The collection of Priest Ambrož of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church

Introductory Word
The congregation of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church in Hradec Králové, built according to the design of architect Josef Gočár, is named after the significant Hussite priest Ambrosius, who is closely associated with Hradec Králové.
In the oldest preserved report about him, Vavřinec of Březová speaks of him as a priest at St. Spirit in 1419, and his activities can be traced until the fall of Hradec in Zikmund's hands in 1437.
The congregation itself (its narrowing shape and circular windows), as well as the entire area (the free-standing tower as a mast and the diocesan and parsonage buildings as a raised stern), resembles a boat sailing not only in the middle of the surrounding city buildings but also through various historical periods from the early Czechoslovakia up to the present day. The word congregation designates not only a building but also a living community of believers who have never stopped gathering here. There were times when this temple's boat resembled Noah's ark, which, in its isolation, faced the waters of the flood. However, now, thanks to God, we live again in a time when the deck of this boat is allowed and must be open. It is certainly not accidental that the little boat sailing through the sea of ages is one of the symbols of Christ's church. Thus, this temple also wants to be neither a lonely closed ark in the city's architecture nor in the lives of its inhabitants, but rather a needle of the compass pointing to Christ and a space (yes, in a way also that boat, that means of transport) for silence before God, for listening to His word, for the sacramental touch of His grace, and for mutual meetings.

The Establishment of the Religious Community of the Czechoslovak Church (Hussite) in Hradec Králové
The proclamation on the establishment of the Czechoslovak Church in Prague on January 8, 1920, also reached the people in the Hradec region. In the village of Holohlavy, there was a pastor, Brebis, who conducted Czech services, attended by many residents of Hradec. Their desire to bring Czech services to Hradec Králové resulted in the decision to establish a religious community of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church in Hradec Králové. The first meeting was called by brothers Josef Robi, Ladislav Černý, and Václav Tomek on June 24, 1921, at the inn "U České koruny," with 96 brothers and sisters in attendance. A preparatory committee was elected to organize services on July 6 in memory of M. Jan Hus and then prepare for the formal establishment of the religious community.
The services on July 6, 1921, were conducted by brother František Stejskal from Josefov in the overcrowded Evangelical church, which then became the place for regular Sunday services of the newly formed community. On September 11, 1921, a people's rally was organized in the square, where brother patriarch Karel Farský spoke. The independent Hradec religious community of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church was approved by a decree of the Ministry of Education and National Enlightenment on August 23, 1922. The founding general assembly of the Hradec religious community was held at the Industrial Museum in Hradec Králové on May 21, 1923. An elder council was elected, with brother Ladislav Černý becoming its chair and brother Stanislav Kordule being chosen as pastor. The office was initially in brother L. Černý's apartment on Mýtská Street, then in a rented apartment on Rettigová Street, and from 1928 in its own building on Nerudová Street. From this year onward, the religious community also temporarily used the lecture hall in this own parish building as a place of worship.

Construction and Opening of the Congregation
The elder council was preparing from the beginning of its activities for the construction of its own congregation. This intention was strengthened in 1925 by the election of Hradec Králové as the seat of the bishop and the East Bohemian diocesan council. In obtaining the land and designing the building, the religious community found itself in a very favorable period, during which the city council began a new regulation of the Elbe basin and instructed competing architects to suggest a suitable place for our congregation's construction. According to the proposal by professor Josef Gočár, which was recommended by the expert jury for execution, the chosen site became the area near the exit of Nerudova Street onto what was then Kollárova Street (now V Lipkách). The religious community exchanged the originally obtained plot at Karlova Street on the corner with Průmyslová Street for this newly proposed one and commissioned the architectural project from professor J. Gočár.
The chronicle of the religious community describes the project in the following words: “The main congregation was designed as a standalone building, close to which a bell tower will rise. The diocesan building, freely standing at the southern corner of the construction site, and the parsonage on the other corner are externally corresponding and symmetrically positioned. Their floor plan fully complies with the construction program and thus the designated need. The courtyard created between these two buildings and the congregation was chosen for the placement of a columbarium. The columbarium is located at the boundary with the street between the congregation and the diocesan house and between the congregation and the parsonage. Both parts are connected by arcades. The principle of practicality was perfectly adhered to in this project, using overall simple means. Decorative embellishments and imitations were omitted. There will be no imitation made of mortar, plaster, or other substitutes on the exterior of all buildings. Artistically, our construction will genuinely be a representation of the contemporary time. Despite its simplicity and practicality, the projected construction is not without purpose, devoid of vitality. The spatial regrouping of individual buildings, the colors of the materials, with the diocesan house and parsonage being of exposed red masonry and the congregation adorned with light reformist plaster - since it's constructed of reinforced concrete in its load-bearing components - will form a group that will delight the eyes of discerning individuals, untainted by frozen prejudices. And there will be more and more of those."
