symmetries in the parking lot on our way to krnov.
visiting the czech republic was not a first time for me, but it had been maaaaany years since i last stepped foot into this country adjacent to germany. i was a wee kid back then, and my memories of that are spotty at best. only pictures of our time there in the 90ies are reminders and proof of our actual visit and a story that's been retold again and again over the years: me getting stung by a bee while licking icecream and the subsequent drama where czech women made a fuzz and wanted to call an ambulance, where in fact i just needed half an onion to put on the sting for soothing. there's a photo of me with a swollen upper lip looking miserable somewhere in my parent's many photo albums and everytime i stumble upon it i remember that sunny day in that random spa town in the mountains, licking my ice happily in one moment and then feeling the fuzzy body of the bee in my mouth and one second later the sting. it burned so much. i still cringe when i think about it. but i also chuckle a bit over it, so many years away from that time, especially when i think about those ladies running around like headless chickens, wanting to help the poor screaming child. and i think of my dad who calmed those women down, went to a fruit & vegetable stand and asked for a cut open onion, returned with it and shoved it into my mouth, in a way that was stoic as fuck. my dad is a hero, that's for sure. because i suckled on that onion for at least an hour and was mesmerized how fast it helped soothing the sting. he was a wizard to me.
i also remember forest walks through the czech mountains and visiting glorious spa towns ( i think we visited the region of the emperor's forest - slavkovsky les - which is a completely different region to what we visited last year ). i think the city we visited that faithful day was called karlovy vary ( which i actually want to revisit some day, this city is embedded into my mind as luxurious and beautiful ). also, i remember the horses near our hotel which my brother and i visited every day and had cuddling sessions with. but other than that, not much had stayed in mind ( due to being too young to actually appreciate the place we were having vacations in ).
the reason why we decided to take the leap and return back to the czech republic was the fact that my dad had been there in recent years very often because of work trips. before he retired last year he worked for an auto components producing company that had opened up a factory in the most northern part of the republic, in a city called krnov. this city is situated not far away from the high ash mountains ( hrubý jeseník ) near the polish border in a region called moravia-silesia. though it has always been of czech origin many germans lived here in the past centuries, occasionally and over many centuries moravia-silesia was even occupied by austria & germany. it was called jägerndorf for a very long time before czechoslowakia was declared an official country in 1918 and subsequently turned it to krnov.
my dad had often told us about the city and that he rarely had time to explore more of the region, because, of course, he was there for work reasons. he said that he had always wanted to see more, so it was decided that we make vacations in krnov for a week and see what the region had to offer to us. turns out it was quite a lot!
while moravia-silesia today is a rather remote region with meager population that was exactly what made it charming to me! i loved the little villages and towns stretched out over the low mountain range of the high ash mountains, some very hidden, some more imposing. there was so much history to uncover and architecture to gush over and nature to be explored! and it delivered big time. the fact that we visited at the end of october was also contributing to a memorable stay, as it meant that everything seemed more mysterious and magical, due to foggy and rainy days that also were interspersed with golden sunshine moments. i think back to this vacation with a very warm heart, as our interactions with the locals were also super friendly, despite not talking an ounce of the czech language and getting by with hands and feet and a little bit of english and some chance encounters with czech people who were eager to help out. also, the whole region holds a kind of fairy-tale spirit, with many castles and palaces hidden in tiny valleys and extensive dark and deep woods around the tallest mountain praděd.
we stayed at an old hotel in the city that has once been a villa to one of the many clothiers that made krnov well-known: the larischova villa. i can warmly recommend this little hotel to you, the woman who manages the property goes out of her way to ensure that you have a good time, despite us not understanding czech (we used google translator and a mishmash of english/german/russian ( XD ) words to communicate mostly ). the hotel was pretty quiet during the time we stayed ( they had some permanent residents, though, which we rarely saw, as the appartments all have their own kitchens and you could forgo the breakfast option if you wanted to ) so it felt like the whole villa was ours at times :) the appartments themselves were furnished with a mix of 70ies modern and contemporary interiors, but still maintained their old charm with high ceilings and bright windows. i lived in my own little appartment under the roof where i could stargaze at night or wake up to rain making soft sounds on the skylight. i felt really at home there and the view out of my skylight window was pretty neat, with several more villas surrounding the hotel, a perfect vista towards the colourful roof of the city hall and also a glimpse of one of the old clothier factories on the other side of the road.
krnov itself is a city that gained wealth mostly through weaving and textile manufacture, which seems to have been a lucrative profession, as you can find many remnants of those old days all throughout the city, such as glorious villas for the factory owners and huge textile factories, all built around the late 19th century/early 20th century. the textile business was around for a much longer time, though, dating back even to the medieval age. the history of the city was shaped through various quarrelings, such as the division of the region of silesia, which was once a huge region that encompassed parts of the czech republic, poland and a little bit of germany. this division alone made krnov a border town for centuries, but also a target for land disputes between germans, czech and even austrians ( who also counted themselves as the owners of silesia ). the end of the german history was set in motion during the czech revolution in 1918, stopped for a little when hitler occupied the city again in 1938 but continued after the second world war with huge internments of the german population and the consequent eviction out of czechia back to germany. during the world war most of the jewish families ( about 600 people ) living in krnov/jägerndorf were exiled, displaced and murdered, which is another sad chapter in the history of the city and one that is still vivid today, as a synagogue still is proof of jewish life in krnov.
