klínovec
Transkript
klínovec
REBIRTH OF THE KLÍNOVEC OBSERVATION TOWER Europäische Union. Europäischer Fond für regionale Entwicklung: Investition in Ihre Zukunft / Evropská unie. Evropský fond pro regionální rozvoj: Investice do vaší budoucnosti KLÍNOVEC ………From Past to Present ………. History With its summit at 1244 metres above sea level, Klínovec is the highest mountain of the Ore Mountains range. As early as the 16 century, Klínovec (known in German as Keilberg) was first mentioned by Johannes Mathesius, a parson in Jáchymov. The top of Klínovec became a popular trip destination in the early 19th century. The first observation tower was built at its top in 1817. It took the form of a simple wood pyramid allowing thanks to the deforestation of the mountain slopes, an unobstructed wide view of the surrounding area. In 1838-1868, the old observation tower gave way to a small gloriette used for observation particularly by spa guests from Karlovy Vary. The gloriette was established by two townsmen of Jáchymov, the post office director Florián Makasy and the innkeeper Petr Weigl1. However, the wood gloriette burnt down in 1868, leaving the mountain top without any observation structure for the next 15 years. In the 1870s, Richard Dotzauer founded the Central Committee to Support the Gainful Activities of the Residents of the Czech Ore Mountain Lands. It aimed at promoting and stimulating a variety of newly introduced forms of tourism, which already been well-proven and popular in the Harz mountains in Thuringia and in the Austrian Alps. Apart from providing access to romantic sites, tourism – an evergrowing industry of its time - was meant to bring some money to the rather poor mountain regions. When the Ore Mountain Association was established in Jáchymov in 1880, a decision was taken to build an observation tower atop the nearby Klínovec. In order to better promote this idea and encourage possible donors, a simple makeshift twostorey wood tower was built at the top within a week. Klínovec 1884 In 1882, the municipality of Jáchymov approved the cost-free use of the required land, along with the permission to extract the required stone and sand on site. In 1883, a limited contest was announced to call for observation tower plans. Only two contest participants are known: Plzeň-based businessman Johann Unger and Josef Peter from Kadaň, a prominent personality of the then Ore Mountain lands and a building contractor with 1 numerous contracts. The committee chose Mr. Peter's plan, and still the same year, precisely on 17 June 1883, he was awarded the contract to build an observation tower with a total budget of 3 300 guldens. The construction site was supervised by the then chairman of the Ore Mountain Association, Eduard Wenisch, and the chairing executive Anton Müller. Under difficult weather conditions, the stonework had been brought up to the level of the observation platform by 28 September 1883, to be finished the next summer in 1884. The new tower was consecrated in a ceremony of 3 August 1884 and was officially approved for use. The ceremony attracted a large gathering of people even from remote and far places. Compared to the initially approved budget, the actual construction costs soared to 4 300 guldens2. Klínovec 1886 It was already during the opening ceremony that the observation tower was compared to a provincial border guard tower. As a result, the general assembly of the association named the structure the Emperor Franz Joseph Observation Tower (Franz Josefs Aussichtsturm). The observation tower was designed as a 17m high polygonal (octahedron), five-storey tower with bare stonework that was covered with a pyramidal roof. On the top floor, short cantilevers (supporting stone blocks protruding from the wall) supported a lookout platform with an iron hand-rail. The lookout platform situated at 14 metres above the ground can be accessed by climbing 77 stone stairs that are wound counter-clockwise. The lookout platform is covered with a pyramidal roof. Individual floors, separated with contour cornices, originally contained regularly shaped windows, which featured semi-circular niches on the 1st floor. The windows on the other floors were rectangular. The receding part of the platform was later enclosed by larger windows that were built in so as to protect visitors from rough weather, in particular in winter. The windows were inserted between the pillars supporting the tower roof. Adjoining the tower in symmetry were single-storey wings covered with low wagon-headed roofs. These wings were used by tourists to stay away from rain or have snacks. Historical development of the structures between 1893 and 1990 In 1893 the growing flow of tourists necessitated