In Liberec, the renovation of the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre has been completed; it is heavenly blue

Liberec – In Liberec, near the Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross, the complete reconstruction of the dilapidated chapel of the Holy Sepulcher from the 18th century has been finished. Not long ago it was ochre gray, now it shines heavenly blue, which was the original color of the facade. The chapel was blessed today by the Liberec archdeacon Radek Jurnečka. It is one of the most valuable Baroque monuments in the city. Its rescue came at the last moment.

"We say that the last brick separated the chapel from collapse. When we removed all the incoherent masonry, we were afraid that there would be a spontaneous collapse. We had to use certain supportive structures," said Michal Felgr today to reporters from the company Aron house, which carried out the chapel restoration for nearly two million crowns. The chapel has a renewed roof, trusses, interior and exterior plaster, doors, windows, and stairs. Restaurateurs also worked on the sandstone and stone elements.

The front facade of the chapel also shines with three years. This year's date has been added as a symbol of its rescue, and two inscriptions have been restored. The year 1865 refers to the chapel's relocation to its current place; it originally stood on the western side of the cemetery near the nearby Archdeacon's Church of St. Anthony. And the inscription with the year 1722 is meant to remind its origin. However, the Deputy Mayor for Culture Ivan Langr (mayors for the Liberec region) stated today that it is an incorrect date by 50 years. "It was built in 1772 and apparently during further restoration work that followed, there was a mistake in restoring the faded letters," he noted.

The chapel is a copy of the Holy Sepulcher in Görlitz. It was commissioned by the Liberec cloth merchant and trader Andreas Joseph Wondrak according to the design of Johann Joseph Kuntze. It was last repaired in 1986, and its poor condition was affected by unknown thieves stealing the copper sheets from the roof several years ago. Moisture inside caused damage, and invasive wood species began to grow through it. The first rescue work for half a million was carried out this spring by restorer Bohumil Šolc, who statically secured the turret and covered the chapel to prevent water from coming in.

The chapel is located in the garden by the church along with the Stations of the Cross and the Marian column from 1719. According to the archdeacon, it is a place of reconciliation. "The Holy Sepulcher is one of the pillars and principles of Christianity, that death does not end everything, that death is just a part of human life, but it is not its goal," Jurnečka stated. Today's blessing of the chapel concerns all people who come and stop by the chapel. "So they can gain courage and hope to speak well about themselves and others, well and wisely, truthfully and sincerely," he added. The garden by the church is part of the cross-border tourist trail Via sacra connecting exceptional sacral monuments in Upper Lusatia, Northern Bohemia, and Lower Silesia. It is accessible from early May to October.