Pohřební kaple Karla Gölsdorfa Tomb

Pohřební kaple Karla Gölsdorfa is a neo-gothic sacral building of a monetary character from the beginning of the 20th century, which serves as a family tomb in a forest environment near the village Stráž nad Ohří. It is an important monument that shows the connection of the personal story of the Gölsdorf family with architecture and was reconstructed after a period of considerable devastation.

The chapel was built in the early 20th century as a private tomb according to the design of an unknown architect. The main reason for its creation and location outside the cemetery was the religion of the Gölsdorf husbands: Karl Gölsdorf was a Lutheran while his wife was a Catholic. After the death of Karl Gölsdorf in 1907, when the construction was not yet completed, he was temporarily buried in a cemetery in the Guard of Fire. His remains were transferred to the chapel in 1912 and his wife buried here the following year.

The construction, which has a rectangular plan with dimensions 3560 × 3030 mm, is built from rough grain sandstone blocks and inspired by the ultimate Gothic. The dominant facade of approx. 5160 mm is decorated with an entrance portal, which is led by two stone steps with decorative railing. The portal closes the iron grate and ends with a tympanone with three leaves. Above it are two broken windows with stone lining, reliefs of roses symbolizing Christ or Virgin Mary, and above the ledge is placed the Latin cross with clover's end. The inscription Per asper ad astra (Despite the obstacles to the stars) embellishes a shield that symbolizes overcoming life's difficulties. The original gargoyles in the shape of winged lions were replaced by replicas and the saddle roof with sheet metal cover ended with a renewed fence with fleur-de-lys motif.

The interior of the chapel is encapsulated by a vaulted arch with lunettes, supplemented by stucco ribs growing from a profiled ledge. The walls are mostly unframed and supplemented with stone plinth. On the wall there is a shallow broken niche with three-leaf decorative design. The original statue, probably the Virgin Mary, was destroyed and preserved only by a torso of a female figure without a head. Triangular motifs with circular field containing the IHS christogram are placed between the windows. In the middle of the floor is the entrance to the crypt, which extends under the entire object.

After the Second World War and especially after the founding of the Military Departure of Hradiště in 1953, the chapel was abandoned, which led to its disintegration. During the second half of the century, the interior and crypt were destroyed by vandals; valuables have been looted and plastic decoration damaged. The statue from the interior was thrown into the crypt, the coffins were damaged and the remains were scattered. In 2013 the chapel was entered on the state list of cultural monuments and after the reduction of the territory of the Military Departure in 2016 it transferred to the property of the village Stráž nad Ohří.

Today the chapel is in good condition after extensive reconstruction from 2021. The facade, architectural details and damaged elements were reconstructed during the reconstruction. The crypt was placed in a state close to its original form and closed to the public in order to preserve its piety. The chapel is located in a forest environment near the communication connecting the municipality of Stráž nad Ohří with the bottling mineral waters of the Crown and represents a valuable document of historical architecture which is interesting for its detailed stonework and tragic history.