Exhibition of photographs of the restoration of Bečváry Château

What do Bečváry Château and popular rock singer Robert Kodym have in common with General Laudon?

More than it seems. Robert Kodym is the owner of Laudon’s château in Bečváry, which he takes impeccable care of and which, like the château in Kunín, is rising like a phoenix from the ashes. Robert Kodym has visited the château in Kunín and Nový Jičín twice, with his father and wife, and the result of a partnership is an exhibition following the restoration of the château in Bečváry, which establishes a new tradition of exhibitions on the subject of General Laudon in his house on the square in Nový Jičín. So come and take a look!

The Kodym family has written to us about their future plans for the château and we are pleased that these plans count on continuing the partnership with the château in Kunín and Laudon’s House in Nový Jičín.

How will restoration of the château continue?

There is a lot of work, particularly on the first floor: completion of restoration of frescoes, restoration and installation of preserved authentic wall paper and mirrors in richly carved frames in both salons next to the main hall, installation of Baroque doors and their replicas (some of the doors were missing and some were full of woodworm), finishing of the parquet floors. Not to mention completion of floors in the attic space, which is also the location of the original clock machinery and distribution mechanisms to clock faces.

There is even more work to complete outside the château than inside it: installation of the stone section of the gate facing into the court of honour and stucco work on the gate and restoration of gates. And finally restoration of all the agricultural buildings – barns and granaries.

When the château is repaired it will be empty. But we have begun negotiators with the National Heritage Institute, which is willing to loan the original furniture from Bečváry from its collections.

Many alternatives for use of the château are being considered:

The park and east wing for music productions, the main hall for chamber concerts, the court of honour will be modified and given over to the public as a social and relaxation space for the village (which does not have a village square). The road, which divides the court into two parts and on which heavy traffic endangers the structural stability of the château, constitutes a problem. We have arranged with ZAS Bečváry to relocate the road to the east in compliance with the town plan– however, there are still problems with the owners of the land over which the new road will lead.

The château and particularly the beautiful attic space, including the part above the main hall, from where there is a beautiful view of the Giant Mountains, can be used for exhibitions, including permanent exhibitions about General Laudon and the period he lived in.

The possibility of installing a Museum of Popular Music in the Baroque granary and barn is also being considered.

Another option is to establish a Laudon visitor’s circuit in cooperation with the European Union: Bečváry – Hadersdorf (Laudon’s château in Vienna) – Kunín château and the town of Nový Jičín with Laudon’s House – Bystřice pod Hostýnem château (the seat of the Laudon Family for 106 years).

The goal is not only to restore the château, but also for it to live a full life, worthy of this Baroque treasure.

Source: PhDr. Jaroslav Zezulčík