Pedestrian zone - Interactive encyklopedia of Cheb

ROUTES PEDESTRIAN ZONE

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This work of art was created as part of the project to reconstruct the Cheb pedestrian zone. 2009 – 2010 The Portal of Time represents the door of a house that used to stand on this spot. Here, medieval Cheb opens to the industrial period and its future. The artefact rotates quietly on its axis – 180 degrees in 24 hours. At midnight, it is in the “closed“ position. At high noon, when it is in the “open“ position, its side shows the number 1061, representing the first year of the city timeline presenting the most important dates in the history of Cheb. The timeline runs through the entire pedestrian zone – up to the year 2011, covering 950 years of the documented existence of Cheb.

The artwork is 9 meters high, 2 meters wide and 3.5 tonnes in weight.

In the mid-nineteenth century, Cheb’s citizens were motivated to connect the heart of medieval Cheb with the main technical novelty of that time, the railroad, and decided to take resolute action. They tore down two houses on the south side of the square and built a new avenue leading to the train station. This straight new avenue opened into the square from the south. However, a small problem arose: the square was sloped downward to the north and all that could be seen from a certain point along the new boulevard was not the houses of the Špalíček block, but their roofs. It was as if someone had cut a beautiful photo in half. This was not acceptable to the city builders. They knew exactly what to do and so adopted an ancient solution, known in urban composition as point de vue, a visual closure or an accent. In brief, a statue of Emperor Franz Josef was placed in the square to attract people’s attention and offer something to look at while they walked along the new avenue. Everyone approaching the town centre from the train station first headed towards Emperor’s statue. It was not until after they passed the statue that they could feast their eyes on Cheb’s square in all its glory.

However, time was not kind to Franz Josef’s likeness. For political reasons, his statue was attacked, besmirched and so had to be guarded. Eventually, after the establishment of Czechoslovakia, the statue was completely removed, since it was a symbol of the Habsburg monarchy. When our studio, A69 – architects, presented a winning proposal for improvements in the entire pedestrian zone during 1999, we called attention to a long forgotten fact.

After the removal of pointless concrete planters and poster pillars from the axis of the pedestrian zone, and the restoration of the original view from the avenue, an old problem was bound to remerge: the sunken horizon of the square. We assumed that the visual closure effect would be restored here and, as the Emperor’s statue had done, would create point de vue. At the same time, the beginning of Cheb’s historical timeline would be placed here. Our project initiated a sculpture competition in which professor Marian Karel took part with his design for the Portal of Time.

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The Portal of Time

Timeline

1061 ...que procedit de Egire... first written mention of Cheb

1135 Cheb region becomes administrative unit

1140 First mention of Cheb parish

1146 Cheb becomes possession of Hohenstaufen dynasty after death of Diepold III 1149 Cheb called fortified marketplace

1147 Cheb Region acquired by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa 1179 Construction of Imperial Castle begins

1203 Cheb called town for first time

1213 First mention of castle chapel

1220 Construction of town church of St Nicholas

1241 First known town seal

1256 First structure of Fransiscan monastery completed 1258 Order of German Knights settled in Cheb

1264 First mention of Order of Poor Clares in Cheb

1266 Cheb becomes possession of Ottokar II of Bohemia 1270 Old town destroyed in fire

1271 Town hospital entrusted to Knights of Cross by Ottokar II of Bohemia 1277 Cheb called imperial city for first time

1279 Cheb’s rights and privileges acknowledged by Rudolph of Habsburg 1285 New Franciscan church consecrated

1289 Negotiations between King Wenceslas II of Bohemia and Rudolph of Habsburg in Cheb

1291 Cheb asks King Wenceslas II of Bohemia for protection

1296 Construction of Dominican monastery approved by Wenceslas II of Bohemia 1304 Cheb region becomes possession of Albert I of Germany

