CZ: Městec Králové - A Fire Story Of The Small Town - VIDEO

Boring, boring, gray, gray – the comparison by Jára Cimrman (one of the famous Czech humour personality) would be perfect with a little exaggeration for Městec Králové town. But how else to live in a small town located in the little bit boring Elbe lowland?  The Clock Tower at Town Hall dismissed the noon. A several local people are waiting for the bus. Impatiently pacing and checking their watch, probably therefore none of them already can´t realize the so much known sound of a Clock Tower. 

The storm brewing and in the city in Nymburk district, which is home for about three thousand people, it starts coming alive. Mainly therefore the people want to stay dry, but perhaps also because our portal camera appeared among them. “Have you seen it? The TV is here. Look, look, they are filming you now,” some older lady suspecting us even though the camera lens point the tower of St. Margaret´s church tower at the Republic Square.

The low business of 21th century

On the square is working bakery, TV shop, drugstore, pharmacy and food shop of course. The space in front of the local shopping area around the blue-painted pool cheered up by several children, who played there with crinkly balls. They have a holiday and so therefore they can enjoy it on their own. Although for the Prague kids would seem their game outdated.

The list of shops and businesses in 1932 with the roughly same population was much more longer. At that time there worked 13 shops with mix of goods, four motorcycle shops, four shoe shops, six shops with textile, five newsagents, shop with bottled beer, eight pubs, four hotels and much more. In the interwar period seemed as good time for Městec Králové.

Městec Králové undrer the Power protection

Městec Králové became to be town in 13^th century, for only one reason – it was the born place of Přemysl Otakar II. But the right city with tall burgher buildings  Městec Králové wasn’t in that time. The weakness for this place had, just a God knows why, also Charles IV., who gave city law to a town. Over time the many owner was changing there. The hard shock came there in all subsequent wars – especially the Hussites and the Thirty Years War.   

Four fires and destruction of the city

Later it wasn’t wars but careless in the handling with the fire of local people, hot weather or the absence or inability the firemen, what sent the city on the edge of poverty. In the summer 1776 burned there two times in short term. In this case there burned 57 houses, the manor house and a quarter of the city. Just three days later came another fire to Městec, burned nine houses and three barns. 

A similar scenario repeated 16 years later. In April 1792 fire started in a house with a number 64, finally destroyed 40 buildings and several barns. At that time nobody knew that the real hell will came less than one month later. The fire, which began in the house no. 4, finally destroyed almost the entire city – a total of 186 houses, church of St. Margaret, parish, school and town hall.  Then time died two people and dozens of cattle.   

In the town is everything how it should be today - the new town hall, school and also hospital. In Městec Králové live mostly older people and maybe that is the reason why the town is so quiet and peaceful. But for a young, temperamental man could be a bit boring. But also this kind of place does exist.

Text/foto/video: Klára Svobodová