Dům U pelikána v Liberci House

Welcome to Liberec, part of Perstín. Stop for a moment, take a breath and feel the calm of this place. Right now, you're standing in front of a building called the House of Pelican. It's a place that keeps echoes of over two centuries of history. If you look at it now, you'll see a typical townhouse that tells its character the story of ambition, craftsmanship and time changes. Feel his presence here, on the hill of Perstín, where the house stands as a silent witness of ancient times.

Let us now move far further back in time to the beginning of the ninth century. It's eight hundred and three. At this time, the house was built by a man named Andreas Altmann. Altmann wasn't just an ordinary citizen, he was a painter. Imagine what it meant at the time. Colouring substances was a key craft that required knowledge of chemistry, patience and a sense of color. It was thanks to his craft and his success that Altmann could have built this representative residence. In order for the house to match its taste and social status, he hired a recognized creator, Jan Karl Kuntze, to design it. Together, they created a building that was meant to serve not only as a place to live, but also as a symbol of stability and prosperity in an emerging city.

Now please pay attention to the architecture of the house itself. Look carefully at the overall design of the building. The Pelican House is a fascinating example of the transition between two great styles. In its walls you will find a trail of late baroque, which brought to architecture dynamics and a certain sense of grandeur, but at the same time you will see elements of classicism. Classicism was a response to baroque ostensiveness and was directed towards purity, balance and return to the principles of the ancients. It is this mixture of styles that gives the house its unique character.

Now raise your eyes above, to the top of the building. Notice the roof. What you see is a so-called Mansard roof. It's a very specific type of roofing that has a characteristic propensity. This construction was not chosen only for beauty, but above all for practical purpose. It created much more usable space in the attic, which could serve as other living rooms or warehouses. The attic thus forms an important part of the overall appearance of the house and gives it some monumentality that dominates the surrounding space. Take a look at the roof line and imagine what the house looked like at the time of its construction, when it was probably the most striking point in the area.

If we move forward in time, we'll find that the house was constantly breathing and changing with its owners. Let us now skip the century forward to a thousand nine hundred twenty-three. At this time the house bought Rudolf Wichera. Wicher wasn't just the new owner, but he decided to reconstruct the house. This means that during this period there have been adjustments that the house adapted to the needs of the twentieth century. It's interesting to think about all the things that turned into the interior at the time and what new elements he brought into the house to make it a modern dwelling of his time.

Just a few years later, in the year one thousand nine hundred twenty-nine, the house came into the hands of the Otmer husbands. With them came a new chapter in the life of the building. The store started working on the ground floor of the house. Try to imagine for a moment what this place looked like almost a century ago. Imagine the morning rush, the sound of the shop door open, the smell of the goods and the conversations of the neighbors who met here. The House of Pelican was not only a private home, but it became part of the daily life of the local people, the centre of small business and social gatherings.

You won't see the store on the ground floor today. The house currently serves as a residential building, but it also has a very special and interesting use. It is used by the secular order of the Franciscan. The word secular here means that these clerics live in an even world, outside closed monastery walls, and are thus more integrated into ordinary social life. It's a beautiful contrast when we realize that the house that started as the residence of the baringual craftsman is now hosting people dedicated to the spiritual journey. This transformation from the craft house through the commercial space to the spiritual sanctuary shows how the functions of the buildings can change dramatically over time, while their walls remain the same.

Now I would like to draw your attention to one thing that is very special about this place. Look around you. Notice how the house works in space. Do you think he's a little lonely here? That's not a coincidence. The House U pelican is located on the hill Perštín and its current isolation is the result of history. In the past there were probably more structures that formed a denser built area. However, as a result of the demolition work that took place in the area, the house remained alone. But this loneliness gave him a new value paradoxically. Because there is no noise and a cluster of other modern buildings around it, we can now view it in full beauty and perceive its architecture without disturbing elements. He stands here as a proud survivor who refused to disappear from the city map.

That's why the house is In pelican protected as a cultural monument. This means that the State recognises its historical, architectural and social value. It is proof of how Liberec lived at the turn of the century, how it was built and how people's needs changed. From baroque pomp to classicist sobriety to functional adaptation of the twentieth century. It's all carved into these walls.

Now, if you look at the facade and the Mansard roof for the last time, try to realize how many generations of people have passed. How many dreams, hopes and everyday worries these walls have heard. From Altman to Otmer's merchants to today's residents. Each of them added their own chapter to the story of this house.

Now we end with our short visit to the pelican house. I hope you've found time to see the details of this beautiful building and that its history interests you. The Pelican House is a reminder that even in a modern city there are places where time has stopped and where we can find peace and inspiration in the history of our ancestors.

I will now invite you to continue your walk on the hill of Perstín and discover other hidden corners of Liberec. Let yourself be guided by curiosity and perceive the atmosphere of this city, which is unique in every detail. Thank you for your attention and I wish you a pleasant rest of a day of new discoveries. Goodbye.