Zprávy památkové péče 2015, 75(4):378-384

Initiatives for the preservation of the historical character of Litomyšl before the First World War

Anna Šubrtová

From the beginning of the 20th century, the small East Bohemian town of Litomyšl faced insensitive construction works in its historic areas which brought about an increasingly strong need to protect its historic environment and ancient character. Neither the scale nor the overall architectural design of the ostentatious new buildings, which had caused the demolition of historically and artistically valuable architectural monuments, corresponded to the architectural rhythm of the small town, thus necessitating the formation of heritage preservation associations.
The first to seize this initiative in Litomyšl was the local professor Karel Polesný, a member of the Club for Old Prague. He consulted his intentions for the preservation of the town's ancient character with his Prague colleagues Zdeněk Wirth and František Páta, who were associated both professionally and personally with Litomyšl, and who themselves had actively participated in the rescue of endangered Litomyšl buildings, whether through the institutionalization of new preservationist associations or through the publication of demonstrative articles in local and professional journals. Their main concern, the establishment of a branch of the Club for Old Prague in Litomyšl, ended in failure, however, due to the prevailing conservatism of the local citizens.
Despite this failure of the members of the Club for Old Prague, they continued to monitor the local events and fought against the demolition of buildings of a practically "commercial" nature (mill, riding school, wooden tub making facility, burgher houses), which they valued as distinctive heritage properties for the bourgeoisie and peasantry. They thus limited their work in contrast to previous "selective" preservationist practices which, in their efforts to protect old towns, focused only on isolated objects such as churches, aristocratic palaces, and occasionally town halls, thus leaving the rest of the town to the risks of ruthless modernization.

Keywords: Litomyšl, the Club for Old Prague, Karel Polesný, Zdeněk Wirth, František Páta

Published: December 1, 2015  Show citation