Hrad Spilberk, in spite of its name "Hrad," or "castle," is really more an 18th-Century fort, as it was very gradually rebuilt in that century and to some extent the one preceding it. The original foundations, however, date to 1277, giving the site medieval heritage. It has actually had a number of uses over the years. Until 1959, it was a military base, and for the period of 1620-1855 it was also used as a prison, where a number of abuses were committed, especially against political prisoners. It reprised this role during World War I (1914-1918) and during the Nazi regime (1938-1945), when it also continued to serve as a barracks. Since 1959, the castle has been a museum. This is the main entrance to the walls, which surprisingly has a normal street number, visible on the right, property number in red and white, and street number (for orientation) in blue.