Komenského studna Fountain

Welcome to this special place. Right now you're standing in front of a historic well that you'll find in our beautiful spa towns on the Elbe. Take the outside world out of your head for a moment and let the story carry you back centuries. Look ahead. You see a structure that at first glance captures its peaceful atmosphere and a strong connection to our history. The above-ground part of this well is modern, but it hides within itself stories deeply reaching into Czech history.

Let's look at how this place was created and what its historical context was. You're standing in places where there's a strong iron spring in the ground. Even in the year our famous thinker and teacher Jan Amos Komenský mentioned this underground treasure. He wrote about it in his important book, which dealt with the severe adversity of the Czech Church. The people at that time knew very well that this water was something special. More than two hundred years later, in precisely eighteen hundred twenty-two years ago, a resident township Anna Miller took care of this place. At her expense she had the spring provided with an honest sandbox. In this stone were carved her initials and the year that you can see there today. It is fascinating to imagine how many generations of people have come here for water and how many human destinies have intersected with this spring.

Now pay attention to the very form of the construction. The architects of this work may have remained unknown in the historical records, but their work left a permanent mark. Take a closer look at the sandbox, which was left by the already mentioned Anna Miller. Note the meticulous work with the stone that resists the tooth of time for generations. The above-ground part, which complements the whole monument, was created in modern history and underlines the respect that local people have for this spring. The whole monument is officially protected as a cultural monument, continuously since nineteen hundred and sixty-five.

Now let's dig deeper into the stories and personalities that are firmly connected to this place. The first great figure is Jan Amos Komenský. The inscription in his book in 16 hundred and twenty-four shows that the spring here was known far and wide in the moved times of the po-white mountains. Komenský paid attention to natural phenomena and in his texts he was able to connect the spiritual world with the real environment of the then country. The second key female figure is already mentioned Anna Miller. Its work in the nineteenth century saved a spring for future generations and gave it a solid material form that we can look at today. It gave us a tangible reminder of the times when people had only discovered the strength and composition of the waters here.

This place is also associated with one great mystery and interesting thing that has caused a great deal of excitement in the past. When people first discovered a strong spring of red iron water in the past, in the region it produced huge emotions and a very strong reputation. The water was a strong blood-like color. A story began to spread among the simple people that the blood of the executed Kutnohorsky miners came from the depths of the earth to the surface. You can live to see how much fear and fascination this red water must have awakened in people. Today, of course, we know that this colour is due to the high iron content in mineral water, but this old reputation still gives the place a very mysterious and unforgettable atmosphere.

Our stopping together today is slowly coming to an end. I hope the talk of the Comenius well has been interesting for you and that you have rested at this iron spring. When you go on another journey, remember to explore the surrounding beauty of Poděbrad, which carry so many similar stories. Thank you for your attention, I wish you a wonderful rest of the day and see you next to the sights of our picturesque region.