The crane lifted the base for the repaired tower to the Olomouc City Hall

Olomouc - Using a crane with a long arm, workers today carefully lifted the base for the wooden structure of the tower onto the town hall building in the historic center of Olomouc. The massive wooden structure was secured at a height of several dozen meters into the stone balcony. The repair of the tower is part of the renovation of the town hall.

On Wednesday, the crane is to place the structure of the lower part of the tower on the base. "The middle part of the tower is currently covered with a tarp and is waiting on the Upper Square to be dismantled. According to it, a new replica will be made. These works will take place from the beginning of next year, again in front of the public, but with less disruption of public space," said Michal Folta, spokesperson for the town hall, to ČTK.

The highest part of the tower's spire, which is currently in storage, will be addressed last in the first half of next year. Its structure will again be assembled on the Upper Square and, upon completion, will be lifted up by the crane.

After lifting the middle and highest parts of the tower, the tubes with archival documents found during the tower's dismantling will return to their original place. "They will again contain archival materials from 1962, when the last major repair of the tower took place, and we will also add additional tubes with messages from our time for future generations," said Mayor Mirek Žbánek (ANO) to reporters.

Thanks to the lifting of the lower part of the tower to its place in the upper sections of the town hall building, the area occupied by the construction in front of the astronomical clock will be significantly reduced. The fence will remain close to the town hall building. The Christmas markets will not be significantly affected by the renovation of the town hall. A Christmas tree will be erected in front of the town hall and stalls installed. "There should be the same number of them, just the layout will change slightly," Folta added.

The gradual repair of the town hall in the historic center of Olomouc began at the beginning of 2017. The roof was reconstructed first for 30 million crowns, as it was in a state of emergency. Then the information center and the entrance to the town hall building were addressed. The final stage of the renovation includes the façade and the town hall tower. The repairs of the town hall's exterior cost about 57 million.

Historians consider the Olomouc town hall to be the second most significant in the Czech lands, right after the Old Town Hall in Prague. Its cornerstone was laid on the Upper Square as early as 1378. At that time, the city had judicial authority, and the town hall served as a prison, torture chamber, armory, and even a marketplace.

The interior modifications of the town hall building were crafted by the head of the then City Building Authority, Max Kresse, while the exterior modifications were done by the Viennese architect Georg Berger. The façade was enhanced with neo-gothic details and new painting decorations depicting scenes from the history of Olomouc. The dominant feature of the town hall is a tower that is 75 meters tall. The building also includes an astronomical clock.