1310 Oldest judicial book of Cheb appears

1315 Cheb pledged to Czech king by King Louis the Bavarian

1318 John the Blind and Louis the Bavarian negotiate at Cheb Castle

1322 Incorporation of Cheb region into Lands of Bohemian Crown

1330 Cheb exempted from paying duty in entire empire by Emperor Louis’s

Golden Bull

1349 Right to mint own coins granted by Charles IV

1350 First major Jewish pogrom in Cheb

1352 Municipal code is written

1355 Cheb exempted from duty in entire empire by Emperor Charles’s IV Golden Bull

1375 New synagogue completed

1376 Cheb’s privileges and freedoms confirmed by Wenceslas IV,

Holly Roman Emperor

1389 Peace negotiated by King Wenceslas IV at Reichstag in Cheb

1390 Keeping of municipal tax records started

1414 Construction of St Bartholomew’s Church completed

1430 Cheb besieged by Hussite army

1432 Agreement on common judge reached by Utraquists and Council during

negotiations in Cheb

1437 Cheb’s privileges confirmed by Golden Bull of Emperor Sigismund

of Luxembourg

1440 Consecration of St Yodok’s Church outside Lodní Gate

1458 Cheb’s privileges and freedoms acknowledged by George of Poděbrady

1459 George of Poděbrady negotiates recognition of his government in Cheb

1461 Reichstag called to Cheb by George of Poděbrady

1467 George of Poděbrady as last ruler to stay at Cheb Castle

1469 Interdict extended over town for its loyalty to King George of Poděbrady

1470 First print shop established in Cheb’s Špalíček block of houses

1471 First surviving picture of square with Špalíček

1472 111 houses destroyed in large fire in immediate vicinity of Jánské Square

1475 Gothic reconstruction of St Nicholas Church

1489 Addition (+) and the subtraction (-) signs invented by Johannes Widmann,

native of Cheb

1495 Cheb’s privileges and freedoms confirmed by Emperor Maximilian I

1525 Dismissal of two burgomasters due to revolt of Cheb’s citizens

1528 First wooden statue placed on fountain in square

1531 First reference to Oldest pub, U červeného koníčka

1540 Town’s first paper mill founded in village of Stein

1542 Cheb described as charming Renaissance town by humanist Caspar Bruschius 1547 Emperor Charles V and King Ferdinand in town during Schmalkaldic War 1552 New town armoury built

1560 Oldest urban chronicle finished by scribe Pankraz Engelhart

1563 Textbook of surgery published by Georg Zechendorff, Cheb physician

1564 First evangelical mass celebrated in Cheb

1570 Professional literature published by Hans Burger’s print shop 1589 Cheb adulterers’ revolt severely punished

1604 New Gregorian calendar introduced in Cheb

1608 Town of Cheb in charge of Cheb parish

1619 Frederick V, Elector Palatine, so called the Winter King, welcomed in Cheb

by Bohemian Estates

1625 Albrecht von Wallenstein in Cheb for first time to recruit new army 1627 Recatholization of Cheb commences; gracious decree for Cheb issued

1631 Cheb occupied by Saxon Army; Protestants back in town

1632 Cheb conquered by Albrecht von Wallenstein’s army again

1634 Albrecht von Wallenstein assassinated in Cheb

1644 Cheb marquetry workshop opened by artisanal woodcarver Adam Eck

1645 82 town houses destroyed in large fire

1647 Cheb besieged and conquered by Swedish army

1649 Swedish army leaves Cheb

1652 Cheb ordered to complete its recatholicization by Emperor Ferdinand III 1655 Plans to build Cheb fortress approved

1662 Baroque facade of Gabler House in square finished

1665 New poorhouse built next to St Yodok’s Church

1669 Second most important craftsman of Cheb marquetry, Hans Georg Fischer, dies 1674 Foundation stone for new Dominican church laid

1687 Great Baroque architect Balthasar Neumann born in Cheb

1693 J. Michael Widmann appointed first postmaster of Cheb

1694 St Vincent’s remains laid to rest in St Nicholas Church

1703 Egerer Ordinari Zeitung founded - first newspaper published in print

1705 Construction of Jesuit convent completed

1712 Consecration of new church of St Clare, designed by Christoph Dientzenhofer 1715 First separate map of Cheb region published, based on cartographic

measurements

1720 Construction of new Dominican monastery completed

1721 Pragmatic Sanction accepted during last meeting of Land assembly in Cheb

1723 Cheb’s population reaches 6483

1728 New town hall, designed by Giovanni Battista Alliprandi, completed 1740 Construction of Cheb fortress completed

1742 Cheb besieged and conquered by French army; St Nicholas Church

damaged by fire

1747 Plans for renewal of St Nicholas Church’s towers finished by Architect

Balthasar Neumann

1782 Convent of Poor Clares closed down

1787 Cheb attached to Prague archbishopric

1793 99 houses in castle’s vicinity destroyed by large fire

1800 Cheb becomes fortified town with permanent military garrison

1808 Demolition of Cheb fortress’ ordered by official patent

1809 North side of old town devastated by destructive fire

1810 New south tower of St Nicholas Church fitted with neo-Gothic spire

1817 New bridge over Ohře (Eger) River built

1826 Pedestrian bridge built at Kachní kámen to make Ohře region accessible 1828 Siechenhausen becomes popular travel destination because of its new inn

