Lenešice: Church Building In Tumbledown - VIDEO

But is is not the last victory for Lenešice church!

Lenešice is a former village of agricultural character, situated not far from the town of Louny. You can find there all necessary important points as in any other community, i.e. municipal office, pub, school building, library and even a small castle. But a church is missing here, this cold but rather mythical place for all, where the people are gathering in traditional way, in order to pray, so that their wishes could be fulfilled. You can watch there the church ruins only. Church tower fell down on 3rd July 2008. The clock tower, which hung there, stopped exactly at time period of its fall.

The Romanesque church of St. Simon and Juda undergone lengthy administrative process, bound to its necessary reconstruction, was unsuccessfull. The village dominanta missed suddenly to all people, including the boys who played there their children plays (hide-and-seek plays). The clock tower disappeared together with the tower, and the time disappeared and stopped at the same time.

When hide-and-seek plays are missing, the cluibs are founded…

Children memories, nostalgy but mainly a respect to old passed times led for the establishment of Lenešice Embellishing Club. „We played  here since our childhood. The tower was our popular game point, and it fell down suddenly!“, Zdeněk Plaček, Lenešice native and Club President remembers.

It is Sunday and Mr. Plaček passes with us through demolished walls of once beautiful church. He takes off the pulpit and goes over prayer´s banks, in order to show us partially preserved columns of Romanesque style. However, everything which would remain holy, is in ruins. So, you can see on the earth broken hand of small statue of some saint, which decorated the church interior couple of years ago. Mr. Plaček is cooperating with the archaeologísts and memorial experts, together with all persons who support him, and is doing all possible, in order to renew all, which would the society look after - irrespective of a faith in God.

St.Simon and Juda church undergone various reconstructions many times. However, one of them which was planned for 2008, arrived late. „It is fate irony that the tower fell down only four days before, when the repair works would be effected. Anyway, frankly speaking, it was good luck in the disaster! I cannot imagine that the tower would fell down with the persons, who whould make the repair works there!“. Mr. Plaček says, touching at the same time with his finger the numbers, engraved on corner stone.

„It is obvious from this inscription that this church was constructed in 1262. Anyway, it is possible that it was later, in 1241. But, frankly speaking, even when the church was terminated, this number was not readable too much!“ Now, the church  as wll as tower clock are missing and this fact is valid for all local people. No doubt, many persons came to consciousness and some humbleness for the art of our ancestors.

„Our Club is organizing various events, as without contributions from our people it would not be managed like this. We fully need their support. Thanks to their help, we received CZK 200.000 as the donations for church renovation!“, Mr. Plaček says.

The Club got totally from these gifts  some millions of crowns. Nevertheless, total amount, required by church renovation,would reach to CZK 24 millions!

„Apart of this, we are able to obtain each year approx. CZK 1 million, despite the fact that the cooperation with authorities is very good. They are aware very well what happened - rare building of Romanesque style fell down and it is really a bad luck!“ Mr. Plaček confirms.

So, now, all is ready in Lenešice market place, in order to the construction of periphery walls would be started. At the beginning of October a half-meter wall constructed from original stones, would be built.

„The walls will be judged of memorial experts and statics builders!“ the chairman of Lenešice Embellishing Club explains. He knows very well, that hard work will start afterthat. And if all will continue in such speed as now, so the Club will have enough work for next twenty-five years.

„The reinforcement of people´s knowledge history of their home, fates of their inhabitants and their faith, all this could be rather difficult during time period of strong migration, but it could be the best protection against lost-interest and destructions at the same time. The ignorance will call up not only the indifference or the fear, but also the rejection or hate!“ (from lectures´volume of Lenešice Embellishing Club).

The Church in Lenešice could be probably one of last of the whole Postoloprty building works, which operated from Kadaň up to Lenešice. However, no other building of such type was preserved till now. The last reconstruction works, started in 1800, were rather insensible. The breaks-through into the tower were made, and finally, the whole tower was reconstructed, and all these interferences with the building led to the fact that the tower fell completely down two years ago.

Text/video: Klára Svobodová

Translation: ing. Jan Jonáš

Photo: Štěpánka Svobodová