Dům čp. 155 House

Welcome to Štramberk, where history in every corner touches the present. Right now, you're standing in the street of Zahuljí and there's a house standing in front of you with the number 150 and a half. At first glance, you may find it a modest construction, but it is in this simplicity that its true value and its magic lies. Look at him carefully. You see a walled, ground-floor house in front of you that has a clear rectangular shape. It's a building that's absorbed decades of local life into itself, and today it tells us a story about how housing in our regions changed. Feel the atmosphere of this street and imagine how people used to walk through here in other times, as their steps sounded along the way and what the rhythm of their days was.

Let us now stop at how this house came into being and in what historical context it stands. In order to understand today's form of house number 150-5, we must return in time much further than you might expect. The history of this particular place begins at the turn of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. At that time, it was not the walled house you see today, but the original grafted structure. The grafting was a common way of building at the time, because the wood was available and provided the necessary heat in our climate. In the year one thousand seven hundred ninety-nine here was built the first brick house, which was at that time a big step forward and a symbol of modernization. The current resemblance you observe dates back to a thousand eight hundred forty-five. It was this year that today's walled house was built, which replaced older wooden structures. This transition from wood to stone and bricks was not only a matter of fashion, but above all safety and durability. Walled houses were more resistant to fires that often caused disasters in densely built cities.

Now pay attention to the architecture itself and the details that you can see right in front of you. Note that this is a ground-floor building with a very regular rectangular plan. It is a clean and functional approach to construction, which in the middle of the nineteenth century was typical of utility and residential houses. Look below, to the foundation of the house. Note the tall stone suspect that is plastered. This part of the building is key because it protects the walls of the house from moisture from the soil and at the same time gives the whole building some stability and fluidity in the field. Even if we can't see inside, we can try to imagine how the space of the house is spread out. The layout is very simple and efficient. The house consists of a chamber, a hall and a scar. Imagine that hall as the heart of the house, a place where people would welcome each other and where the main movement would take place. The scar was a resting place and a family gathering, while the chamber was used to store food and things that had to remain cold and dark. It is an arrangement that reflects the practicality and needs of people from when they lived in close contact with nature and each room had a clearly defined purpose.

When we think about the people who designed this house or lived in it, we come across an interesting fact. The names of builders or specific personalities that would be connected to the house have remained hidden in time. We don't know the name of the architect who drew this floor plan or the names of the craftsmen who raised these walls in the year one thousand eight hundred forty-five. You may find it sad, but it's actually fascinating. This house is not a monument to a famous person, but a monument to ordinary man, craftsman and inhabitants of Štramberka. He's a silent witness to thousands of unwritten stories, family pleasures, worries and everyday work. It is this anonymity that makes house number 150-five an authentic example of the construction industry at the time. It's the mirror of a time when the quality of work spoke more than the author's name.

Here we come to the part that might interest you. You may be asking why a house this simple is protected as a cultural monument. Since the year one thousand nine hundred ninety-five, this building has been officially declared a cultural monument to the Czech Republic. In addition, the house is part of the town conservation. So why are we paying attention to this particular construction? The mystery and fascination here is the preservation of authenticity. Nowadays, when many old houses are being rebuilt, modernised or unfortunately demolished, the house number 150-5 is a rare testament to what real living in the middle of the nineteenth century looked like. He represents a transitory era where people parted with grafted cottages and welcomed brick houses. It is basically a stone that talks about the social and economic development of the whole region. When you look at it, you don't just see walls and plaster, but you see the courage of people to change their way of life and invest in something that should last generations.

Now that we are slowly finishing our stop at this house, I suggest you observe its line quietly and fit into the surrounding building of Zahulici Street. Try to imagine how light changed here during the day, how the shadows hit the plastered walls and how the house reacted to the changes in the seasons. This modest rectangular house reminds us that history is not only made up of great battles and royal courtyards, but mainly of small pieces of everyday life, of walls that protected us from frost, and of roofs that covered us from rain.

We now invite you to explore this wonderful city monument reservation. Štramberk has many more secrets up its sleeve and every other building you meet probably tells you a different story. Follow the details, observe the materials and let yourself drift through the atmosphere of this unique place. I hope a visit to house number 150-five helped you feel the spirit of the nineteenth century better and appreciate beauty in simplicity. I wish you a pleasant continuation of the journey and many new discoveries in the back streets and on the historic trips Štramberka. Goodbye.