In Turnov, they opened a replica of a historic timber-framed house

Turnov (Semilsko) - The so-called Stonecutter's House was opened today in the area of the Museum of the Czech Paradise in Turnov, which is a replica of one of the last half-timbered houses in the city. The original half-timbered building stood on Havlíčkovo Square, but it had to be demolished in the early 1970s to make way for a new telecommunications building. Ambitious plans to dismantle the half-timbered house and move it to Dolánky fell through. However, the museum managed to secure funding three years ago to build a replica of this unique example of Pojizerská architecture.
    "The exterior of the building is an exact copy of the original structure. The interior is of course adapted slightly for the activities we want to operate here," said museum director Vladimíra Jakouběová to ČTK. The historical context is also reflected in the location where the replica stands. During archaeological research before the construction began, foundations of a similar building were discovered.
    The wooden house reminds visitors of the buildings that stood in the town at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. The Stonecutter's House is a joint project of the partner cities of Turnov and the German Idar-Oberstein, which connect long-standing traditions of processing precious stones, goldsmithing, and jewelry. The ground floor will feature an exhibition that will recall the craft history of both cities. The museum also plans to hold art workshops and expert lectures in the house. "By the end of the year, we would like to open an exhibition on the Czech Paradise and Pojizeří on the upper floor, which will be created from the legacy of historian, ethnographer, and illustrator Josef Václav Scheybal. The foundation will consist of his drawings, but we would also like to utilize his collecting activities," said Jakouběová.
    The museum wanted to return the house to the city since the early 1990s, but the opportunity to secure the necessary funding only emerged in 2007. The construction costs were approximately 7.5 million crowns, with 85 percent coming from European funds, and the remainder shared equally by the state and the Liberec Region. The Liberec Region ultimately added an additional half a million crowns to complete the outdoor renovations.
    The Museum of the Czech Paradise is one of the most visited in the Liberec Region. Its collections, focused primarily on precious stones and history, attract around 80,000 visitors annually, about a third of whom are foreigners. The Stonecutter's House is not the only project for which the museum has secured European grants. In February, they opened a modern jewelry vault in the former basement of the museum, where they can also display the most valuable jewelry, stones, and archives. Building the vault room cost over a million crowns.