In Jaroměř, the reconstruction of Wenke's house has begun

Jaroměř – In Jaroměř, located in the Náchod region, the reconstruction of the historical Wenke House, which currently houses a museum, has begun. The repairs also involve the adjacent building where the depots were located. The project's budget, including the construction of a new exhibition, is around 27 million crowns, most of which will be covered by a European grant. This was stated today by the museum director, Rudolf Havelka. During the reconstruction, the museum will be closed.

The construction site was handed over in November 2020, following a year of clearance work. "The repair of the basement areas of Wenke House and demolition works and landscaping in the courtyard have begun," Havelka told ČTK.

According to him, construction work should be completed by February 2022. If everything goes well, the museum could open to the public for the summer season of 2022, Havelka stated.

The main building of today's museum was constructed between 1910 and 1911 according to the design of architect Josef Gočár for businessman Josef Wenke. The Wenke family turned it into a department store. Before the war, they fell into debt, leading to the building being handed over to the city. The building, which is a national cultural monument, is set to undergo a complete replacement of utilities, including the installation of central heating, as well as some smaller construction modifications.

Wenke House was reconstructed in the 1980s. "It is therefore relatively in decent condition. For example, the non-original external glass facade will also be repaired, but it will not be a matter of restoration intervention. The main reconstruction concerns the adjacent older building, No. 91, which has never undergone reconstruction. There will be significantly more construction interventions, such as reinforcing the ceilings or replacing utilities," Havelka said.

The adjacent building dates back to the end of the 19th century and had previously housed depots and administrative offices for the museum. The Wenke family lived there. "A part of this building will newly be opened to the public; an educational room will be created from the attic, and an exhibition devoted to the papermaking production of the Wenke family will take place on the ground floor," Havelka told ČTK.

Construction work and landscaping will affect the courtyard, which will be made accessible to the public after the repairs. There will be play elements for children, a gazebo, and an accessible ramp for wheelchair users.

The Jaroměř museum is established by the city of Jaroměř. The museum in Jaroměř was founded in 1883 and is one of the oldest in the Czech Republic. The collections were first exhibited in the school building Na Ostrově in 1886. The museum acquired its own premises in 1946 in the former Wenke department store.