while germans had been part of the city for centuries, and comprised about 90 % of the city population in 1930, when world war 2 ended, the history of the germans in krnov ended as well. today you can only find czech people, descendants of slowakian sinti & roma, and greek civil war refugees in the city.
as you can see it is quite a complicated history, and definitely not an easy one to tell for all the cultures that represent the fabric of the city.
learning about the problematic history of krnov had an impact on how i viewed the city, a city that entices with wonderful landmarks and a unique landscape, but also tells of the pain and despairs of generations past, which still carries on to today's society.
but enough of the deep stuff, let's dive into the first round of krnov impressions.
the city hall of krnov, which was built from 1901 to 1903 after plans by moritz hinträger. the tower ( which you can't see here ) is a copy of a different city hall tower near wien, in währing. adjacent to the city hall is another historic building, the savings bank from 1906-07. it was under construction while we were there, so i didn't take lots of photos of that building, which is a gorgeous art nouveau style house. there's a restaurant inside the bank building which we visited twice, and were served delicious meals in. the whole restaurant is a sight to behold as it is also full of art nouveau elements and transfers you back into the times where that style was en vogue. the bank building was designed by franz blasch, a krnovian architect.
here's the city hall in full glory with the beautiful clock tower and the scaffolded bank building on the left. the main plaza boasts more beautiful buildings, that i eventually captured as well. what surprised me in the country of the czech republic especially were the colours of the cities! everything was pretty much balanced out with pastel colours and it was a very nice sight! even the social housing units outside the old city core were painted in candy wrapper colours. in many more places we visited during our stay this fact came forward time and time again.
this is one of the little cupolas of the bank building. i tried to capture how the sun made the glass windows glow in autumn gold. i think i sort of succeeded?
the opava river is running its course through krnov. along the banks of the river the textile factories were placed ( as water was always an important component of the clothier profession ). most of the factories are vacant now, as the textile industry lost steam after the fall of the communist regime of russia in 1989 ( another puzzle piece of the city's history ). this was something that was very visible, all the huge factory buildings slowly crumbling and turning into ruins. for everyone interested into urban expeditions and abandoned buildings, this city actually is a blessing :)
these industrial landscapes were also dominant in the city, alongside the cotton candy coloured spaces i've mentioned before.
while it proves difficult to research the buildings i'm showing here, you can be pretty sure that whenever i post one of these old factory buildings you are seeing a former textile manufacture.
in the soukenická street not far away from the factory building the renovation difference was pretty apparent. many buildings still wore the grey and crumbled facades of the communist era ( where nothing much was done to preserve the old structures - something that happened in a lot of communist occupied countries - even in east germany as my mother told me ). but it seems like they slowly manage to restore the city to its former glory, as this peach-coloured building proves.
at the start of this post i talked about a building that is a remnant of the jewish population of krnov: the synagogue. it is a very rare monument in the moravian-silesian region, as most of the jewish buildings of worship were destroyed during the hitler occupation. the synagogue in krnov could only survive because some savy people decided to use it as a market hall, removing the symbols in and outside the building, before the nazis could detect that it was in fact a place of worship for the jewish people. jews had a big influence in the city prior to the occupation, some of the most prominent were industrials and helped the city prosper. today the synagogue is a museum, but also slowly returns to its original determination, offering prayer gatherings every friday and saturday. we didn't have a peak inside, it was closed when we passed by the building.
the neo-romanesque synagogue with moorish revival elements was built 1871 by ernst latzel. it is quite an unusual sight, totally different from the rest of the city's layout. it was inspired by the synagogues of sephardic jews who mainly lived on the iberian peninsula, but were scattered throughout the whole world due to displacement during the reconquista era.
the entry to the synagogue. i really liked the emblem above the portal.
this run down building could be found not far away from the synagogue. i think this also was formerly a textile factory.
exposed bricks.
another prominent building in krnov is the minorite monastery, which was a major player in the history of krnov. the minorites were not only good for religious life in the city but also provided schooling and education. the minorite denomination is still present in krnov, apparently you can walk into the brethren from time to time ( you can recognize them via their brown frock that is roped up with a white cord ). the convent was built anew after a big fire destroyed the old buildings in 1779 ( it existed officially since 1273 ) and now greets you with a baroque look.
the emblem above the door shows you the official symbol of the minorite brothers, two crossed arms and a cross. minorites are known for their three very asketic monastic rules: poverty, obediance and purity.
