Simonova villa in Hejnice is among the monuments, the city wants to build a library there

Hejnice - The more than a century-old classicist villa of Emil Simon with elements of art deco in Hejnice, Liberec Region, has newly become a cultural monument. It served for the longest time as a kindergarten, and now it houses Ukrainian refugees. The mayor of Hejnice, Jaroslav Demčák (For Better Hejnice), told ČTK today that they want to transform the villa into a multifunctional facility with a library, community center, and use the attic for accommodation in the summer.

"To say when this will happen would be divination," the mayor stated. The town has only completed a study so far and will now have a construction-technical survey done.

The city itself sought the inclusion of the villa among the monuments, although, according to the mayor, this complicates and increases the costs of reconstruction. "On the one hand, it's recognition that there is a significant building here and that there is an opportunity to obtain a grant for reconstruction. On the other hand, it is a huge commitment in that any reconstruction must comply with heritage regulations, which means an increase in budget that the grant will not cover," the mayor said. The costs of reconstructing the villa are estimated at 30 to 60 million crowns.

The villa was built in 1917 according to the design of Rudolf Bitzan for Eduard Fritsch, the owner of the mechanical weaving factory Fritsch & Co. Four years later, the object with an extensive plot was purchased by the industrialist Emil Simon. The last modification in the spirit of art deco occurred after 1935 when the villa was bought from Simon by the Jablonec exporter Carl Witt. After 1945, the villa served as a kindergarten until 2021. "The villa built according to Rudolf Bitzan's plans with later construction modifications exceeds its architectural qualities beyond the borders of the town and ranks among the most interesting buildings in the wider region, which has been preserved in a very authentic state." said Petra Šternová from the National Heritage Institute in Liberec.

The house is in relatively good condition, but its state is deteriorated by groundwater, with humidity issues especially in the basement. "The two most valuable upper floors are untouched. However, the house is ripe for a complete renovation of the utilities – water, electricity, sewage, and heating," Demčák added.

The city's plan is to use the basement as a service apartment for the property manager. The library should be on the first floor, with a librarian's desk in the hall, the former winter garden transformed into a reading corner, shelves with books in the former dining room, and a storage room in the original bedroom. The second floor is intended to serve as a meeting space for exhibitions, lectures, concerts, or workshops, and the attic could be divided into three rooms for summer accommodation.

For the three-thousand-strong Hejnice, this is not the only cultural monument. The most valuable is the baroque basilica of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, which is listed among national cultural monuments.