Domažlice Evangelicals opened a new church, which they waited 85 years for

Domažlice - Evangelicals in Domažlice have finally received a new church house, the construction of which they have been planning for over 80 years. Today, they gathered for the first festive worship service in the building, which cost around 11 million crowns. The new church house of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church, which includes a prayer room, a flat for the pastor, meeting spaces, and a stair tower with a bell, was built in Domažlice in a year and a half.
The congregation in Domažlice was established 85 years ago, and practically from the beginning, the evangelicals have been considering a new building. "However, the construction was first hindered by occupation and war, and then by the currency reform, which devalued the saved money," said the pastor of the congregation, Petr Grendel, to ČTK today. He is convinced that the new house will serve to further develop the congregation and that it can also serve other people, not just evangelicals. The congregation comprises about three hundred people, and around 40 attend the services. "There are people here who want to do something. We would like to be open to the whole city too; we want people not to be afraid to come here," said the pastor.
Over the past five years, the Domažlice congregation has become the third newly built evangelical church, noted Joel Ruml, synodical senior of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church. While, for example, in the countryside, few people often attend congregations, in cities, on the other hand, new individuals and entire families are coming and getting baptized. "It is a completely logical reaction to a situation where after 20 years, people have to some extent enjoyed freedom a lot and have been able to significantly increase their standard of living, and they are still finding out that this alone does not bring fullness of life and happiness," said Ruml.
The design of the modernly structured building with a multitude of windows on the edge of Hánova Park in the city posed a great challenge for architect Ladislav Schejbal. "It was also fun, and in the end, I think it turned out very well," noted the architect. Until now, the evangelicals had been meeting in an unsuitable building that originally served as an inn.
An interesting detail is the quarter-ton bell with an unusual history. It arrived in Domažlice from the Náchod area, where the evangelical church was being closed due to a lack of interest from people. The bell was originally cast from a Turkish cannon in the German town of Bautzen. It was installed in the church of Mary and Martha there in 1830. However, in 1899, the church had to be demolished, and the bell was donated to the evangelical congregation in the Náchod area.