Legend · České Budějovice
The ghost in Veit’s yard
Veit’s yard stood in the Prague suburb of České Budějovice, beyond the church of St Procopius and St John the Baptist. The owner once spent the night there to test the honesty of his servants. The door he had locked opened by itself in the night.
Veit’s yard stood in the Prague suburb. Its owner otherwise lived in the town, but once decided to spend the night in the yard. He wanted to test the diligence and honesty of his servants.
In the evening he went to the prepared room, locked the door and lay down. Hardly had he begun to doze when the door opened without a sound. On the threshold stood a woman dressed in black. She stood motionless and silently looked at the man in the bed.
The owner sprang up and rushed at her. As soon as he drew near, the figure vanished. He carefully closed the door again and returned to bed. Hardly had he lain down when the door opened once more and the same woman stood on the threshold. He rose and went to her. At his approach she vanished again.
He did not sleep that night. In the morning he asked the servants whether anyone had entered the room. No one admitted it, and the lock showed no force. From then on he preferred to sleep in town — and left the yard’s night to whoever opened the door.
How it really was
Veit’s or Vítkův yard, later Voříšek’s yard, was an attested suburban farmstead on the Prague suburb of České Budějovice with origins around the mid-14th century.
Veit’s yard is not invented. German Veithof, Czech Vítkův dvůr, was an attested suburban farmstead on the right bank of the Vltava, beyond the church of St Procopius and St John the Baptist in Staré Město. Its origins are placed roughly in the mid-fourteenth century; over the centuries it belonged to Budějovice patricians and other owners.
Later it was called Voříšek’s yard. The buildings are gone; only the area and the legend remain.
Where to follow the legend
Around the church of St Procopius and St John the Baptist, Staré Město, České Budějovice. The yard itself no longer stands.
Where we know it from
- Encyklopedie Českých Budějovic, heslo Voříškův dvůr (šosovní dvůr)
- KOVÁŘ, Daniel. Z dějin Voříškova dvora na Pražském předměstí Českých Budějovic. In: Staré Budějovice 4. České Budějovice, 2010, s. 115–127
- VOLLGRUBER, Franz Engelbert. Historický přehled budějovických pověstí; přepis a komentář Jihočeské vědecké knihovny, Kohoutí kříž