the building of an annex to extend the existent inn hall. Therefore, the association had a single-storey stonework structure erected on the northern side of the tower, containing first an inn hall and then enlarged with a cellar in 1894. One of the older wings was converted into a kitchen, while the other became a guard's apartment. At a total cost of 2100 guldens, the adaptations were done by Karl Schöter, a building contractor from Jáchymov. In June 1897, a post office was established atop the Klínovec, dispatching over 7 000 consignments to Boží Dar only during the first summer of its operation. A leased line was installed on site in 1906. Until the late 19th century, the observation tower served as a destination of only one-day trips to the mountain top. Both the structure and its rather simple equipment could not provide for more. 2 Owing to the ever increasing demand by visitors to stay the night, the annex was extended in the summer of 1900 at a cost of 16 092 crowns. The extension was implemented by Johann Zettl, a carpenter from Boží Dar. Adjoining the northern side of the inn hall, an extra spacious hall was built, followed by a kitchen and nine guest rooms furnished one Klínovec 1905 floor above. The new hall was named Dotzauer hall in honour of R i c h a r d D o t z a u e r, a s t r o n g advocate of Ore Mountains tourism. A private well was dug next to the structure in 1902, and a water conduit was laid in 1910. Both the observation tower and the inn were operated in the summer season only. Relying on his understanding previous knowledge and experience from the Krkonoše mountains (Giant Mountains), in 1903 the chairman of the Central Association for the Ore Mountain Lands, J.R. Sobitschka (the owner of a glove factory in Loučná pod Klínovcem) decided to raise awareness of winter sports in the Ore Mountains. At that time, these were primarily sledding and riding horse-drawn sleighs. For this reason, a singlestorey stable accommodating eight horses was erected atop Klínovec, east of the tower, by the carpenter Johann Zettl. In 1906, following designs by the architect Franz Rehn from Jáchymov, an extra floor was built for the ski training of the military. The premises contained a large hall for ordinary ranks, a room for low-rank officers and a room for high-rank officers3. In honour of the 60th anniversary of Emperor Franz Joseph on the throne, J.R. Sobirtschka presented a plan to organize a Jubilee Exhibition to display the artwork and products of small businesses from the Bohemian part of the Ore Mountains. The exhibition was meant to be held Klínovec 1907 Klínovec, Jubilee Exhibition Klínovec 1908 right at the highest peak, i.e. on Klínovec. An exhibition hall was built in 1907, being commissioned to carpenter Johann Zettl from Boží Dar who employed the proven technology of hollow cement blocks with brick filling4. A splendid coffered ceiling was designed in the high hall on the ground floor, with individual coffers decorated by the renowned Ore Mountains artist, 3 Klínovec Gustav Zindel, a native from Radenov near Blatno. The twenty-six coffers feature coats of arms of mountain towns located on the Czech side of the Ore Mountains. Furthermore, there are the coats of arms of Karlovy Vary, Chomutov and Teplice. Each coffer and its heraldic design stood for a town represented in the exhibition with own local products. Adjoining the western corner of the hall, a roofed veranda was fitted to create a court protected from three sides and to serve as a refreshment zone for a large number of visitors. The ground on the southern side was leveled and turned into parking lot for carriages and early automobiles. The exhibition itself was opened on 1 June 1908 to much acclaim and proved to be a tremendous success. It was visited by 40 000 visitors and celebrities. Immediately after the event was over, the exhibition hall was converted into a restaurant hall and named “Jubilee Hall”. After 1918, it was renamed Sobitschka Hall. In order to link the kitchen in the main building with Dotzauer Hall, a connecting passage was built. In 1912, the chairman of the Ore Mountain Association, Emperor's counsel Anton Müller, called for the extension of the accommodation and catering facilities owned by the Association atop the Klínovec, as well as for a new kitchen, cellars, cloakroom and an extra floor to be fitted into the existent building in order to build more guest rooms. The construction project was implemented in the autumn of 1912 by Hugo Schöberl, a building contractor from Ostrov5. On the 1st floor and in the attic an additional structure was made of half-timbered stonework and lined with wood wainscoting. To improve thermal comfort in guest rooms, cork