Reconstruction of the Jihlava Town Hall has entered its final phase

JIHLAVA - The reconstruction of the historic building of the Jihlava Town Hall has entered its final phase. There remains to lay the paving stones, install carpentry and blacksmith products, and complete the missing restoration work. New and refurbished windows have been installed, the building is heated, and craftsmen will be able to paint it. According to the spokesperson of the contracting company PSJ Holding, Miroslav Fuks, the reconstruction should be completed by April next year. In the new environment, the town hall is expected to start operating in the fall.
The reconstruction of the historic buildings of the Jihlava Town Hall began in the fall of 2003 and will cost approximately 110 million crowns in total. It included structural stabilization, replacement of internal installations, archaeological surveys, restoration work, and the modification of the courtyard section. In the spring, the façade will receive its final surface treatment.
After the reconstruction, people will enter the town hall through the main entrance from Masaryk Square. On the ground floor, they will find an extensive information center, a cash desk, and departments where they will be able to handle most matters. By removing partitions on the second floor, a unique four-nave Gothic hall has been created, which will be available for representative purposes.
Thanks to the reconstruction, a 315-year-old statue of the Immaculate Virgin Mary by the Italian sculptor Antonio Laghi has also found a new place. The two-ton sandstone statue is located in one of the halls on the first floor of the town hall. Its copy dominates the Marian column in Masaryk Square. For the past twenty years, the statue has been located on the ground floor of the Regional Gallery of Vysočina on Komenského Street.
Other valuable sculptures will adorn the relaxation zone in the courtyard section of the town hall. A set of four Baroque statues by Jan Václav Prchal, representing the allegories of the seasons, will be relocated here from Smetana Park.
During the reconstruction work, archaeologists discovered silver coins and pottery. They also uncovered remnants of the original wooden gable that collapsed during a fire. Above the ceremonial hall, builders revealed a Renaissance-carved ceiling, which, however, will not be accessible. In another room, they found a painted ceiling from the late 18th century, which, on the other hand, will be restored.
The town hall is one of the architectural gems of the city’s heritage reserve. According to historian Zdeněk Jaroš, it experienced its first significant test in the summer of 1436 with the conclusion of the Hussite Wars through the proclamation of the Basel Compacts. The town hall hosted Emperor Sigismund, Margrave Albert, legates of the council, and representatives of the Hussites. Subsequently, King Ladislav the Posthumous was also welcomed there. However, his successor George of Poděbrady was fiercely resisted by Jihlava: he entered its territory only after the devastating siege of the city.