HOW TO BUILD A HOUSE IN JÁCHYMOV IN 1520
First to the Town Council
A person who wanted to build a house in Jáchymov did not begin by simply choosing an empty plot of land and starting construction. The first step was the town council. It was the council that decided on the allocation of building plots.
A new resident therefore received not only a piece of land, but also an obligation. Jáchymov needed to grow quickly, but according to a clear order.
Anyone who received a building plot had to begin construction and complete the building within the specified period. If they failed to do so, they lost the land without compensation. In this way, the town prevented people from holding empty plots at a time when others needed space for living and working.
A plot of land was not a speculation. It was a commitment to become part of the town.
The Master Builder Arrives
Obtaining a plot did not yet mean that construction itself could begin. First, the town master builder – the Baumeister – came to the site. His task was not only to supervise craftsmen. He was the person responsible for overseeing the appearance and structure of the town.
He determined where the house itself would stand, how it would be oriented and how the entire plot would be used. The builder could not decide solely according to personal convenience.
Before construction even began, it was clearly established: where the residential house would be located, where the economic areas would be placed, where the stable or chicken coop would stand, where the manure heap would be located and how waste would be removed.
What may seem like an ordinary backyard behind a house was, in fact, part of urban planning.
Water Before the First Stone
One of the surprising aspects of Jáchymov’s regulations was their approach to water. A house was not built first, with the question of where its inhabitants would obtain water being solved only afterwards.
The building plot was expected to be prepared as a functioning part of the town. Water was brought to the property through a system of wooden pipes. This water supply system was maintained by appointed specialists and its operation was subject to supervision.
The water supply was not merely a convenience for individuals. It was public infrastructure without which the mining town could not function.
Waste Had Its Place
Equally important was the opposite direction – the removal of waste. Residents could not simply discharge waste wherever they found it convenient.
Already during the planning of the house, the route for waste disposal was determined. Wastewater was to be directed into the town system, and the manure heap had its designated place. It was not allowed to disturb neighbours or endanger the cleanliness of the town.
The Jáchymov regulations therefore dealt with something we would today call hygiene and technical infrastructure.
A House Had Its Limits
Only now did the actual construction begin. But even here, the owner was not free to build whatever they wished.
The size of the house, its height, the materials used and its relationship to surrounding buildings all had to be determined. Nobody was allowed to arbitrarily extend into the street, narrow public space or build in a way that harmed others.
Even matters of everyday life were regulated: where rainwater would flow, where windows would face and how the rights of neighbours would be protected.
A private house had to respect public space.
Mining Came First
Jáchymov, however, was no ordinary town. It was above all an organism created around silver mining. The building regulations reflected this reality.
A new house was not allowed to damage or restrict mining operations in any way. Access routes to mines, roads necessary for miners’ work and areas required for technical equipment had to remain preserved.
Construction was not allowed to interfere with mine workings, water systems necessary for their operation, or devices that transferred power to mining machinery, such as mechanical rod systems.
In an ordinary town, the main principle was not to restrict one’s neighbour. In Jáchymov, something even more important applied: do not restrict the mine.
Because mining was the very reason why the entire town existed.
Fire Under Control
Fire was one of the greatest threats to any town. In Jáchymov, fire protection was exceptionally important. Houses stood close together, and wood remained an essential building material.
For this reason, special attention was paid to chimneys. Every building had to have a safe way to remove smoke. Chimneys were to be made of stone, or a masonry smoke flue was used.
It was a more expensive and demanding solution, but it protected more than just one house. A poorly built chimney could endanger an entire street.
Materials and Work According to Rules
The construction of a house was not left to chance even in terms of craftsmanship. The town supervised the materials used, their quality and dimensions.
The builder was supposed to know what they were buying, and the craftsman was supposed to know what they had to provide. The rules applied, for example, to timber, bricks, boards and shingles – not only their exact dimensions, but also their prices.
This prevented speculation and fraud during a period of rapid construction.
The same order applied between builder and craftsman. The agreement about the work, its form and price had to be clearly established. It was concluded in writing in two identical copies so that both parties had proof of what had been agreed.
Craftsmen also had their own obligations. Working hours, wages and compliance with agreed deadlines were regulated. In a rapidly growing town, there was no room for disorder.
It was not just a house that was being built.
A mining town was being built.
When we walk through historic Jáchymov today, we mainly see individual houses. Stone portals, cellars, vaults and traces of Renaissance decoration.
But the true foundation of the town cannot be seen at first glance. It was hidden in its rules.
Every new house had to respect its neighbours, the street, water, waste disposal, fire safety and the work of miners.
The Jáchymov Statutes show that this was not merely a collection of houses built around mines. A carefully planned whole was created, where residential buildings, water, crafts and mining formed one interconnected system.
Jáchymov was not a town that had silver.
It was a town that was built around silver.
