Malostranská beseda – the former town hall of Prague’s historic Lesser Town is slowly but surely undergoing renovation that, once complete, will see the building restored to its original splendour. On Sunday, the last of three replicas of the building’s original towers was put back into place.
Photo: CTK
Extensive renovation of Malostranská beseda – Malá Strana or the lesser quarters former town hall dating back to the late 15th century, has been ongoing for two years and when you stand here on the square, you see the building is still covered by rows of scaffolding. But at the weekend, renovation of the building saw a major step forward. Originally, three small towers adorned the building but were removed in 1828. On Sunday, the last of three wooden replicas, each weighing several tons, were put into place. This is what the beseda must have looked like almost 200 years ago, and the result is fantastic.
Photo: CTK
On Sunday, cylindrical time capsules, as is tradition, were placed inside the tower, containing such items as the Saturday papers, a recording of the Czech national anthem, and other items, so that when they are reopened in another 200 or 300 hundred years, our descendents will get an idea of how we lived. At the ceremony on Sunday was Prague Mayor Pavel Bém:
Pavel Bém, photo: CTK
“Maybe in one, two or three hundred years’ time these will be reopened and people will see them, so the contents have to be at least a little historic.”
Other items stored in the time capsules were paper money and coins and even a bottle of spirits. It is fascinating to imagine the looks on the faces of those who will one day open them. Meanwhile, the towers themselves – which are made of wood and weigh several tons, will still have to be plated with copper, before taking on their final appearance. Renovation is expected to continue until next summer, when Malostranská beseda reopens.