bricks Klínovec were supposed to be used. The kitchen was furnished with up-to-date equipment, of which a unique large stove was preserved to date. Once upgraded and opened in 1913, the hotel provided a total of 40 rooms accommodating 80 guests. There was also a stable for 35 horses and a parking garage for cars. Even after World War I the view of the Ore Mountain from the highest mountain, the Klínovec, retained its pre-war attraction. However, the condition of the individual buildings was affected by harsh climatic conditions. Thus substantial repairs were carried out as early as 1919. At the same time the whole tower was clad in wooden shingles. In the years to follow, the walls both in Sobitschka Hall and Dotzauer Hall were finished with wainscoting. The entrance to the tower was fitted with a hallway. The overall growth of tourism and the increasing popularity of winter sports made the Ore Mountain Association extend the Klínovec facilities even further. In 1927, an annex hall was built to adjoin the west gable of Sobitschka Hall. An additional space was built to accommodate a hairstyling studio, drying chamber, offices and other service rooms. Additional guest rooms were fitted into the top floors and the attic. The extension plan was designed by Franz Rehn, a builder from Jáchymov. The new wing was supposed to be a replica of the structure adjoining the tower on the eastern side. The linking space between the two halls, separated by sliding 4 Fichtelberg Klínovec glass walls, was converted into a private chapel. The extra structure behind Sobitschka Hall was used as a service area and comprised a kitchen, laundry and a boiler room. A small hall was built in front of the entrance to Sobitschka Hall6. In 1929, the south-eastern standalone structure of the original stables and the extra floor for guests burnt down. Like in previous years, reconstruction plans were designed by Franz Rehn. The new floor received two bay windows in the corners and, except for bay windows, it was clad in wood casing. A bar and three garages were on the ground floor. The first floor and the attic provided guest rooms. The new structure was connected with the main building next to the observation tower by means of a suspended indoor passage7. The total accommodation capacity of the hotel grew to 100 beds. At that time the inn was run by the Wohlrab family. It consisted of three large halls: Dotzauer Hall, Sobitschka Hall (originally Jubilee Hall) and Müller Hall. The latter was named after the longstanding chairman of the Ore Mountains Association in Jáchymov, Anton Müller. Downhill ski tracks and a sled track were designed on the slopes facing Jáchymov to cater to winter sport lovers. Facing Oberwiesenthal, a ski jump tower was commissioned in 1922. Just before World War II, the Klínovec hotel offered 112 beds. During World War II, the hotel served military purposes. It was confiscated shortly after 1945. After a failed attempt to restore the hotel it was operated by the army as a holiday resort between 1951 and 1960. This specific use was due to the restricted access to the area as Jáchymov was situated within an inaccessible zone of uranium extraction. Once Jáchymov's mines were closed down, the Klínovec observation tower was made accessible to the general public. Hotel and restaurant services were provided by the state-run company Restaurants and Dining Halls Karlovy Vary. In the 1970s, the observation tower stonework was stabilized on both sides with a concrete coat (a shotcrete coat was applied). This solution, however, accelerated the gradual in-depth disintegration of the stonework. Amidst the onset of TV broadcasting, a 80m high TV transmitter was erected atop Klínovec next to the buildings adjoining the observation tower. Consequently, the historic observation tower ceased to dominate the Ore Mountains horizon. In 1983 the whole site underwent the latest reconstruction work so far. After 1990 the whole area of Klínovec became the property of the municipality of Jáchymov that sold the entire site to Interconex, a.s. Litoměřice at CZK 18 million only one year later in 1991; the company promised to invest CZK 25,000,000 into the reconstruction of both the hotel and the observation tower. Once the purchase price was paid, the new owner resold the hotel and premises to other interested parties and the promised reconstruction project had never started. In the summer of 2003, one of the new owners - the Prague-based company Moon, a.s. stopped using the site, thus failing - much like all other post-communist owners - to ensure even the minimum maintenance throughout the commercial use of the grounds. This last owner approached the municipality of Jáchymov to enquire about