Baron George Haas II...

With his saturnine eyes & turn of lip, I can easily imagine the dynamic & sensual Baron George Haas II- a bon vivant...living it up in the early 20th century. He is said to have loved well & have been well-loved...with loads of mistresses, friends & the rare ability to mingle elegantly with the lower classes. This garnered him that which is rarely achieved- respect. He had it in spades from the townspeople, his tenants, staff & peers, he had it from his pets. This says a great deal about the man! It is said he could be found at the village pub, beer in-hand, perhaps discussing his beloved dogs, his lioness, politics, art, farming & nearly anything else of merit. For me, he looks the part of Vronsky...Tolstoy's male counter-part to Anna Karenina's febrile & of-the-planet lust for earthly pleasures & the tangible.
Whatever the case, he could not bear to never gaze upon his pets again after their departures...& thusly had them taxidermied. They remain in the castle to this day, where visitors abound!
Where does the beautiful Baron Haas roam? A hunting trail? His rooms? A hallowed ground? Tis Halloween. Perhaps he will visit my dreams.

Excerpted from an article of Jan Velinger's construction, titled "Bitov Castle & It's Last Eccentric Owner Baron Haas""Georg Haas was an eccentric a baron as they come. But, for all his quirks, he did put the castle to good use. He designed a magnificent zoo, unique for its time, with terrariums, bird cages, and various paddocks that he filled with exotic creatures from around the world, some of which, yes, were later stuffed.
But, the creature that held the greatest place in his heart - alive - was a lioness. Amazingly, the baron had her shipped to Bohemia, and that's not all: the story goes that he and the big cat lunched together everyday.
The lioness, who believe it or not was named Mietzi-Mausi, liked to chew on visitors' shoes. In a way, what could have been appropriate than a Czech lion - a symbol of Czech statehood - but, under such conditions what could also be more bizarre?
Still, despite his weirdness Baron Haas was well-liked in the region: the locals with whom he mingled, if not the nobility. He often picked up the tab at the local pubs. He was in every sense of the word, a bon vivant: he had a huge love of life and records in the region show, a very healthy sexual appetite. Many village girls fell under his seductive eye.
But, ultimately Haas suffered a tragic fate: an antifascist during the Second World War, he was nevertheless an ethnic German: he was given 24 hours by Czech partisans to leave everything behind. By this time, aged 68, he was forced to depart on foot across the Austrian border. He was later found dead: he had shot himself."

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