<Muzeum na Jizerce> needs a complete renovation, it wants to raise money from donors

Kořenov – The museum in the settlement of Jizerka in the Jizera Mountains needs a complete renovation. Water is leaking into the roof, there is a crack in the granite base of the building, the beams are rotting, and the windows, doors, and floors need to be replaced. The museum aims to raise money for this from donors. The reconstruction of the 137-year-old building, owned by the non-profit organization Czech Union for Nature Conservation, is estimated to cost between ten and twelve million Czech crowns. The museum's curator, Pavel Byron, told ČTK that they would like to start the work within two years.

"We have already prepared all the necessary documentation, building permits, and everything related. And now we have set up a transparent account and will be reaching out to wealthy sponsors in the region," said Byron.

The museum curator currently does not see a chance of receiving any state funding and will not be pursuing European grants either. "We are a small private museum that earns its operating costs. So we cannot cover the project upfront with our money expecting to be reimbursed later. This is out of the question for us," added the curator.

The museum, located in the highest settlement of the Jizera Mountains, is visited by around 2,500 people annually. In addition to tours of permanent exhibitions focused on the history of settlement, glassmaking, and nature of the Jizera Mountains, it also attracts visitors with educational events, including observing the local dark sky area. Externally, the building from 1889 looks well-preserved, but according to Byron, it urgently needs repair.

"It is a 137-year-old wooden structure that has never been renovated except for a new roof in the 1990s. So up to the height of the windows, the beams all around are rotten, meaning they need to be replaced. The windows also need to be replaced, and the stone base on which the building stands needs repairing. A new gable roof is also necessary," he stated. The building also needs new sewage, moisture insulation, heat leak prevention, and interior repairs. According to Byron, they are not planning any major modernization for the exhibitions, but repairing the building will allow for year-round operation of the museum. Currently, it is open from May to October on weekends, and during the summer holidays, tourists can enter on weekdays as well.

The museum building was originally an elementary school. It was built during the peak of the once-glassmaking settlement, which had up to 450 inhabitants and now has around 20. This building served for children's education until 1962. After World War II, it also hosted the national committee and later became a grocery store, a recreational center, and a base for mountain rescue services. The Czech Union for Nature Conservation bought the building in 1989 and transformed it into a museum in 1994.