Upper-Lusatian House Koník
The Upper Lusatian House Koník represents the folk architecture which is characteristic for the region of Upper Lusatia (Horní Lužice) and adjacent part of northern Bohemia. Many Upper Lusatian houses survived in some villages and towns in the region.
It is obvious from the old postcards of Hrádek nad Nisou that these houses shaped the character of the town in the past. Nowadays, Koník is one of a few surviving Upper Lusatian houses in Hrádek nad Nisou. It is situated in Žitavská ulice (Žitavská Street), house number 215. Rather unusual name of the house is not so old – the inhabitants of the town named it after its last owner P. Koník.
The first floor of the house has got timber framed construction and together with the roof are on the wooden support structure. On the ground floor, there is the living area and the sitting room. The second part of the ground floor is rather unusually timbered and there are two rooms. In the back of the sitting room there was originally a niche scullery. The house has got saddleback half hip roof above the planking gable.
The house was built in 1812 according to the dendochronological dating and the year carved on one of the roof logs, it was the time when most of these buildings were built in Hrádek. The house was already rebuilt in the half of the 19th century for the first time. The timber framed construction of the first floor was covered by a plank siding, the wooden support structure was removed and replaced by a brick masonry as well as the part of the timber framed construction of the ground floor. On the ground floor – facing the street – a shopping window of a shop was installed. A part of the ground floor served as a grocery shop, the rest was the living space. After WWII, it was used only for living.
Koník is the property of the town Hrádek nad Nisou. The building was in a bad technical condition, a demolition was even considered. The first stage of the restoration took place in 2014; its aim was to save the house for the next generations in the same state as it was in the early 19th century. Using the traditional craft methods and the highest number of the original features, the wooden support structure and the timbered parts of the ground floor were restored. The decorative parts have not survived, except for a few; therefore, the inspiration was gained from houses situated nearby. The roof was also restored.
The restoration of the Upper Lusatian house Koník is a good example of a well-done restoration for other owners of the Upper Lusatian houses as well as a guideline what to do with a surviving building.
Visiting the Upper Lusatian house
It is possible to visit the interiors anytime during the open door day or individually by booking a visit via e-mail: info@branatrojzemi.cz, or via phone +420 482 319 719.
