The reconstruction of the walls of the Baroque fortress Josefov in the Náchod region is in the final stage

Jaroměř – A vast reconstruction of the northeast section of the ramparts in the baroque fortress of Josefov in Jaroměř, Náchod district, is approximately 90 percent complete. The builders are finishing the reconstruction of the Bastion IV courtyard and are starting to repair the adjacent gap between the house and the rampart. Milan Libich, who is in charge of construction supervision, told ČTK. The reconstruction concerns about one-tenth of the fortifications around the fortress town, currently the largest project of its kind in Náchod.

"This is the last phase. The work is ahead of schedule. The construction company has a deadline until mid-next year but would like to finish this year, so we will see. The volume of work is increasing. Often, the wall seems to be in good condition, but once they start dismantling it, it turns out that it is not," Libich told ČTK. According to him, the deadline for completing the reconstruction is set for mid-2022.

The reconstruction will cost several million more due to work that was not originally planned. However, the entire project, including construction work, project documentation, and other matters, should not exceed 150 million crowns. Most of the costs will be covered by an EU grant.

The reconstruction of Ravelin XIII in the area where the Brutal Assault music festival takes place in the summer is complete, along with the repair of adjacent buildings and spaces. The courtyard between Bastion IX and Bastion IV has also been completed, as well as the exterior walkway of Bastion IV.

The reconstruction, which is divided into several phases and started in September 2019, aims to prevent further deterioration of the fortifications and rectify the emergency condition of the ramparts. It particularly concerns the bastions and walls, including sandstone cornices, filling openings, and gunpowder magazines. Plans include the removal of non-original sections of damaged masonry and features that were added later.

Interestingly, the builders use bricks made by hand using a special technology to ensure they resemble the original so-called "šancovky" as closely as possible in appearance and properties. This is because smaller and lower-quality bricks were often used for later masonry, along with substandard mortar.

The fortress town of Josefov is a designated urban monument reserve, and the town hall is gradually working on its restoration. The outer fortifications, known as the Upper Fortress, are on the indicative list of national cultural monuments. The fortress was created in 1780 at the initiative of Emperor Joseph II to protect the territorial borders from Prussia and was handed over as operational seven years later. It continued to modernize until 1850 when it experienced its greatest flourishing.