.
As a composer, Kryštof Harant of Polžice and Bezdružice is one of the representatives of Czech Renaissance music.
