In the former Schindler's factory, the construction of a glass pavilion is being prepared

photo: Empty Houses

Brněnec – The Archa Foundation - the Löw-Beer family and Oskar Schindler, which aims to build a memorial for Schindler's Ark in the former textile factory Vitka in Brněnec in the Svitavy region, is requesting a building permit. In the area where Oskar Schindler's factory was located during World War II, which saved about 1,200 Jewish workers through its production, they want to build a new building, a so-called glass pavilion. It is intended especially for educational activities.

"That will be the first building to be constructed. It has been designed, and we are currently resolving the building permit," said the director of the foundation, František Olbert.

According to him, the permit could be issued during the winter. This would open up the possibility for the foundation to apply for funding from European funds. The demolition order for the demolition of the adjacent building, where the pavilion is to be located, has been issued, and the connection for the engineering networks is prepared.

The factory complex is significantly dilapidated. Some buildings are protected as historical monuments, while one is in a state of emergency. "Building number two is completely devastated. The roof was rotten; we must at least provide temporary roofing to prevent further deterioration. Even so, it costs a lot of money," stated Olbert. He mentioned that the foundation is struggling to raise funds for the project, with most coming from the family of the original owners, the Löw-Beers.

The factory in Brněnec was established as a paper mill, later served as a wool spinning mill, and the then-owner Izák Löw-Beer gradually built it into a significant textile factory. During the war, it was converted into a munitions factory, and Brněnec became a sub-camp of the Groß-Rosen concentration camp. German businessman Oskar Schindler moved about 1,200 workers from his enamelware factory in Poland to the factory, thus saving their lives. The textile production in Brněnec was operated by the company Vitka after 1989. When it went bankrupt in 2004, it was purchased by the company Bustrex and renamed Vitka Textiles. In 2011, it went into insolvency, production was halted, and the complex has been abandoned since then.

According to plans, the original building where the workers slept is to become Schindler's Ark, where the film Schindler's List directed by Steven Spielberg and other documentaries or interviews with direct participants would be screened. Another space would be dedicated to the Löw-Beer family, which owned the factory before the war and recently reacquired a larger part of it, as well as a museum of Jewish history in Czechoslovakia. There is also a so-called German building in the area, where German soldiers were stationed. The working building of Emilie and Oskar Schindler is to be renovated, as well as a venue for events, seminars, and other gatherings, along with a restaurant and related facilities. Part of the area could be converted into a park.

Svitavy native Oskar Schindler is perceived by many as a controversial figure, not just as a hero and savior of Jews. He was also a member of the Nazi Party and the German military intelligence.