the town's possible interest in the purchase of Klínovec as a whole; i.e. including the hotel compound, the observation tower, and the entire premises. When the municipality refused, the same offer was presented to the town of Boží Dar. After a series of negotiations and a review of requirements, 5 the town council of Boží Dar decided at its 17th plenary on 7 August 2003 that the entire compound would be bought by Služby Boží Dar s.r.o., a service company under complete control of the municipality. In that same year, repair and maintenance work started to the extent of the company's available funds. In the years 2003 to 2009, the overall costs amounted to CZK 6,589,000, less CZK 2,084,000 paid by the town of Boží Dar directly, and less CZK 4,505,000 paid by the service company. The town greatly appreciates the attitude of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the regional government of the Karlovy Vary Region, and the Klínovec Foundation whose combined contributions amounted to CZK 1,107,000. The structures at the mountain top were meant to undergo reconstruction in the years 2004 to 2008, with an approximate budget of CZK 250,000,000. A part of the required amount was supposed to be raised through a public fund-raising campaign announced by the Klínovec Foundation that was started by the municipality of Boží Dar with a starting capital of CZK 500,000 allotted from the municipal budget. In September 2004 the entire premises (both the hotel and the observation tower) was closed due to its dilapidated condition. At the same time, the repair of the staircase and the tower roof started. The reconstruction of the outside coat of the observation tower using a special plaster was scheduled for the spring of 2005. The opening of the tower to the public was planned for June 2005. However, shortly after the launch of the reconstruction project, the stonework of the tower turned out to have been disintegrated in depth beyond any repair. Thus, all construction work had to be stopped and static assessment was ordered. As a result, the tower had to be dismantled and rebuilt from original materials. Klínovec observation tower before reconstruction 15.3.2008 - Detailed view of the tower top 15.3.2008 - Detailed view of tower base The rebirth of Klínovec in the years 2012 and 2013 In 2009 the municipality of Boží Dar repurchased the observation tower from the company Služby Boží Dar s.r.o. Much effort has been taken ever since to restore the original appearance and fame of the Klínovec top. The town council of Boží Dar decided to carry out extensive gradual renovation and reconstruction in order to make the premises accessible to the public by 2013. Because of the large funds required, the way towards renovation was not smooth. Since the 1990s, the town of Boží Dar has been cooperating with two border communities in Saxony, Kurort Oberwiesenthal and Breitenbrunn. Thanks to the Phare CBC and INTERREG III A programmes this cooperation resulted in a number of successful projects. In order to save the Klínovec observation tower and to build access to it, the municipality of Boží Dar, jointly with the partner community of Breitenbrunn, filed two applications for grants from the CÍL 3/ZIEL 3 Programme to aid cross-border cooperation in 2007-2013 between the Czech Republic and the Free State of Saxony 2007-2013. Both project applications were approved and the grant 6 covered 90% of the eligible costs, whereas 85% was funded by the EU programme and 5% from the national budget of the Czech Republic. The observation tower became part of the project “Tourism Facilities and Infrastructure in the Central Ore Mountains Region - Phase 1”, which included the thorough reconstruction of the Klínovec observation tower, the reconstruction of the original access path to the top of Klínovec, and the extension of exhibits and facilities in the Museum of Local Geography in Boží Dar. The overall costs, including construction work and equipment, design preparation, on-site supervision, design supervision and project management amounted to over CZK 15 million. Construction work (comprehensive reconstruction of the observation tower, i.e. the gradual dismantling of individual stone segments, their labeling and storage for replacement) was performed in excellent quality by Chládek & Tintěra a.s., a company from Litoměřice and the tender winner for the general contractor. The entire construction project was supervised by a National heritage organization. Reconstruction of the observation tower started in the summer of 2012. The core structure of the tower was made of about 300 tonnes of materials, of which approximate 150 cubic metres of stonework had to be torn down. The progress of