The forge, which narrowly escaped demolition, hid a surprise in the turret

The forge, which narrowly escaped demolition, hid a surprise in the turret

"It was really unexpected and a big surprise. There was a mine in the turret, from which the box literally fell out on us when the bell tower was lowered. None of us had any idea that something like this could be there," described Mayor David Drahoš.

So far, the locals have only discovered that a roll of documents is hidden in the box. But for the time being they are afraid to find out what these documents are for fear of their destruction. The municipality is therefore looking for an expert who could sensitively "unravel" and examine the damaged documents.

10 photos

"The damage is quite significant and we don't want to damage it even more by unprofessional handling. However, it is obvious at a glance that the documents are written and printed in German, that they are not handwritten," the mayor explained.

The tower was located in the northeastern part of the so-called Jihlava German language island. The arrival of the German population was related to the expansion of ore mining at the end of the 12th century. According to the census in 1910, 40,000 Germans and only about 12,000 Czechs lived in Jihlavsk. The disappearance of the Jihlava language island only occurred after the expulsion of the Germans after the Second World War. It is therefore very likely that the documents in the box will be at least 80 years old.

The local craftsmen will do whatever they can with their own help

The forge is a ground-floor walled and partially basement building with a rectangular floor plan. It was created after 1850 as a municipal granary, in 1879 it was converted into a school classroom and a teacher's apartment. From 1894, it was used not only for housing, but also as a forge.

However, the building has deteriorated significantly in recent decades. Only now has the municipality started its restoration with the help of a subsidy from the Ministry of Culture. By the end of autumn, the Věžnice management would like to have the roof repaired so that it does not leak into the building. The works will cost approximately 460,000 crowns. Of this, 250,000 will be paid by subsidies, part of the money will also go from the transparent account that Věžnice set up to save the building.

The forge that narrowly escaped demolition , hid a surprise in the turret

During the last few days, the supplier company, together with local volunteers, removed the original roof. "The roof and beams are not in such bad shape. We will clean the original bags and return them to their place, or replace the missing ones. We will also complete the construction of the shelter, which stood by the wall of the house, rotted and fell," says David Drahoš.

The municipality will also have the bell reassembled and place it in the roof. Local carpenters and tinsmiths will also participate in its production. "We want to do whatever we can with our own help to reduce costs as much as possible," said the mayor.

Coins and newsletter for future followers

When the belfry is finished, the Prisoners want to return the time capsule to it. He places current coins in it as well as a copy of the municipal newsletter.

Next year, Věžnice would like to focus on the restoration of windows and doors. They practically do not exist today. It would then be possible to close the building not only from above, but also from all sides. In the next stages, the walls, interiors and facade will also be restored. The aim of the village management is to transform the house into a blacksmith's exhibition supplemented by small thematic exhibitions.

The old forge was saved literally at twelve o'clock. The original intention of the municipality was to demolish the dilapidated ruin four years ago. A demolition order has already been issued.

However, before the energy companies could disconnect their networks, members of the Association for the Historic Polna, preservationists from Jihlava and employees of the National Monuments Institute (NPÚ) from Telč spoke. All of them pointed out to the village management how much value they actually have here.

According to the contract, the blacksmith had an obligation to ring the bell

"The historical, architectural and monumental value of the forge lies in its age, the authenticity of the preserved elements, the original layout, the multi-layered construction development and also in the combination of craft operations with the function of a rural belfry, " described Miloslav Záškoda from the Telč office of the NPÚ. Thanks to him, the building was declared a cultural monument.

The turret on the roof, which served as a bell tower, is unusual. The local blacksmith not only devoted himself to his work, but also took care of the bell ringing in Dolní Věžnica, which was still independent at the time.

"In 1936, a blacksmith bought the building from the municipality. Right in the contract, he had the obligation to ring the bell, for which he could use the municipal meadow," explained David Drahoš.

According to preservationists, the blacksmith's workshop itself is very valuable. It is separated from the living space, it had a separate entrance. The original equipment has been partially preserved in the workshop. For example, a brick hearth with a hole for connecting a bellows, a niche with shelves for tools and a massive ponk remained.

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