Care for land and forests

From the Middle Ages onwards the Order administered extensive lands in Bohemia and Moravia. On the territory of today's Czech Republic the Order of Malta historically owned commanderies, in effect large estates farmed by the knights of the Order, and it also looked after villages in which it built up farming. This laid the foundations of our tradition of caring for land and forests, above all managing them well in a sustainable way over the long term.

Today we look after 600 hectares of forest in Silesia and south-west Bohemia. In our forests we practise the time-tested selective cutting method, which is close to nature, supports the diversity of species and ages in the forest and so limits damage and clear-cut areas. Put simply, a forest managed this way resembles an original primeval forest, with the difference that old trees are not left to fall and rot but are felled individually in good time. We treat farmland with the same care: we lease it to local farmers on long-term leases and make sure its fertility is preserved.