Větrný mlýn Ruprechtov Windmill

Welcome to one of the most valuable technical cultural monuments in our region. Right now you are standing on the edge of the picturesque village of Ruprechtov in Vyškov district and before you stands the building, which at first sight will capture its extraordinary silhouette. Raise your head and let the atmosphere of a place that carries the story of many human destinies, the power of nature and the human mind. You see in front of you a massive building that proudly shuts down to the sky, and already the very sight of it brings you to a time when people were fully using the power of the elements of nature to work and live.

Let's now go against the tide of time and look at how this remarkable story began. It is the year of a thousand eighteen hundred seventy-three and in this place grows a classic mill of the Dutch type. The first owner and builder who was Cyril Wagner were behind his birth. It was he who gave this place a solid foundation and form, which at that time corresponded to the state-of-the-art construction practices for crop processing. The purpose of the construction was clear and simple, serving people from around here and helping them in everyday life. But nature has a mind of its own and a power that cannot be controlled. After one particularly devastating wind storm, the original construction suffered serious damage. But then the owners and administrators didn't want to lay their hands on their laps. The situation called for a radical solution, and so a device was brought to the building that made it forever famous far beyond the borders of our region.

Now pay attention to the construction itself and the details you have right in front of you. Look up, because up there is the greatest secret and technical brilliance of the monument. At the top of the building there is a unique turbine whose origin we must look for in the United States of America, bearing the name of its inventor Daniel Halladay. If you focus on her dimensions, you'll be impressed. This giant turbine has a diameter of ten meters and its weight is about two tons. The whole colossal device rotates at a height of 16 meters above the ground and represents a unique one. You will not find such devices in our borders, and therefore this object is unique not only in our state but throughout Europe. The combination of traditional construction of the Dutch type and American ingenuity has created a work that arouses admiration of experts and lay visitors to this day.

Apart from the builders and inventors themselves, other names are associated with this place, which shaped its history and helped to keep the memory alive for generations to come. Significant personalities who left their mark in the story of this mill include Petr Melan, Václav Feit and Jiří Harcuba. Each of them has contributed in its own way so that we can stand before this corrected and valuable monument today and admire its uniqueness. History is not just about cold data and stone walls, it's about people who believed in the value of their work and cared about what they inherited from their ancestors.

Let us say something else that really excels this place and that has brought attention to the whole professional and wider public. As has already been said, this building is absolutely unique throughout Europe thanks to its technical equipment. The way the damaged mill managed to save and plant a giant American turbine points to the great courage and technical maturity of those people. Their efforts and determination have not gone unnoticed even in modern times. The proof of this is the year of two thousand and nine, when this monument was honoured. In that year, a brand new stamp and gold coins were issued, which were dedicated to this very Ruprecht mill. Few buildings can boast that their form has surrounded the world on postal prices or has become a motive for a valuable coin stamping.

We are slowly approaching the conclusion of our audio guide today. We hope that you enjoyed the view of this unique technical monument and that you have taken away interesting information about everything the walls and roofs have experienced. Thank you for your attention, I hope you will enjoy your stay in Ruprechtov, and I look forward to seeing you again when exploring other interesting places of our history. Now you can walk quietly around, enjoy the atmosphere of this region and continue to explore further. Goodbye.