Publication details
Besední dům v Jihlavě a okolnosti jeho výstavby
| Title in English | Besední dům in Jihlava and the circumstances of its construction |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Vlastivědný sborník Vysočiny, oddíl věd společenských |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Keywords | history of architecture; neorenaissance; Jihlava; Besední dům; National house; Vojtěch Dvořák; Karl Welzl; Karel Stark st. |
| Description | In the 1890s, the Czechs of Jihlava managed to build a representative residence in a predominantly German town. However, this was preceded by disagreements between their leaders, the lawyers Karel Malát, who was a "young Czech" from the Moravian People's Party, and František Scheichl, who was an "old Czech" from the Moravian National Party. The funding was obtained by the Beseda Jihlava Winning Department through lottery luck. Winning the land lottery brought 36,020 gold coins, which together with donations made the construction of the Beseda House possible. However, there were also disagreements over the choice of land for the building. Scheichl preferred the site on today's nám. Svobody Street, Malat was against it and apparently favored the purchase of the so-called Sichrava's garden on today's ul. Jana Masaryka. In the end, however, the Winning Department purchased the first of the above-mentioned plots and ordered a project for a national house from Vojtěch Dvořák and Karel Welzl from Brno. Both architects, professors at the Brno School of Industry and pupils of Theophil Hansen, designed a neo-Renaissance palace with a facade decorated with pilasters and statues. However, due to a dispute with the building authority, the facade was simplified. Worse, however, was the fact that only half of the building was built due to lack of funds - the large ballroom with a stage, planned for the rear, was not built. The opening ceremony on 21 and 22 July 1894 was attended by prominent Czech politicians, old and young Czechs, from the Moravian Margraviate and the Kingdom of Bohemia, representatives of neighbouring towns and associations. Numerous toasts and musical performances took place and the two main representatives of the Jihlava Czechs, Malát and Scheichl, were reconciled. The Beseda, however, still planned to build a social hall and even procured plans and building permits for it. However, now, under Malát's leadership, it no longer intended to complete the building according to the plans of Dvořák and Welzl, but turned to the architect Karel Stark Sr. and the engineer Josef Rosenberg in Prague. The former then prepared a project for a new building not in the depth of the land behind the first one, but next to it, on the corner of nám. Svobody and Srázná Street. The ground floor was to be the Sokol gym, the first floor a social hall. However, the costs proved to be too high and, in addition, technological deficiencies were discovered in the already constructed building due to the inconsistency of the builder Robert Niklíček. The money was therefore spent on repairs instead of a new building, and also on the necessary facilities in the garden (gazebo, fridge, skittle alley, etc.) designed by the builder Josef Kubička. The magnificent plan of the Czechs from Jihlava was only half fulfilled. |
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