The tomb of Ebner-Eschenbach could be restored in 2020

Zdislavice (Kroměříž region) - The non-profit organization Czech National Trust (CNT) is restoring the park and chapel with the tomb of the German-speaking Moravian writer Marie von Ebner - Eschenbach in Zdislavice in the Kroměříž region. The project will cost about 15 million crowns, and CNT is trying to raise funds from donors, while dozens of volunteers, especially supporters of CNT, are working on the restoration. The organization hopes to revitalize the park and repair the tomb by 2020, which will mark the 190th anniversary of the writer's birth, project curator Eva Žallmanová told CTK today.

The writer came from an old Moravian noble family, the Dubskys from Třebomyslice. She was born on September 13, 1830, in Zdislavice and married the Austrian officer Mořic Ebner von Eschenbach. In the German-speaking environment, she is considered a significant author of the 19th century and is compared to Božena Němcová, but does not enjoy such fame in her homeland. Many of her short stories and prose are set in the Moravian countryside. CNT aims to highlight not only her literary and cultural legacy, but also her relationship with the Moravian countryside, social awareness, support for talented children, and the establishment of a poorhouse.

The two-hectare park and the tomb with the chapel have been in disrepair for many years, and last year the Zlín region invested in the static stabilization of the building and transferred it to CNT free of charge. According to Žallmanová, the building is now drying out and will gradually be reconstructed.

Volunteers are currently working on the neglected park, and its upper part has been partially restored. "We have removed invasive trees, mowed the grass, and are restoring flowering meadows. We had valuable tree species professionally pruned," said Žallmanová. The lower part of the park is on a steep slope that machinery cannot access, so volunteer events will be organized there. According to Žallmanová, two volunteer weeks are planned for this year, and people from abroad will also come to help.

The Neoclassical tomb was built in the second half of the 19th century beneath the castle in Zdislavice, where members of the Dubsky family are interred.

The Czech National Trust is part of a worldwide network of national trusts dedicated to the preservation of cultural and natural heritage. CNT was established at the end of 2013 and chose the restoration of the tomb of Marie von Ebner - Eschenbach as its pilot project. It is organizing a collection for the restoration, and people can contribute to account number 270781337/0300.