Dům čp. 6 (Heřmanice) House

Welcome to Hermanice, in the heart of the Frýdlant outpost, where time has stopped and where today you can feel the real atmosphere of the old countryside. You are standing in front of the house with number six, which is a silent but proud witness to the history of this region. If you look at it now, you will see a typical storey house, which in its form tells the story of how it was built in the past, how it was lived and how people tried to use the materials provided by the surrounding nature. It is a building that carries the calm of rural life and at the same time the craftsmanship of ancient generations. Now let's stop at when and how this house came into being. The year you must remember is eight hundred and seventeen. This is when the house was built. Imagine the world over 200 years ago when there were no modern machines or industrial materials. The builders were betting on a combination of different techniques. This house is not just an ordinary garb, but an interesting combination of several ways of construction. You will find here a combination of raked masonry, classical grafting and also walled elements. This mixture of materials was not random, but corresponded to the possibilities and needs of the inhabitants of the area at the time. Now that you know his age, let's focus our attention on the architecture itself and the details that you can see right in front of you. Notice the lower part of the house first. On the ground floor there is a grafted skylight, which was the main room of the house, the center of family life, where people gathered, cooked and rested. In addition, there are economic areas which were necessary for survival in the agricultural landscape. Take a careful look at the wood color at the grafting, notice that it is painted green, which gives the house a very specific and pleasant look. If you carry your eyes up, you'll see the first floor. Note that it is mostly covered by vertical wooden formwork. This element protects the interior of the house while creating an interesting visual contrast to the ground floor. The whole building ends with a saddle roof, which is covered with bags of the type of a giant. These small, rounded bags are typical of older buildings in our regions and provide a fine texture roof. Now I'd like to ask you to pay attention to one of the most important details of this house. Look up, just above the entrance to the building. On the first floor there is a wooden sculpture of the cross. If you look closer, you'll see a painted sculpture of crucified Jesus Christ. It is a very personal and spiritual element that reminds us how deeply faith was rooted in the everyday life of the people who lived here. It's a detail that gives the house a certain character and reminds us that the house wasn't just a shelter, it was a place with its own soul. Now let's get a little closer to the entrance itself. Notice the entrance to the living room. Here you will encounter sandstone shaped lining. Sandstone is a material that has often been used in this area, and its working in the form of profiles shows that the builders wanted to give the entrance some importance and aesthetic value. It is a fine detail, but it plays an important role in the overall impression of folk architecture. When we think about the people who lived here, we have to admit that specific names of architects or prominent personalities are not kept in the records. And that's where the beauty of this place lies. This house is not a monument to a famous person, but to ordinary people, craftsmen and families who have lived and worked here for generations. He's an anonymous deputy, but brilliant folk architecture. Imagine how the house worked in the middle of the nineteenth century, about a thousand eight hundred and fifty. At that time it was a typical rural building, which performed its function, was carefully maintained and served as a safe haven for its inhabitants. The interesting thing is that the house remained in such a state that in the year one thousand nine hundred sixty-six it was officially included in the list of cultural monuments. That means the state has recognised its irreplaceable value for our history and culture. It is proof that even a simple country house can be of great importance if it bears the truth about how it lived in the past. Now, if you look again at the whole house as a whole, feel its harmony. The combination of green grafting, vertical formwork on the floor and sandstone lining creates a unique picture. It's a building that combines a practical function with aesthetic simplicity. Note how the house fits into the surroundings of the Hermanic and how naturally it complements the landscape of the Frýdlant Corner. Imagine the silence surrounding this place centuries ago, the sound of wooden wheels on the road and the smell of wood and sandstone. This house is like an open book from which we can read about traditions, about patience in construction and about respect for materials. It's a place where we can stop and think about what home means to us and how important it is to keep these clues of the past for future generations. We are now approaching the end of our short stop at house number six. I hope you enjoyed this view of the past and that you noticed all the details, from the little cross above the entrance to the specific bags on the roof. This house is just one of the many jewels you will find in this area. I am now asking you to explore the area. Walk slowly through the street, perceive the atmosphere of the village Heřmanice and look for other traces of ancient times that hide in the landscape. Let your curiosity guide you and enjoy the peace of this extraordinary corner of the country. Thank you for your attention and I wish you a pleasant continued journey to explore. Goodbye.