Jurkovič's granddaughter donated a crystal heart to the Luhačovice museum

Luhačovice (Zlín Region) - The granddaughter of Slovak architect Dušan Jurkovič, Katarína Salayová Jurkovičová, today presented a large crystal heart to representatives of the local museum in Luhačovice, Zlín Region. The heart was awarded to Dušan Jurkovič in memoriam by the Slovak Society of Ferdinand Martinenghi in conjunction with the Paneuropean Union. Jurkovič's descendants then decided to donate it to the museum as a thank you for the care of Jurkovič's legacy, said the museum head Blanka Petráková to ČTK today. A representative of Art Nouveau architecture, who created a unique style significantly influenced by folk architecture, he is the author of many buildings in the most famous Moravian spa towns.
The heart was also awarded to the architect's friend, Dr. Pavel Blaho, who served as a doctor in Luhačovice and together with Jurkovič contributed to the establishment of the spa. "For both, Luhačovice was a matter of the heart," said Salayová Jurkovičová to ČTK today, who last visited Luhačovice six years ago and her favorite building is Jurkovič’s house.
The Luhačovice Zálesí Museum is preparing exhibitions, discussions, and other events about the famous Art Nouveau architect. The latest exhibition shows what Luhačovice and especially the spa center would have looked like if Jurkovič's plans had been realized. "Luhačovice forms the largest preserved complex of Jurkovič's monuments, in the 1920s there were 15 buildings here that Jurkovič realized, now there are eight," stated Petráková, who noted that the unrealized plans are also valuable.
The Luhačovice spa, which manages most of the monuments, has gradually reconstructed the objects. The most significant action was the complete renovation of Jurkovič's house directly on the spa colonnade. According to Petráková, the sun and river baths, which are currently preserved, also deserve restoration. However, the spa management does not currently plan for an expensive renovation.
Jurkovič, through his buildings created between 1902 and 1907, gave the spa town an original appearance. In 1913, the architect returned to the topic of the spa with a large study on the construction and regulation of the spa center, but it remained only on paper. The architect, originally from the Slovak Myjava, is also the author of the Maměnka and Libušín mountain lodges at Pustevny on Radhošť. The town hall in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm built a lookout tower last year based on Jurkovič's designs.