Since the project met all requirements, professor Gočár was tasked with preparing the construction plans, which were then approved by both the diocesan and central councils of the church. A construction department was also established, with Ing. Michálek as chair, Ing. Friedrich as vice-chair, and Ing. Voříšek as secretary. An application for a building permit was submitted, and a public competition for the execution of the construction was announced. Before a decision was made on assigning the construction, an expert supervisor, Ing. Viktor Lehovec, was elected, who, according to the chronicle's account, “always proved himself in the supervision as unbiased, impartial, conscientious, diligently attentive to the builder’s interests, and completely independent of the contractors." After the deadline for submission of bids closed, they were publicly opened, numerically reviewed, and forwarded to Ing. Lehovec for verification. After excluding the cheapest and the most expensive offers, it was decided to assign the construction, excluding the stonework, to the company of Josef Vyleťal. On July 23, 1926, a contract for the assignment of the construction was signed.
On August 8, 1926, a ceremony for laying the foundation stone was held with the participation of Bishop Gustav Adolf Procházka. It is worth mentioning from the foundational document placed in it: “The necessary funds for acquiring the building plot were secured both by donations and interest-free loans from our members. Let it be recorded for all time that mainly poor and less wealthy members of our national church willingly and enthusiastically contributed monetary gifts so that a dignified resting place for priest Ambrosius, formerly a Hussite priest and pastor at St. Spirit in Hradec Králové, could be built." The ceremonial laying of the foundation stone, besides the bishop and guests, was also performed by little Zdeněk Pražák, one of the first children baptized in this religious community.
Three years after the laying of the foundation stone, the congregation of priest Ambrosius was completed, and on September 22, 1929, a ceremony for its opening took place. A colorful and powerful procession set out from the Pražské Předměstí at nine o'clock, led by the national flag. Following it, sisters in national costumes carried a wreath, which was laid at the statue of T. G. Masaryk. Children in costumes and without costumes, music, 36 Hussite banners from religious communities, representatives of the central council, diocesan councils, elder councils, and other church members participated. The procession passed through the city and turned towards the congregation, where a large crowd was already awaiting. At ten o'clock, the official ceremony commenced with fanfares from Libuš and a welcoming speech by the then-chairman of the elder council, brother Václav Škoda. This was followed by a speech by brother deputy Ferdinand Prášek, and after his speech, brother bishop Stanislav Kordule ceremoniously opened the congregation. To the sound of the hymn “Ye who are the soldiers of God," the crowd led by brother patriarch G. A. Procházka entered the congregation, where brother patriarch conducted the ceremonial service. After the service, speeches were made by Minister Ing. B. Bečka, Mr. F. Cengr from the city council, Colonel MUDr. Švanda from the Unity of Žitava, YMCA, and the National Labor Party, brother pastor A. Novotný from the Czechoslovak Evangelical Church, Mr. Dr. J. Taussig from the Jewish religious community, Mr. Polák from the National Socialist Party, and others. The ceremony concluded at 1 p.m. with the playing of the national anthems.

Columbarium and "Little Hradec Slavín"
A significant part of the area of the congregation of priest Ambrosius is an extensive columbarium, which was completed even before the church building and ceremoniously opened on June 23, 1929. The first urns containing the remains of the deceased were placed there at the beginning of summer. In the first six years, the niches in the I. and II. order were rented, by 1940 the III. order was filled, and by the end of 1944, a third of the niches in the IV. order were filled. Relatives laid their deceased to rest there, regardless of political or religious affiliation. At the end of the 1940s, there were considerations of expanding the columbarium into the side spaces of the church, but the idea was abandoned. In the early 1950s, a new order and price list for the columbarium came into effect. Toward the end of the 1960s, however, the paving was crumbling, water was leaking through the worn-out gutters, and it was impossible to find craftsmen and materials for repairs. In the mid-1970s, the columbarium was freshly painted, and the most necessary repairs were made, but since the heating in the church and the facade were in a state of emergency at that time, it was more important to proceed with repairs there. A major general renovation of the columbarium took place on the brink of the 80s and 90s, during which it also underwent a visual transformation (the appearance of the niches was standardized - all have glass doors set in stainless steel frames), and the order was also tightened, prohibiting the placing of live flowers and open flames in the niches. In this condition, the columbarium remains to this day (its last painting was done in 2004) and is fully occupied.