again, we didn't get to see the inside of this church ( we rarely stepped foot in any kind of church, which i now regret, but maybe there will come a time when we will return and we are able to have a closer look ). i do love visiting churches, but not because i am religious. i just like the silence and calmness of them, and the many beautiful art and interiors they have on display.
onto another church building ( they are a loooot of churches in krnov - even though the city only has about 23.000 inhabitants - there are 7 churches in total ). this is st. martin's, first built in 1281, but its current appearance partly stems from 1789 ( yes, it was also a victim of the great fire of 1779 ).
the two towers are not identical, as they were built in two different time periods. the one on the left with the gallery on top and the clock was later added to the original church ( 16th century ). it was called the city tower and was not for religious purposes, instead there lived a man that functioned as a constable who had to patrol on the gallery once an hour and make sure the city was not in danger. he had to announce possible threats like fires via carillon play or trumpet play.
the main window's glasswork was pretty lovely and even well visible from the outside.
found a little owl hanging around in a tree near st. martin's.
very close nearby st. martin's you can find this strange structure, called the swedish wall. it is the last preserved part of the old city walls that enveloped the old city core. it was named after the enemies during the 30 years' war, you guessed it, the swedes. it is an arcade wall with lunette pinnacles, and it was originally part of a corridor inside the garden of krnov castle ( yup, there's also a castle ), so basically more of a decorational element. in front of the wall you can see the neptune fountain, which wasn't ever meant to be placed in this area as it belonged to the castle of slezské rudoltice, but was sold off because the owner of that castle had money problems. the statue of neptune is only a remodel, the original can be found in nearby ostrava, a bigger city.
as the evening slowly rolled in it brought some wonderful sunset illuminations. the peaks of the church belfry of st. martin's.
and once again, more visible.
next to the swedish wall there are two school buildings, one of them being a gymnasium and one being an elementary school. this building belongs to the elementary school and looks actually more like the villa of a former industrial than a school building. i couldn't find info on this particular building, but i am pretty sure it wasn't always part of the elementary school, it looks way too old and way too prestigious to have been an educational building. the park right next to the elementary school was created when the old city walls were torn down in 1870ies. the old defensive moats were filled in, thus allowing a little park to be constructed, the smetana park ( named after the famous composer bedrich smetana ).
this device is a weather station that records temperatures, air humidity, and barometric pressures. it was put together and assembled inside the smetana park around 1890 and still works today ( has been restored in 2018 ).
next to the gymnasium and the elementary school you can find the policlinic of krnov, another time-honoured building in the city. it was built from 1922 to 1924 by architects anton köstler & eugen koch and was actually home to the local health insurance company. these days it's a health care center. the little turret is a replica of the old renaissance city hall, that was torn down in 1900.
when you reach the policlinic you also reach the north-west border of the old town towards newer parts of the city where you can find a district that probably was built in the communist era. you can find lots of residential areas there, mainly panel flats. if you look closer you can still find some design elements of socialist architecture as well, such as this fence! unfortunately it wasn't in a very good shape anymore, but i still loved it <3 am="" and="" at="" elements="" geometric="" head="" heels="" i="" me="" nbsp="" over="" p="" some="" throw="">
and a close-up.
i discovered these cute kitten murals on one of those panel flat buildings and you can probably imagine that i squealed a bit :3
the pastel colouration continued in the younger districts of krnov. these buildings are so typical for socialist architecture, and while they don't look like much when they're in their usual concrete gray state, they can be enhanced, either with colour-blocking paints or, like the cats above, with murals. it's this what makes them so appealing to me then, because if done right, you can enliven and brighten these panel flats in numerous ways, like a canvas. i think there's so much potential in these frowned upon concrete blocks.
in the area where the panel flats can be found there is another church, the evangelical church of the bohemian friars. the neo-gothic exterior tells you that this one is not a product of the communist era, but was built around the turn of the millenium, from 1901 to 1903. the design used was from a certain franz blasch ( if you read attentively you recognize this name from earlier - he was the architect for the bank building next to the city hall ). franz blasch was employed under another architect you will recognize, ernst latzel - who was a household figure in krnov, building several prestigious buildings in the city. he was also responsible for the synagogue, remember?
on the other side of the street is a building that is in full contrast to the church, the city theater. built from 1927 to 1929 it is an example of the more linear line of expressionist architecture, it reminded me a lot of art deco, but not as monumental, more streamlined. the architect for this remarkable building with the diamond gables was leo kammel, who was born in czechia, but had an austrian heritage. it still is used as a theater today, and apparently has a pretty neat interior, too.
on our way back to the hotel the night dropped on us and illuminated some streets in an interesting way. this colonnade intrigued me because of the wonderful mosaic relief on the walls. the building looked pretty empty to me, but apparently there's a textile store inside. the architecture screamed socialist realism to me, and behold, it was indeed built during the communist era, in 1983 to be exact, as a one-level shopping center.
a better look at the marvelous mosaic.
i hope this first peak of krnov arose some interest and gave you an insight into its history.
stay tuned for more!
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