In Jablonec, they began clearing tons of waste from the summer unused city baths

Jablonec nad Nisou - Tons of waste were removed today from the long-unused city baths building in Jablonec nad Nisou by public works employees. They will continue working on Monday. The city hall wants to save the dilapidated building, and the city leadership is considering restoring the spa operation there, so they will have a feasibility study prepared. It should show how much the restoration of the baths will cost and how much the annual operation would be, said Mayor Miloš Vele (ODS) to ČTK.

Volunteers cleared the baths building six years ago, organizing concerts and other events there. "Back then, it probably wasn't completely cleared because we found remnants of the former operator here. Of course, over the years, there were also instances of break-ins. Homeless people have lived here, and we even found syringes down below. Once we clear the building, we need to secure it electronically. There is no electricity here, but we need to provide some temporary supply and start monitoring it," added Vele.

The baths in the city center were built between 1908 and 1909 according to the project of architect Rudolf Hemmrich, who is also the author of the baths building in Nové Město pod Smrkem and designed the church in nearby Loučná as well as the observation towers on Černá Studnice, Bramberk, and in Proseč. The baths were one of the first larger buildings that Jablonec financed the construction of. The appearance of the building was significantly altered by insensitive modifications in the 1960s, when it lost its exterior stucco decoration. However, the original documentation has been preserved, along with many original elements like windows, doors, and flooring.

In the past, there were several attempts to revive the baths, the furthest along were plans to convert it into a city library, a proposal emerged to build a rehabilitation center for seniors there or studios for the University of Liberec. However, nothing was realized. "We would like to finally do something with the baths; it has really been a long time since they closed and they spoil the city, even though it is a beautiful cultural monument right in the city center. We believe that a building that was built for a specific purpose should serve that purpose," said Deputy Mayor Jana Hamplová (Mayors for Liberec Region).

If the council supports the intention, the building should be returned to its original form as much as possible. "We must also respect the fact that it is a heritage-protected object and the preservationists will want it to be returned to its original condition, and I think the building deserves restoration to its original form," said Mayor Vele. After the reconstruction, the building could again serve as a spa and relaxation center with additional services, but also perhaps for swimming lessons since the swimming pool is not sufficient in capacity.