Several prominent individuals have also found their final resting place there. Perhaps the most significant is JUDr. František Ulrich, a long-time mayor and builder of modern Hradec Králové. His name is attached to two anniversaries in this jubilee 80th year of our congregation, as he was born on February 6, 1859, and died on May 18, 1939 - thus the 150th anniversary of his birth and the 70th anniversary of his death.
We also owe a bit of thanks for our congregation to doctor František Ulrich because through him and his efforts to build a modern and beautiful city, architect Josef Gočár was approached, who not only worked on the urban concept of Hradec Králové but also designed the entire area of our congregation.
Close friends of Dr. Ulrich were two doctors whose remains are also placed in the columbarium near our congregation. They were MUDr. Josef Vanický and MUDr. Otakar Klumpar.
MUDr. Josef Vanický worked before World War I as a district doctor in Kukleny and on Moravské Předměstí. During and after the war, due to the hardships and malnutrition, tuberculosis flourished. Doctor Vanický thus fully dedicated himself to social health care and the treatment and prevention of tuberculosis after the war. A league against TB was founded in Hradec Králové, of which he was a member. In 1921, an anti-tuberculosis consultation was opened on Střelecká Street. Doctor Vanický led not only this consultation but also the one for preschool children, for pregnant women, and both sports and marriage consultations. A dental department with an outpatient clinic was also opened. He placed great emphasis on preventive anti-tuberculosis care for children. There are still some members among us who remember doctor Vanický as children from these preventive examinations and recall his kindness.
Another doctor and friend of František Ulrich was also the buried here MUDr. Otakar Klumpar. He was born on February 25, 1860. He studied medicine in Prague and worked in Hradec Králové from 1888, first as a practical and municipal doctor and obstetrician, and then, after the sudden death of doctor Potoček, he became the chief physician. He served in this role from 1897 to 1906. He was a humanitarian doctor and benefactor. He worked at the general and epidemiological hospital, oversaw the health and hygiene conditions of the city, had duties in therapeutic and preventive care, and endeavored to implement progressive ideas in politics, economy, education, and culture. Together with his friend JUDr. František Ulrich, he strived for the welfare and prosperity of the city, worked in many associations, and participated in the regulatory plan of the city. As a musician, he was active in the philharmonic. He died on December 3, 1915, at the age of 55, and his funeral was significant. Although the district office did not permit a Sokol procession, a Sokol guard stood by his coffin in the Sokol hall. The funeral speech was censored. Large crowds of people came to bid farewell to him, accompanying him to the station from where the coffin was transported to Žitava for cremation at the explicit wish of the deceased. This significant personality is also commemorated by the name of a street in the city center.
Among those who are placed in our columbarium, it is also appropriate to mention the personality of PhDr. Ladislav Brtnický, a gymnasium professor and one of the founders of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, who is interred here with his wife Anežka. Furthermore, there is the academic painter Vratislav Trampota and, last but not least, those who sacrificed their lives in World War II fighting against fascism, such as Karel Šimek, a twenty-three-year-old boy who was shot during a sabotage act against the German occupiers, and representatives of the Hradec Sokol. They were soon arrested by the Gestapo after the occupation and taken to concentration camps, where they died from the hardships of imprisonment. We remember them each year during the May service with gratitude for their courage and life stances with which they faced injustice and violence.
Finally, we should not forget the first elected pastor of this religious community and the second bishop of the East Bohemian diocese, who was already mentioned in connection with the establishment of the Hradec religious community of Czechoslovak Hussite Church and the construction of the congregation. He was brother Stanislav Kordule (born June 10, 1885, died December 2, 1940). The niche with his remains along with those of his wife is placed in the congregation of priest Ambrosius, under the pedestal of his bronze bust.