The Hückel Villas in Nový Jičín have their own website

Nový Jičín - Interesting facts about the history of the architecturally protected Hückel villas in Nový Jičín and their current state can be found on the new website. The city collaborated with institutions such as the Novojičínsko Museum and the district archive in creating the site. The city is preparing to renovate the two oldest villas, which it is trying to preserve. This was reported today by the spokesperson for the Nový Jičín town hall, Marie Machková.

The Hückels in Nový Jičín established a hat factory, now known as Tonak. They built four villas on the slope above the factory. They left the city at the end of World War II, and the state confiscated both the factory and their homes as they were Germans. Two villas have been renovated: one belongs to the city and houses a kindergarten, while the other, which is a children's home, is owned by the region. The city purchased the other two villas, which had been deteriorating for years, from a private owner in 2016.

The Nový Jičín deputy mayor, Ondřej Syrovátka (Greens), stated that the renovation of the two oldest villas - Augusta and Johann Hückel's - would take on a concrete form this year. "These two gems of Nový Jičín architecture, created between 1880-1882 according to the plans of the famous architect Otto Thienemann, are currently undergoing the first phase of their preservation - basic maintenance, eradication of wood rot, and preparation of plans and financial strategies for their reconstruction," said Syrovátka.

This year, the city wanted to organize a cultural event in the area. However, due to the new coronavirus pandemic, it has been postponed to next spring. The coordinator for the preservation of the Hückel villas, Radek Polách from the Novojičínsko Museum, stated that the complex of buildings is a gem of the city. "In addition to current events related to the Hückel villas, visitors to the website can find the history of the founders as well as details about the individual villas and houses that belonged to the Hückel family. Information about the world's oldest hat factory, Tonak, is also included," said Polách.