To save, to repair and to reconstruct the unique Ivanit´s hermitage in Teplice nad Metují, with the pilgrimage Church of the Virgin Mary of Help and the garden of Eden, in order to organize commented excursions, concerts and worships.
Author: Mgr. Ladislav Šikut
Teplice nad Metují, Královéhradecký kraj, Česko
All or nothing. Project finished on Jan 31, 2020 at 11:28.
Before 29 years, when I´ve moved to the former Sudeten town Teplice nad Metují, there was no one word of information known about the history or the purpose of those objects –Ivanits hermitage with the Church of the Virgin Mary of Help and the garden of Eden. No one knew also, what was displayed on frescoes. Therefore, there was no any idea about the unique character of the object. After several years, when I´ve started to seek for the history and for the explanations of frescoes, the object has appeared to be unique from several points of view; however, being in a desolate condition, it was totally forgotten by citizens. The hermitage has suffered from dry rot; the ceiling was collapsing as well at the entrance to the hermitage; one third of the church´s ceilings in the oratory for the village aristocracy were also collapsing.
One more enthusiastic citizen has joined me, and we were able, under the dramatic circumstances, to set a non-profit society “Saving the Hermitage in Teplice”. The former administrator was doing nothing for the salvage of the object, making the desolation possible and awaiting the collapse of the whole object. He was neither fond of the set of the society, no willing to allow the start of the research and of the project for saving the object, although the society was going to finance those activities by itself.
Now the situation is much better, the new administrator is supporting activities of our society, which has rented the object. However, our society is getting too small contributions, so the salvage and reconstructions are prolonging, so a lot of problems appear.
Our target is to gain the amount of 500.000,- CZK, which is necessary for the smooth run of the reconstructions and maintenance of this object, in which there are commented excursions, worships and concerts partly running now, when reconstructions allow.
For the fifteenth year so far, only the hermitage itself has been saved, repaired and reconstructed, which is far from complete. It is also necessary to start preparing the reconstruction of the church (researches, projects, reconstructions and repairs). It will also be necessary to conduct a thorough archaeological research of the entire building, including the garden of Eden, for expectations to discover the tomb of the Ivanites and the family of Dr. Peither of Peithersberg under the church, and for the existence of an underground passage, and the previous Romanesque church in this place. It will also be necessary to create a project for sanitary facilities in the hermitage and for the installation of wiring and plumbing. One room will be furnished as in the Ivanites times, the next room will be furnished as the churchmen lived there during the First Republic and others may serve for a limited stay. It is also necessary to maintain the building for the guided tours, worships and concerts, if repairs allow.
Uniqueness of the object: 1. It is the only one preserved monument from the era of Czech hermits of Ivanites. 2. The outstanding personality of the founder, Johann Maximilian Peither of Peithersberg and his life story 3. The story of the first hermit and the other three hermits of the Ivanites, living there. 4. The frescoes in the church describe not only the whole Litany of Loreto of the Blessed Virgin Mary including related theology, biblical and historical stories, but also 16 identities with the symbols of the Freemasons. The frescoes create the illusion of vault and space....
Even 15 years ago, many people wanted to send me to a madhouse, when I said that this object is unique and that it should be shown to tourists and that there could be concerts for tourists. The Svatoivan Congregation was established in the 18th century for all Czech hermits, who had to sign up for it. Its name was derived from St. Ivan (St. Johann the Czech) the first hermit living in Bohemia in the 9th century. The Svatoivan Order was the strictest and most demanding order in the Roman Catholic Church.
The non-profit society “Saving the Hermitage of Teplice” is the registered association of two citizens of Teplice nad Metují, composed of me - Mgr. Ladislav Šikut, DiS and Mgr. Martin Mráz.
As we live in this town, Teplice nad Metují, we cannot be indifferent to the biggest historical monument in this place, which suggests so many interesting things, uniqueness and even mysteries, completely forgotten after the World War II.
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