In Krnov, the renovation of the former spinning mill has begun, which will be part of the museum

Photo by Lukáš Beran, VCPD ČVUT

Krnov (Bruntál Region) - The restoration of the listed building of the former spinning mill, which was part of the wool goods factory Alois Larisch and Sons, has begun in Krnov in the Bruntál region. The building is part of a planned textile museum, which is to be established alongside an organ museum and a regional museum in the former premises of the Karnola textile factory's headquarters on the Říční Circuit. The restoration has started with the roof of the building, which housed a fabric sample room, said Dita Círová, spokeswoman for the city hall, to ČTK.
    "Due to the fact that the roof of the building is in a state of emergency and has leaked in many places for years, the reconstruction began with a complete replacement of the roof and roofing elements," the spokeswoman stated. For the reconstruction of the building, which will cost four million crowns, the city has obtained 85 percent of the funds from European sources.
    In the fabric sample room, everything has been preserved in its original condition. There is fully functional equipment, unfinished patterns, and also a rich collection of fabric samples, the oldest of which dates back to the 1870s.
    The former headquarters of Karnola was purchased by the city of Krnov in 2007, and it wants to establish a regional organ and textile museum, a regional museum, and other accompanying operations there. "Because the estimated costs for the reconstruction of the buildings are in the hundreds of millions of crowns, the city wants to implement the projects gradually," explained Círová. She added that the city already has a concept for the exhibitions and project documentation available.
    Karnola went bankrupt in early 2001 when the court declared it insolvent. The debt-laden and loss-making enterprise faced bankruptcy as early as spring 1999 after it lost significant customers due to the financial crisis in Russia a year earlier.