Dům čp. 75 House

Welcome to Cologne, a city where history is not only in books, but carved into every stone and written in every facade. Right now, you're standing in front of a house with a number of seven and a half. Stop for a moment, take a breath and just feel the atmosphere of this place. In front of you is a building that acts at first sight as a harmonious whole, but in fact it is a fascinating layered record of several centuries. Look at his facade. What you see is a so-called eclectic style, which means that the house combines elements from different periods and directions. Note how the floor is divided into three window axes that give the facade a certain order and balance. It's a home that has seen the coming of the Renaissance, baroque pomp and later modifications, and it's all today.

Let us now return together in time, deep into the past, so that the house can tell us its story. The existence of this building is documented in the fifth century, which makes it one of the silent witnesses to the early development of the city. The first name that ties to this place is the widow of Maruska Kramařka, who owned the house in the year four hundred and ninety-four. Imagine what Kolín looked like at the time, what sounds were heard in the streets and what the role of such a house was in the community at the time. A little later, in the year three hundred and twelve, the house came into the hands of Martin the Butcher who inherited it. Each of these owners put his mark, his care and his means into the house.

Time passed and the house swapped for its masters. In the year six hundred twenty one here found his place John Herzán and a few decades later, in the year six hundred sixty, he was the owner of Jan Shilhanek of Choustník. Each of these people represented a different era, different social needs and different views of what the house should look like. But a really big change came in the year of tyre seven hundred forty-nine. It was at that time that Dominik Tumlira of Borca, who decided to rebuild the Baroque building. The Baroque has brought dynamism and depth to architecture, and although the house has later undergone further changes, this Baroque foundation remains hidden in it.

Now pay attention to details that you can observe directly in front of you or imagine if you think about the structure of the house. Look at the roof. The front part of the building is covered with a classic saddle roof, which is typical of traditional urban buildings. But if you could look at the back of the house, you would find something else. It was finished later and has a roof straight away, suggesting a change in architectural preferences in later times. The house is not just a simple rectangle. An elongated wing is connected to the street part, surrounded by a narrow rectangular yard. Imagine the contrast between the noisy street and the silence of this inner space, where private family scenes took place over the centuries, where goods were stored or where owners rested from the hustle and bustle of the city.

When we think about what's underneath the surface, the house offers us an even deeper insight into history. The ground floor of the house is surrounded by a Valen or Segment Vault, which was a very firm and practical construction during the construction times. On the floor, the ceilings are flat, which is typical of later modifications, but there is one special room where the original rolling vault is preserved. It's like a little time tunnel that brings us back to a time when houses were built with completely different patience and precision.

But history is not only about building, but sometimes about losing. If we were standing in front of this house a year ago, eight hundred and eighty-one, you'd see something much more spectacular. At that time the house was decorated with a baroque shield in which there was a niche with a statue of the Virgin Mary. It was an expression of faith and aesthetics of his time that dominated the facade. Unfortunately, in the year one thousand eight hundred eighty one this shield was torn down. Today we can only reconstruct in the imagination how this statue guarded the coming and how it supplied the house with a sacral touch. Yet the house did not lose its dignity, only changed its face.

And now I'm going to lead you to what's really fascinating about this place and maybe even a little mysterious. If we could dive deep underground into the basement of the square, we would find something incredible. The basement is a combination of nature and human work. Part of them are cut directly into the rock, which is indicative of the geological subsoil of Cologne, and part of them is plucked from the quarry stone. And this is where the original medieval portal was preserved. Imagine that feeling when you touch a rock that's been standing here for hundreds of years, in areas that were cold, dark and safe. It is precisely this element that links today's eclectic house to its Gothic foundations.

So this house is essentially an architectural palimpsade, a text that has been rewritten many times, but the old layers still remain visible. It combines the Gothic foundations, Baroque adaptations from the eighteenth century and later eclectic elements. It is a fascinating example of how the city evolved, how the tastes of owners changed and how the building adapted to new times, without completely forgetting its origin. From Maruška's widow to Dominic Tumlira to today's days, this house stands as a silent observer of Cologne history.

I hope this short trip in time helped you see more in this house than just walls and windows. Now that you know his story, look at him one last time. Feel the layers of time he hides inside him, from the medieval portal in the deep rocks to the eclectic details of the facade. It's a small piece of a big historical puzzle that makes up the unique character of Cologne.

Now invited to further explore the surroundings. Continue your journey, pay attention to the details and let your curiosity guide you. Every other house you pass can have its own, not less fascinating history. Thank you for stopping by the house number seven and a half. I wish you a pleasant continuation of your walk through the city. Goodbye.