The Minorite bastion was the main defensive element of the northeast corner of the Kadaň city fortifications. Up to 4 meters wide stone masonry, eight stations for fortress cannons and a firing field occupying the area from the Prunéřovská gate to the valley of the Bystřice river made it a separate fortress within the city fortifications.

Are you a fan of military and war history? In the past, the Minorite bastion served as one of the main defensive bastions in Kadan. The bastion is part of the second so-called parkán fortification belt, which was built during the 15th century. The rondel-type cannon bastion has stone masonry up to 4 meters wide in some places and used to house up to eight stations for heavy firearms, fortress cannons. The firing field of the bastion occupied the area from the Prunéřovská gate to the valley of the Bystřice river in the Špitálské suburb. Its name is derived from the adjacent former Minorite monastery of St. Michael from the first half of the 13th century, which is located in its immediate vicinity. The perimeter walls of the monastery then directly form part of the fortification belt, which is evident from their massive appearance to this day, and the corner of the monastery was also adapted, if necessary, as a separate defensive bastion. The former Minorite monastery is not the only historic building in the city that has been incorporated into the fortification system. Another example is the Chapel of the Rosary Brotherhood, which can be found behind the Dean’s Church of the Exaltation of St. Crisis. The Minorite bastion and the bastion in the monastery were then supplemented by a third bastion. This bastion is located in the area below the Minorite bastion and in the second half of the 19th century it served as a synagogue, which is why it is sometimes called the Jewish Temple. The system of these three bastions formed a unified fortification unit, to which additional protection was provided by a brick moat. The besiegers therefore did not have a great chance to penetrate the city from the northeast. which was incorporated into the fortification system. Another example is the Chapel of the Rosary Brotherhood, which can be found behind the Dean’s Church of the Exaltation of St. Crisis. The Minorite bastion and the bastion in the monastery were then supplemented by a third bastion. This bastion is located in the area below the Minorite bastion and in the second half of the 19th century it served as a synagogue, which is why it is sometimes called the Jewish Temple. The system of these three bastions formed a unified fortification unit, to which additional protection was provided by a brick moat. The besiegers therefore did not have a great chance to penetrate the city from the northeast. which was incorporated into the fortification system. Another example is the Chapel of the Rosary Brotherhood, which can be found behind the Dean’s Church of the Exaltation of St. Crisis. The Minorite bastion and the bastion in the monastery were then supplemented by a third bastion. This bastion is located in the area below the Minorite bastion and in the second half of the 19th century it served as a synagogue, which is why it is sometimes called the Jewish Temple. The system of these three bastions formed a unified fortification unit, to which additional protection was provided by a brick moat. The besiegers therefore did not have a great chance to penetrate the city from the northeast. The Minorite bastion and the bastion in the monastery were then supplemented by a third bastion. This bastion is located in the area below the Minorite bastion and in the second half of the 19th century it served as a synagogue, which is why it is sometimes called the Jewish Temple. The system of these three bastions formed a unified fortification unit, to which additional protection was provided by a brick moat. The besiegers therefore did not have a great chance to penetrate the city from the northeast. The Minorite bastion and the bastion in the monastery were then supplemented by a third bastion. This bastion is located in the area below the Minorite bastion and in the second half of the 19th century it served as a synagogue, which is why it is sometimes called the Jewish Temple. The system of these three bastions formed a unified fortification unit, to which additional protection was provided by a brick moat. The besiegers therefore did not have a great chance to penetrate the city from the northeast.

At the end of the 19th century, the Minorite bastion was sold to private ownership. In the 1990s, it underwent extensive renovations, acquired a new roof and served as a restaurant for several years. After that, it was rebuilt into a museum space, and since 2013, there has been an exposition of the Municipal Museum in Kadan called Militaria.

In the permanent exhibition you can not only see, but also try replicas of weapons and armor, there is even a model of a bunker, the so-called řopík, which were built during the 1930s and around Kadaň. Here you will learn everything related to the military and war history of the city, from the early Middle Ages to World War II.