Supported projects

Velké Losiny - “Renovation of the Chapel of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Pekařov”, organized by the Desná Valley Association.

Project: Obnova kaple Nanebevzetí Panny Marie v Pekařově
Organization: Obnova kulturního dědictví údolí Desné, občanské sdružení

The fate of Pekařov – formerly Beckengrund – in the Desná Valley in the foothills of the Jeseníky Mountains is identical to that of a hundred other small villages in the border regions. The majority of homes, including that of Franz Kolb, a well-known organ-maker, were bulldozed after the expulsion of the Germans in the aftermath of the Second World War. Life in Pekařov virtually stopped.

The Chapel of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, built over 200 years ago, was left abandoned. Time and neglect left their mark and led to irreversible deterioration. In 2003, the Desná Valley Association initiated the Pekařov church restoration which goes hand in hand with the other aims: connecting the area with a bicycle path, establishing ties with former inhabitants who now live abroad, developing a sense of belonging in the community. In 2005, with support from the “3 x 333 Thousand Fund,” residents of the Desná Valley and Scouts from Prague, the chapel reconstruction resumed.

The aim is to make it a meeting place for people attending mass, for concerts and theatre performances. They are also planning an exhibition about the history of Pekařov and about the Kolb family. Cultural heritage is not something that stands still, something conserved that we take out from time to time and look at. It is a part of our life and the way we see things. If we become a part of it, it will continually be recreated anew.

Project was support by "Philip Morris CR Charitable Fund: 3 x 333 Thousand for an Active Community Life".

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