Historical forge

Forge with the master blacksmith's cottage

The earliest written record of the forge as one of the municipal buildings dates back to 1713. The map of the stable cadastre with a record of the condition from 1827 shows both buildings - the southernmost blacksmith's cottage is marked in red and was therefore brick, while the forge itself is shorter and coloured yellow, so it was still wooden at that time. A small rectangular garden adjoined the forge on the north side. During the 19th century, it was rebuilt by correcting the floor plan and was extended towards the rear.

In 1841, a new brick building was erected on the site of the former wooden forge, as evidenced by the year in the stucco of the building. Above this date, the stucco also depicts the attributes of the blacksmith's trade - hammer, tongs and anvil.

The internal layout of the forge probably corresponded to the typical layout of South Bohemian forges from the second half of the 19th century. Behind the front arched entrance there was a small arched sub-shaft and behind it the forge itself with a furnace and possibly a separate chamber for iron and fuel. The interior of the building was demolished in a not very sensitive conversion to a fire station c.1965. The internal walls were removed and the vaults replaced with a reinforced concrete roof with steel lintels. The most recent remodeling was completed in 2018 and returned the blacksmith shop to its original appearance and purpose. It was inaugurated as part of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List. The renovation was partly financed by the European Regional Development Fund.