Adolfka

On the fourteenth day, of the tenth month, in the year of our Lord 1891, in the Sudeten community of Wolfsberg, a child named Adolf Geilert was born in a shepherd's hut number 80, the son of Antonie and Josef Geilert.
He lived a colorful life as a postal clerk, who despite his German nationality, proudly identified as a Czech and supported the idea of a new Czechoslovakia. At the age of 17, during the First World War, he spent four years in Russian captivity. Later, due to his left-leaning political views, he was imprisoned for five months in a concentration camp in Magdeburg, from where he returned to the Protectorate after his release. Here, whether he wanted to or not, he took refuge in Mělník. After the war, he faced a strenuous battle to prove his anti-Nazi political stance in order to obtain Czechoslovak citizenship and eventually, after many years, he achieved his right to reclaim his ancestral home and property, which had been confiscated from him as a former German citizen.
The story of the "new hut," which in honor of the original owner we call Adolfka, began in November 2017. Hanka and I stood in a deserted place with a beautiful view. A dusting of freshly melting snow lay on the ground, and an intrusive frost crept into our trousers. Despite the inhospitable weather and the chilly haze, the original modest structure had a pleasant and cozy effect on us, undoubtedly aided by the thermos of hot tea and half-dipped biscuits, as well as the peculiar scent that is often found in such cottages. The structural condition of the original house was unfortunately pitiful, and so we subsequently opened the topic of building a new cottage in our joint discussion.
Together with TFH, we realized a construction that respects the original scale and positioning slightly above the terrain, offering almost identical room layouts on the ground floor, along with access to the restored original cellar. At the same time, it newly provides comfortable use of the attic. All of this incorporates an artistic interpretation of traditional elements of local folk architecture and its exceptional details in the form of post-and-beam houses. We utilized the traditional wooden load-bearing structure known as the post-and-beam with a contemporary perspective. Thus, it creates a naturally covered porch that provides shade in summer and protection in inclement weather. From the porch, there is a beautiful view of the picturesque landscape of the Elbe Sandstones and the distant Lusatian Mountains. The interior space is simply rustic and also refers to traditional colors and materials. The room is warmed by a stove from Tomáš Jíra and all carpentry elements were supplied by master carpenter Miroslav Zapletal.
From the very beginning, the place has been conceived with a vision of family and friendly gatherings, as an escape from the everyday work concerns and obligations. A place where often a simple glance is enough, and everyone knows how each one feels and what they are thinking. Part of the landscape around the house includes a cozy nook, a sauna, and a wood shed, and last but not least, in collaboration with Kristýna Gotvaldová, a gentle modeling of the terrain and a partial restoration and enhancement of the original plantings.
Wolfsberg is connected to many fateful events. However, the story of Adolf Geilert is a hope that even paths that fate sometimes unexpectedly severs will one day reconnect.