reconstruction was substantially affected by the finding that from its very beginning the observation tower showed a 60cm lateral displacement. This deflection was caused by Klínovec, 22.3.2010 the poor-quality foundation of the tower on a heterogeneous bed. Construction workers had to dismantle the tower stone by stone, each stone receiving a unique number. New tower foundations had to be built and the erection of the observation tower resembled a jigsaw puzzle of stones. Unsuitable stones were replaced with new ones. This procedure was implemented upon the approval of National Heritage authorities. Web cameras are installed along the top platform of the tower to record the real-time view of the surrounding area. The images are transmitted to the municipal website of Boží Dar (www.bozidar.eu, www.bozidar.cz). The ground floor rooms of the tower host a permanent exhibition concerning the history of the Klínovec observation tower, along with the images from the web cameras, something that is particularly appreciated by the people unable to climb the staircase to the lookout platform. As the the observation tower was rebuilt (actually a replica of the original tower), the narrow staircase passage to the historic tower top was preserved. In order to ensure the the best possible access by visitors to the Klínovec summit, the municipality of Boží Dar implemented a simultaneous second project, 7 Klínovec, 22.3.2010 Disintegrating stonework ‟Cross-border Transport Connectivity in the Central Ore Mountains Area - Phase 2”, funded from the CÍL 3/ ZIEL 3 Programme of cross-border cooperation. A substantial reconstruction took place on the road to the Klínovec from the junction to class II road between Boží Dar and Loučná pod Klínovcem. The original road surface widened to 6 metres of width. At the same time, in particular due to winter season issues, a 5.5 metre wide lane was built to allow car parking perpendicularly. The reconstruction also concerned the water Klínovec, 7.2.2009 supply utilities for the village of Klínovec and the distribution network for public lighting and power supplies. The construction was done starting the summer of 2012 by the tender winner, Vodohospodářské stavby Teplice s.r.o. The project progress both in these projects and the other projects implemented by the municipality of Boží Dar was regularly disclosed on the website www.bozidarsko.eu, and the website still allows to become familiar with them. The archive photographs taken in 2012 allow then to monitor how the observation tower was disappearing, and those taken in 2013 allow to see how it was restored to its current form. Speaking about the history and structural development of the Klínovec observation tower and hotel, we should also mention the highest mountain of the Saxon part of the Ore Mountains, the Fichtelberg (1213 metres above sea level) and a compound of buildings sitting on its summit. Both mountains and the structures erected on their summits have been traditionally considered twins located across the border, now nearly defunct, between the Czech Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany. The first structure on the top of the Fichtelberg was built slightly later than the stone observation tower on the Klínovec summit, in 1899, so that the highest summit on the German side did not lag behind. The original structure sat on the Fichtelberg summit until 1963, with certain modifications from 1910. The reason for a new mountain hotel was a fire that in that very 1963 destroyed the original structure. Much like in then communist Czechoslovakia, the authorities of East Germany (GDR) could hardly be bothered about how suitable it was to build a mountain hotel styled in socialist realism atop the highest mountain of the GDR. A modern socialist-style structure was commissioned in 1967. This hotel with flawed style and functionality became excessively costly to operate at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s. Thus, a decision was made to do a major reconstruction, that is, to take down the both the tower and a large portion of the hotel. The remnant of the 1967 structure was ultimately used to build the new one, strongly resembling of the original historic hotel. Once again, the Fichtelberg summit gained a respectable dominant element, and is a popular trip destination. For sure, everyone wishes that the same destiny awaits the highest mountain of the Czech part of the Ore Mountains, the Klínovec. It is a very challenging task, for the owner, or municipality of Boží Dar, as much as it is for the Karlovy Vary region and the Usti region, and for central 8 government agencies, in particular the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic. It is also