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In 1605, Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein brought the Order of the Merciful Brothers to Valtice, thus establishing the first convent of the Order in Central Europe. Construction of the convent on Lednická Street, which included a church and was to provide not only legal but also financial security for the institution, did not begin until 1662, during the reign of Karl Eusebius, under the patronage of his wife, Johanna Beatrix, and after more than fifty years of existence in temporary conditions. The rapid progress of construction was made possible not only by the support of the Liechtensteiners, but also by the growing need for health care for the population of Valtice. In 1668 an enlarged hospital with twelve beds was completed and three years later, the church dedicated to St. Augustine was completed. In 1675, Karl Eusebius established a foundation that set clear frameworks for the functioning of the convent. During the 17th and 18th centuries, minor works were carried out (roof alterations, extension of the pharmacy, acquisition of a new church organ), and when a plague epidemic struck Valtice in 1713, the prior Roman Schrott had have erected a statue of St. John of God to symbolize the protection of the town from the plague. In 1882, the exterior of the church was renovated, including the raising of the towers, and ten years later the reconstruction of the hospital was completed. The church was not only a spiritual centre, but also a place that reflected the history and tradition of the Order of the Merciful Brothers. Even today, its history remains part of the cultural and spiritual heritage of Valtice.
