Beautiful Lípa continues with the repairs of the unique Dittrich tomb

Krásná Lípa - Krásná Lípa in the Děčín region continues the repairs of the Dittrich family tomb. The unique historical structure at the foot of the local cemetery was at risk of collapsing until recently, and the city is trying to save it together with heritage conservationists. The most important task will be to restore the roof, so that the mausoleum does not leak and its degradation does not continue. Jan Kolář, the mayor of the city (Association 2022), said this to ČTK.

"I think it's still a unique moment now, that we can see the structure uncovered from above. The dome of the vault is visible," described the mayor from a construction platform. Workers are accessing the upper part of the mausoleum through a structural traverse from inside the tomb. "The static securing of the gables can be seen, and then the foundational parts were prepared, on which the framework will be seated, upon which the roof structure will grow," Kolář pointed out the current condition of the upper part of the tomb. The missing roof is a problem; the city wanted to have it completed before winter. "Precisely because the parts on which the whole structure will sit had to be completed, it was not possible to do it in freezing weather," added the mayor. Once the roof is finished, further restoration work will continue.

The city is preparing projects and seeking funds. It primarily wants to use grants, but also sponsors. The restoration will cost several tens of millions of crowns; however, the town cannot allocate such a large sum, as it needs funds for investments into repairs and maintenance, for example. The city paid for the static securing from its own budget, and the council allocated three million crowns. The local brewery Falkenštejn has already promised to participate in the repairs by contributing part of the proceeds from every beer sold to the reconstruction.

The museum in Rumburk provided the local government with enough materials that show the original condition of the unique structure. Heritage conservationists had already documented the condition of the tomb earlier. "So we have sufficient grounds," said Kolář. Inside the tomb, there are remnants of detailed painting, heating installations, and a relatively well-preserved mosaic in the basement. The remains of industrialist Carlo August Dittrich senior are likely located there, along with an urn containing the remains of his son and remnants of coffins. The remains from those were transported and placed elsewhere.

The municipality has become the owner of the Dittrich family mausoleum; the transfer was delayed by administrative hurdles, according to the town hall. The valuable tomb was purchased by the municipality from the insolvency administrator for 10,000 crowns. The reconstruction of the tomb of the prominent industrialist will take several years. The city would like to create an exhibition on the ground floor dedicated to the history of the family.

The mausoleum was designed in 1886 by Berlin architect Julius Carl Raschdorff, who also created the tomb of German Emperor Frederick III in Potsdam. The walls of the Krásná Lípa tomb are covered with glass blue-golden mosaics, and the technical facilities are extraordinary as well. The building includes a small boiler room, which made it possible to heat the mausoleum. The interior decoration was handled by August Frind, a native of Krásná Lípa, with only small parts of the paintings remaining. In 2006, the Ministry of Culture declared the Dittrich family tomb a cultural monument.