Dům čp. 47 (Kolín) House

Welcome to the heart of Cologne, the beautiful Charles Square. Right now, you're standing in front of the house with number 47. The first look at this building may interest you with its unusual proportions. Notice how relatively narrow the building is. It's not a coincidence or a result of later planning, but evidence of the deep history of this place. The house is situated on a narrow Gothic parcel, which is a typical sign of the medieval layout of the cities, where the space in the centre was very expensive and every few meters of the front width had a price.

Let us now look together at what has happened here over the centuries. The history of this place is full of dramatic breakthroughs. Imagine that in the year six hundred and forty-four hundred and seventeenth year, the city hit a big fire. It was a disaster that changed the face of many buildings, and it was this very house that burned down. For many years there was a house, but with time, it stopped meeting the needs of time. Many years later, in the year one thousand nine hundred and two, the old building was finally demolished to make room for something new to reflect the ambition and style of the early twentieth century.

Now pay attention to the very appearance of the building you see before you. It's a two-story city house that was completed in a thousand nine hundred and four. If you look at his facade, you'll see a fascinating blend of different styles. Architects who were unfamiliar, but very skillful, chose the approach they were in fashion at the time. The facade is eclectic, which means it combines elements from different periods. Look up to the top of the house. Note the Neo-Renaissance shield that gives the building some nobility and stability. At the same time, however, you will find finer Art Nouveau elements in the facade details, which are typical of the lighter and more decorative style of the time. It's kind of a dialogue between older traditions and modern trends back then.

But who was behind the creation of this house? Here comes a person who was very important to Cologne. The construction in the years one thousand nine hundred three to one thousand nine hundred four was built by the entrepreneur Antonín Sládek. Sládek was not only a man with an entrepreneurial spirit, but later became the mayor of our city. It is thanks to his vision that this building is standing here today, which at that time served primarily for housing. It's interesting to see how the functions of buildings in city centers change. While the heart of a family home was beating here, today, space is being used commercially, which means that there are companies or business establishments. Yet the house has retained its dignity and, by being protected as a cultural monument, its details remain preserved for future generations.

Now I want to take you to one real mystery that lies deep beneath your feet. While you see a modern house above the ground from the beginning of the twentieth century, under the surface there is a completely different world. There are preserved Gothic cellars under the building, which come from the end of the 13th century. Imagine the contrast. You stand on the surface of modern times, but only a few meters below you are walls that remember the time of knights and the first city walls. This combination of medieval foundation and modern facade makes house number 47 a unique piece of Cologne architecture. It's like a layered pie of history where each layer tells a different story about the people who lived and worked here.

When you look at the house now, try to imagine what the square looked like when Antonín Sládekto built it. People in sausages and long dresses, the sound of horse transport and the feeling of optimism that accompanied the first years of the new century. This house was a symbol of modernity and success back then. Today, it is a silent witness to a transformed city, which reminds us that even though buildings are burning or being torn down, the spirit of the place and the foundations on which it stands often persist for centuries.

The perception of such details helps us to better understand how Cologne evolved. A narrow plot, Gothic basements, fire from the seventeenth century and finally an ambitious building from the early twentieth century. All these elements meet here, before you.

Thank you for seeing me at this house. I hope you're interested in this short journey in time, and that you now see more than just an ordinary house with the number 47. Now we invite you to explore the beautiful Charles Square and the surrounding alleys, which contain other secrets. I wish you a pleasant continued walk through the city of Cologne. Goodbye.