PORTALS OF CHEB
OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF CITY CHEB
TOURIST INFOCENTRE
HISTORICAL CHEB FOUNDATION
CULTURAL CENTER SVOBODA
WEST CZECH THEATER CHEB
CITY LIBRARY IN CHEB
SIGHTS
HOUSES ON THE SQUARE AND THE PEDESTRIAN ZONE
BUILDING OF THE “ČESKÁ ESKOMPTNÍ BANKA AND ÚVĚROVÝ ÚSTAV”, BRANCH OF CHEB
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Building of the “Česká eskomptní banka and úvěrový ústav”, branch of Cheb
Accessible to the public only during operating hours of the businesses residing here.
The building of the “Česká eskomptní banka a úvěrový ústav” (Bohemian Discount and Credit Bank) is the most refined and impressive building of the then Bahnhofstrasse (today’s Svobody Street) from the architectural point of view. It was designed by the prominent Prague German architect, Prof. Friedrich (Fritz) Lehmann.[1] A dynamic element to the otherwise calm and imposing building is provided by a rounded corner projecting in front of the east front. The architect was inspired here by the Expressionist architecture of Erich Mendelsohn, especially by his Petersdorff department store in Wroclaw (1927). The corner is supported by a massive statue of Atlas by sculptor Johann Adolf Mayerl from Cheb. The entrance into the building (or to the former bank premises, to be precise) opens behind it. The building is crowned by a distinctive cornice with decoration reminiscent of Roman numerals. The modern building of the discount bank completed the construction work in the area of the junction of Svobody a Májová streets. The one-floor building No. 20 had to yield to the aggressive capital. Its demolition meant the end of the original buildings located in the newly built Bahnhofstrasse. The military administration was located here after World War II, and the “Čedok” travel agency resided here afterwards.
Authors of the text:
Zbyněk Černý – Karel Halla – Hana Knetlová
[1] Regarding the authorship, see more in Zbyněk Černý, “Friedrich Lehmann a Česká eskomptní banka v Chebu. Kdo chce na ulici stavět, musí mít mnoho mistrů”, in: Sborník muzea Karlovarského kraje 18 (2010) (“Friedrich Lehmann and the Czech Discount Bank in Cheb. If you want to build on the street, you must have many masters”, in The Museum of the Karlovy Vary Region Almanac), in print.
Literature:
Zbyněk Černý – Karel Halla – Hana Knetlová, Que procedit. Historie pěší zóny v Chebu / Geschichte der Fussgängerzone in Eger / History of the Pedestrian Zone in Cheb, Town of Cheb 2010, p. 87-90.
Owners:
1929 “Böhmische Eskompte Bank und Creditanstalt”, Cheb branch
1938 “Böhmische Eskompte Bank” – Dresdner Bank
Design:
Friedrich (Fritz) Lehmann
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