Chrudim had the tomb of the Popper family repaired

Chrudim - Chrudim has spent 1.5 million crowns to repair the Popper family tomb in the cemetery U Kříže. The cultural monument was built in the 1920s, designed by architect Josef Gočár. The city acquired the tomb two years ago and received two grants amounting to a total of 200,000 crowns for renovation.

The building restoration of the tomb involved the dismantling of a temporary wooden roof, the demolition of a supporting pillar of the gate at the rear entrance to the cemetery, insulation work, rebuilding with non-absorbent concrete bricks, and the creation of a new terrace. "The original onyx ceiling tiles were removed, and since they were mostly cracked, it was decided to replace them," said Chrudim spokesperson Sylva Drašnarová.

The family tomb, ordered in 1927 by Fridrich Leopold Popper for his deceased son Alfred, is a highpoint of funerary design by Josef Gočár, a leading Czech architect of the 20th century. It is made of black polished norite and is adorned with a relief depicting the resurrection of Christ made from Carrara marble by Otakar Španiel.

Friedrich Leopold Popper took over the Beck couple’s shoe manufacturing business in Chrudim in 1893, which he gradually expanded and modernized. By 1903, F. L. Popper in Chrudim was the largest shoe factory in the Habsburg monarchy, employing 350 workers. In 1912 and 1913, the company employed over 1,000 workers, and production reached 2,400 pairs of shoes daily. During World War I, it had to change its production to meet the needs of the army. The company remained a leading shoe manufacturer even between the world wars. After nationalization in 1945, part of the machinery was taken over by the Botana Skuteč company. In the original premises in Chrudim, the national company EVA began producing hosiery, and today a textile manufacturer, EVONA, operates there.