The first written mention about the castle comes from the year 1297, when a bishop from Olomouc named Dětřich from Hradec made an agreement about Polish – Moravian borders with a prince from Těšín named Měšek here, in the presence of Polish prince Boleslav. It was agreed, that the both sides of the agreement will built frontiers on their banks of Ostravice, which will be determining the borders in the future, in case the river flow would change.
In 1508, Jan Sedlnický from Choltice obtained the castle and the entire estate after he bought it from Václav Hřivnáč for 5330 Hungarian gold. Jan Sedlnický rebuilt the castle into a renessaince castle during the 1530s and 1540s. Cannon bastion was added to the original walls of the castle – the loopholes in the northern part of the castle walls have been preserved to this day. The palace part was expanded including residential and economic buildings. The Castle chapel and The Knight hall were built.
The castle was scarred by the Thirty Years' War – it was devastated by Italians, Danes and Swedes. The castle was rebuilt into a military fortress due to the danger from the Turks in 1660s but in the end the fortress wasn’t needed.
Count Jindřich Vilém Wilczek, a famous Austrian chieftain and diplomat bought the castle in 1714. After the discovery of coal in 1763, the Wilczkové became barons of coal and decided to devastate the castle, which was already scarred by the coal mining. According to preserved report from 1804, the castle was almost deserted. In 1840, a fire broke out in the farmyard which supposedly destroyed the castle – it was already described as a ruin with offices and flats at that time. The place of the original hall was used to expand the castle brewery. During the demolition of The Knight Hall, a cellar with a stone table with benches, iron arrows and swords was supposedly found.
Devastation of the castle was also supported by the air bombardment of Ostrava in 1944. The bombs fell in close proximity to the castle and destroyed its remaining parts. After the liberation in 1945, the state took over the administration of the castle and other possesions of the Wilczkové based on the nationalization decrees. The ruin of the castle was in possesion of the mine Trojice until the year 1958, when the District National Committee took over the administration of the castle. Mining under the castle continued until the start of 1960s. Due to that the castle dropped by 16 metres.
In the year 1998 the City of Ostrava exercised its pre-emption right and acquired the castle into its property. Its administration was entrusted to the company Ostravké výstavy (today Černá louka). After the necessary reconstruction, the castle was opened for public in 2004. Until now, only the ruins of a part of the castle palace, a small part of the fortification walls and the entrance Renaissance gate with a tower have been preserved. No building has been preserved from the chateau.
After reconstruction, the Silesian Ostrava Castle became one of the most popular tourist destinations in Ostrava. Numerous cultural and social events take place in and around the castle, such as Majáles, Festival v ulicích, Letní shakespearovské slavnosti, Jazz Open and many more. Thanks to its location at the intersection of popular cycling paths, the castle is destined to become a sought-after excursion place offering visitors not only relaxation but also insight into Ostrava's history in attractive exhibitions.