a challenge for companies and individuals, to turn the Klínovec hotel compound again into a respected destination for stays for thousands of visitors from the Czech Republic and Germany as much as for visitors from further afar. The Klínovec summit, in particular the summit with the observation tower, is a major place of tourist interest in the Ore Mountains and in the entire Czech Republic. Let us wish all visitors that they enjoy a wide circular view from the observation tower platform. Looking towards the north-east, Děčínský Sněžník, Lusatian Mountains, Ještěd, rarely up to Sněžka (200 km); towards the east, Bohemian Central Uplands with the memorable mountain of Říp, Milešovka, the White Mountain in Prague,, sometimes even the Petřín observation tower; towards the south-east, the Doupov mountains: towards the south, Karlovy Vary, the Slavkov forest, Upper Palatine Forest and Bohemian Forest (with the Javor mountain there); towards the Klínovec, scaffolding assembly west, the western part of the Ore Mountains; and towards the north, the vast landscape of Saxony. Also we wish to welcome them back to us in the Ore Mount-ains; welcome everybody, and thank you for visiting us. 1 Müller A.: Die Entwicklung der Keilbergbauten. Der Keilberg, (The development of the Klínovec structures. The Klínovec mountain, 1927, page 2. Ibidem, pages 2-3. 3 Horský hotel Klínovec, stavebně historický průzkum (Mountain hotel Klínovec, a survey of construction history). SURPMO Praha (Ing. Marie Matějovičová, PhDr. Martin Ebel, PhDr. Luboš Lancinger), Praha 1993, page 7. 4 Ibidem, page 8. 5 L. Zeman: Architektura secese a Art Decó v Jáchymově a Ostrově. Stavitelé Franz Rehn a Hugo Schöberl. (Art Nouveau Architecture and Art Decó in Jáchymov and Ostrov) In: Historický sborník Karlovarska (Historical proceedings of Karlovy Vary area), VIII./2000, pages 69-93 6 State Regional Archive Karlovy Vary), district administration of Karlovy Vary, file 202, documents pertaining to the 1927 reconstruction of the Klínovec hotel 7 State Regional Archive Karlovy Vary), district administration of Karlovy Vary, file 202, documents pertaining to the 1930 reconstruction of the Klínovec hotel 2 9 13.7.2012 - Scaffolding just before completion, disassembled platform rail 10 1.8.2012 - Tower ready for dismantling 11 1.8.2012 - Pillar removal 12 6.8.2012 - Front view of demolition in progress 10.8.2012 - Demolition of the landing at +8.56 - front view 13 13.8.2012 - Demolition in progress 16.8.2012 - Timber framework of the adjacent structure with bricknogging above the first landing of the tower 14 CIRCULAR VIEW 15 16 16.8.2012 - Loose timber framing of the hotel part 17 23.8.2012 - Buttresses and the external brickwork of the tower were not structurally interconnected 23.8.2012 - Condition of the brickwork of the tower pillar is approx. at + 1.50 – among stones soil was used instead of mortar 18 30.8.2012 - Tower foundations were built of stone packing at an approx. depth of 1.2 m 6.9.2012 - Concrete bed under the observation tower foundation slab 19 25.9.2012 - Staircase brickwork 1.10.2012 - Turm-Treppenhaus von 0,00 zum ersten Traggerüst – ursprüngliche Stufen bestückt 20 8.10.2012 - Arched portal casing 29.10.2012 - Annex stonework with insulation boards up to the annular arch 21 16.5.2013 - Concreting tower body at + 5.20 22 25.5.2013 - Reinforcement in place and stonework of the octahedron floor of the observation tower 4.6.2013 - Work in progress 23 17.6.2013 - View of tower construction in progress 24 Observation tower on 2 July 2013 25 10.7.2013 - Top landing casing - boards at + 15.85 12.7.2013 - View of platform cantilevers in place 26 26.7.2013 - Tower roof before replacement 27 26.7.2013 - Observation tower under the roof 28 21.10.2013 - Overall view of the tower 29 19.10.2013 - Overall view of the tower phone: mobile phone: fax: +420 359 571 007: +420 603 539 020 +420 353 815 108 Opening hours: December - June July - August September - November 9.00 - 17.00 hod. 9.00 - 19.00 hod. 9.00 - 17.00 hod. In bad weather, the observation tower may be closed any time. The information will always be available from www.bozidar.cz; inquiries at phone number + 420 603 539 020 Published by the Town of Boží Dar on the occasion of the reopening of the observation tower at the top of Klínovec on October 28, 2013. www.bozi-dar.eu Written by: Jan Prudík, Mgr. Lubomír Zeman Historic photographs and drawings: Archiv města Boží Dar Photos from the years 2012 – 2013 by: Dušan Perník, Jan Prudík 30 REBIRTH OF THE KLÍNOVEC OBSERVATION TOWER Klínovec Boží Dar Praha Infocentrum 362 62 Boží Dar e.mail: [email protected], [email protected] www.bozidar.cz, www.bozidar.eu tel: + 420 359 571 007 mobil: + 420 603 539 020