vila Jana a Anastázie Neherových Villa

Villa Jan and Anastasia Neherová, located in ProstějovA on the street Pod Kosírem no. 73, is an important cultural monument of the Czech Republic. This leading example of functionalist architecture from the late 1930s was built in 1938-1939 according to the design of architect Antonín Naval for the married couple Neher and is protected since 2008.

The foundation of this villa was related to a growing interest in modern architectural styles in Czechoslovakia before World War II. Jan Neher (1899- 1958) and his wife Anastasia Neher, born Kristková (1904- 1984), who married him in 1924, chose this villa as a new home. Jan worked at the firm while his wife was an employee as an accountant. The villa was built on a property purchased from the Sports Club Prostějov and became part of the northern part of the city in the vicinity of the river Šulávaly.

Architecturally, the villa is a three-storey building with a reinforced concrete skeleton, which was a progressive solution for its time. The construction exceeded the standard requirements of the time and included the apartment of the administrator who was in charge of the garden. Between 1939 and 1949 Pavel Karas performed this function (1916-1995). The artificial increase in terrain led to the rear of the ground floor being below ground level. In this area, there was a reinforced concrete anti-aircraft protection with an escape exit in case of assault.

Originally, the villa offered a large romantic garden designed by Antonín Navral. In the western part there was a large swimming pool with a separate part for children and a wooden cabin for sitting after a bath. Pergola with plastic from sculptor Jan Splinter and tree roses gave the garden a colorful look. In the southern part there was a large round table with benches arranged in a circle.

After 1998, when the villa was reconstructed for administrative purposes, some internal layout and garden changes occurred. Despite these changes, the villa retained its historical value and architectural character.

Today vila Jana a Anastázie Neherových is a cultural monument of the Czech Republic and is worth visiting not only for its architectural value, but also as a witness to the time when new directions in construction were appearing in Europe. Its history and design represent a fascinating chapter of Czech architecture of the 20th century.