called Myslivna

1829 New shooting range built below castle

1830 New high school building consecrated

1845 Royal town of Cheb has 10,459 inhabitants and 802 houses 1850 Cheb becomes seat of District Executive Office

1857 District Revenue Headquarters built

1862 Project for new avenue leading to future train station prepared

1863 Construction of 378 metres long railway viaduct started

1864 Gasworks built in Lodní suburbs

1865 Cheb connected to Bavarian and Saxon railways thanks to its new train station

1865 Construction of new Evangelical school and vicarage

1866 Demolition of Mlýnská Gate below castle

1869 Foundation stone laid for construction of Evangelical church

1871 Demolition of Horní Gate on Březinova Street

1872 Construction of municipal joint-stock brewery finished

1873 One of first city museums in Bohemia founded

1874 New theatre building opened

1875 New central school building, Rudolfinum, constructed

1880 Office building of St Florian Insurance Association completed

1881 Construction of new iron pedestrian bridge at Písečná Gate below castle

1883 Fire in U zlatého slunce Hotel in square

1885 Construction of Savings Bank’s new building

1886 Inauguration of first building of new town military quarters

1887 Monument to Emperor Joseph II unveiled in square

1891 New factory producing Premier bicycles established

1892 New school at Horní Gate opened

1893 New synagogue consecrated

1896 Construction of new town slaughterhouse

1898 Construction of first chorus and exhibition hall in Poohří region

1899 Construction of new iron bridge over Ohře River

1900 Czech genius Jára Cimrman has a beer in Špalíček while visiting Cheb

1900 Construction of Discount House building on Svobody Avenue

1901 Lookout into Poohří region opened

1902 Construction of school on Karlova Street

1904 Construction of orphanage

1905 Completion of new courthouse and jail buildings

1907 Construction of new building for Austro-Hungarian Bank

1909 School in Komenského (today Schiller ) Park opened

1910 Construction of town’s power plant; new town hospital opened

1911 New municipal library opened; Eska factory founded

1912 New memorial to fallen unveiled in municipal park

1913 Turner Memorial unveiled on Špitálský Hill

1914 Construction of new military quarters outside Mostní Gate

1916 Prison camp with capacity of 10,000 prisoners of war built in Cheb

1917 First military airport in Bohemia built in Cheb

1918 On 27 October, Cheb Region becomes part of Deutschböhmen;

its independence declared

1918 On 16 December, Cheb under control of Czech Army upon agreement

with town’s officials

1922 National Day celebrations in Cheb turn into demonstration for special

position of Cheb Region

1925 Construction of new Czech school building

1927 Club house, called “Freedom”, opened

1931 Construction of new chorus and exhibition hall in Poohří region

1933 Sudeten German Home Front in Cheb established

1934 First post-war Wallenstein Games take place

1935 Sudeten German Party becomes borderlands’ strongest political party

1938 On 1 October, Cheb under control of Freikorps troops after signing

of Munich Agreement

1939 Cheb becomes part of Reichsgau Sudetenland

1944 First major bombings of city

1945 On 26 April Cheb liberated by United States Army

1945 First Czech municipal council established

1946 Expulsion of German citizens completed

1947 Monument commemorating United States Army unveiled in municipal Park

1948 Power abruptly assumed by Communists leading action committees

1951 Monument to American soldiers removed from municipal park 1956 Reconstruction of city’s historical heart

1958 Youth Brass Band founded

1960 Construction of Spáleniště Housing Estate started

1961 Permanent Czech theatre established

1962 Construction of the new train station completed

1965 Construction of Hradčany Housing Estate started

1968 Soviet Army occupies Cheb

1969 So-called normalization started by Cheb’s communists

1970 FIJO Festival takes place for first time, its tradition begins

1971 Construction of Skalka Housing Estate started

1979 Cheb becomes premier football league city

1981 Centre of Cheb declared urban conservation area 1985 Dozens of buildings damaged by earthquake

1985 Construction of Zlatý vrch Housing Estate started

1989 Square fills with people called for free elections and end of totalitarian regime

1990 First democratic municipal council after 1948 elected

1990 Faculty of Economics founded

1991 Euregio Egrensis Associations of Bohemia, Bavaria and Saxonia/Thuringia

established

1992 Society for restoring Maria Loreto pilgrimage site in Hrozňatov established

1993 Construction of city’s bypass begins

1994 New high school building opened; school on Zlatý Hill opened

1995 Brewery stops brewing beer after 123 years

1997 City switches to environmentally friendly method of heating

1998 Theatre reopened, one year after it was damaged in fire

2001 Wallenstein Festival revived

2002 Construction of Industrial Estate begins

2004 New winter stadium opened

2005 Bismarck Observation Tower reopened to public

2006 Revitalization of right bank of Ohře River culminates in Garden Exhibition

2007 Former military quarters replaced by shopping centre

2008 Restoration of towers of St Nicholas Church completed

2009 Reconstruction of pedestrian zone begins

2010 Work on war graves in municipal cemetery completed

2011 950 years have passed since first written mention of Cheb

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