Repair of the stained glass in the Opava House of Culture will begin around May

Opava - The stained glass in the House of Culture of Petr Bezruč in Opava will likely begin to be restored as early as this May. Dalibor Halátek (Change for Opava), the deputy mayor of Opava, told ČTK. The building, which belongs to the city and houses a library, the Chamber of Commerce, and a ceremonial hall, was declared a national cultural monument in February.

The original stained glass is more than 100 years old. It was created by the Opava painter Adolf Zdrazila, who collaborated with the architect of the building, Leopold Bauer, on several projects in Opava. The images depict women as symbols of crafts in Silesia. Halátek previously informed ČTK that the artistic window fillings are not in good condition. The metal connecting elements are damaged and will require repair. "We are currently preparing the plan. It still needs to be commented on by the heritage officials. Therefore, we do not yet know the exact date for the start of the repairs. In my opinion, it will probably be in May," estimates Halátek.

The government included the building from 1910, which originally served as the headquarters of the Opava Chamber of Commerce and Trade, on the list of National Cultural Monuments on February 20. The object was designed by the Vienna architect Leopold Bauer, who won a competition announced by the then Opava Chamber of Commerce and Trade. The project represents the transition from Art Nouveau and modernism to interwar classicism and historicism. The building itself was constructed between 1908 and 1910. It served its original purpose until 1949. After nationalization, it became the House of Awareness of Petr Bezruč. In the 1980s, the authorities renamed it the House of Culture of Petr Bezruč.

The interior's centerpiece is a massive marble double-winged staircase connecting the ground floor with the first floor. In the main hall of the building are Zdrazil's stained glass windows. Another Silesian artist, sculptor Josef Obeth, is the author of four sculptures above the main entrance to the building and 16 stone reliefs on the facade.