<Museum of pottery in Beroun will open next year in spring>

Beroun - The pottery museum in Beroun is expected to open next spring. The city hall has prepared all the documentation and plans to begin the reconstruction of the building this year. The exhibition will be created in a historic house from the 19th century on Zámečnická Street. The total costs amount to 9.8 million crowns, of which 7.9 million CZK will be covered by the European Union, said Mayor Šárka Endrlová (Independent Berounites) to reporters.
    The city received the building for free from the state two years ago. The two-story historic house is located near Husovo Square in a heritage zone. It is bordered by relatively well-preserved historical city walls, and the roof and covering of the house are over 100 years old. The transfer also included an adjacent garden and land with an area of 600 square meters. Its estimated value is more than nine million crowns. Heritage experts recommended preserving the layout of the building and the individual floors.
    The project is divided into two parts. The first phase includes the reconstruction of the building, garden, and garden house. The second phase includes renovating the interior of the museum and creating the exhibition. During February, the city intends to select an administrator for the tender for the first phase contractor. At the same time, it will have documentation prepared for the interior part and the exhibition. Renovation of the building could begin before the summer holidays, with completion planned for the end of May next year.
    The reconstruction includes repairing the trusses, roof, and adjacent walled fortifications. It also includes constructing utility connections and distribution networks, as well as renovating the garden, including repairs to the garden house and revitalization of the greenery. Windows, doors, and other historically significant parts of the house will be restored.
    In addition to the ceramics museum, the building should house a sales gallery, a ceramics workshop, or an open-air exhibition hall in the garden. Cultural events or courses for school and preschool children could take place there. The museum will likely be operated by the city cultural center. "I'm not saying it's 100 percent certain, but it's a possibility," the mayor stated.
    Beroun potters gained fame for their creations as early as the beginning of the 14th century. However, the expansion of this craft occurred in the 16th and 17th centuries, when they supplied ceramic goods to households in Prague. The most famous preserved exhibit of Beroun ceramics is the jug of Šimon Nemazal from Beroun, dated 1577. In connection with the pottery tradition, popular markets are held annually in Beroun, where artisans offer ceramic replicas inspired by the manufacturing techniques of that time and decorative motifs.