The attic and tower of the church in Hlučín have been opened to the public

Hlučín - The attic and tower of the Church of St. John the Baptist in Hlučín have been opened to the public. In addition to the viewpoint, the renovated space also offers a new permanent exhibition of the Hlučínsko Museum. It is dedicated to the patrons of both existing and non-existent sacred sites. The project, designed by architect Jiří Halfar, "Path to Heaven," cost 6.9 million crowns, with financial contributions from the city of Hlučín and the Moravian-Silesian Region. This was stated today by the city spokesperson Andrea Vojkovská.

Hlučín contributed 4.4 million crowns to the renovations. The remaining 2.5 million was secured by the parish from the budget of the Moravian-Silesian Region, which also funded the exhibition with 1.4 million crowns, and the city of Hlučín added another 400,000 crowns to it.

"A new spiral staircase has been created leading to the tower, along with walkways above the nave and presbytery. While the staircase provides access to the bells and a view of the town and surroundings, the walkway allows entry to the framework of our permanent exhibition, which we have divided into two parts," said the director of the Hlučínsko Museum, Metoděj Chrástecký.

He mentioned that he had been searching for something suitable for this space for a long time. Eventually, the idea crystallized to present the patrons of individual sacred sites in the town, whether they are current or no longer exist, and to show the real impact of the cult of saints on the daily lives of the townspeople.

The first part of the exhibition is located above the arch of the church nave and is dedicated to the patrons to whom churches and chapels in Hlučín are or were consecrated. Through various aspects of life for which they held patronage, visitors can learn about the realities of life in the town in the past. An example of a patron is the cult of St. John of Nepomuk, which led to the establishment of the namesake religious brotherhood. Another example is the now non-existent hospital that was founded at the Church of St. Margaret and served the residents of Hlučín for almost four centuries.

The second part of the exhibition is situated above the presbytery. It features a magnified stylization of the rare Renaissance painting of the Crucifixion from Hlučín, whose original was loaned by the Hlučín parish to the Archbishop's Museum in Olomouc. "The Path to Heaven is not just a physical path in the attic of the church, but also has spiritual symbolism. The space hidden beneath the framework reminds us of the mastery of ancient builders and the faith that connects us across generations," mentioned the parson of Hlučín, Petr Rak.