HOUSE NO. 273 – THE RED HOUSE
Introduction
One of the historically significant buildings in Jáchymov bears the name “Red House.” Although maps show the local name “U Červeného domu” between Fibichova Street and Arnoldov, the house in question is today an unassuming building directly on Náměstí Republiky, namely House No. 273.
The appearance of the original half-timbered house that stood here until the fire of 1873 is known from a coloured drawing of the town dating from 1780–1820. This six-metre-long drawing was displayed in the town hall but was destroyed in the devastating fire of 1873.
After the complete destruction of the original building, the owner sold the plot as a building parcel to Heinrich Günther, who constructed a new house here. The Jáchymov People’s Calendar of 1891 records a tailor’s workshop at this location. In 1913, the then owner Wenzel Grimm applied to the town council for permission to convert the building into a shoemaker’s workshop. The modification consisted of creating a new entrance directly into the workshop and converting one ground-floor window into a shop window.
Name of the house
The name “Red House” has been mentioned in Jáchymov since the town’s foundation, yet the origin of the name has been lost over time.
Historical significance
The importance of the house lies in the discovery of the miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary. After the re-Catholicisation of the town, the pilgrim statue was found here. It later became associated with the monastery at Mariánská and is now kept in the Church of St Joachim.
After the re-Catholicisation, the house was purchased by David Weider from Planá. He found the statue discarded in a chicken coop or on a manure heap and, as a devout Catholic, had it cleaned and treated it with great reverence. David Weider died in 1682 as a magistrate. The statue was inherited by his daughter Anna Lucie Maderová, who donated it to the monastery at Mariánská, or rather to the original chapel that preceded the monastery.
Conclusion
This house demonstrates that even seemingly inconspicuous and somewhat neglected buildings in Jáchymov may conceal remarkable stories and historical connections.
