Pečky

Pečky

It is the youngest town of the district of Kolín. A village of Pečky was declared a town in 1925. Its past was connected neither with royalty nor with aristocracy. In 1225 it was mentioned in records as a tiny rural settlement. Agriculture, namely production of wheat and sugar cane, prospered in this area ever since due to its convenient location in a fertile Nymburk Basin near Poděbrady. Only much later, in the middle of the 19th century, the village started to grow with the development of a railway traffic when the track Prague – Kolín – Česká Třebová was built. At the turn of the 19th and the 20th century a new school and a town hall were built and sugar cane processing and production of agriculture machinery were introduced. Today Pečky which lies at an altitude of 200 metres above sea level has about 4,300 inhabitants.

The year 1989 meant a new positive impulse for the town and today Pečky is a nice little town with new building development as well as two interesting historical monuments: the Catholic Neo-Romanesque Church of St. Wenceslas with a beam structure and interesting Art Nouveau decorations built in 1913; the other one is the Evangelical Church of Master Jan Hus.

Before visiting this outstanding building of European significance, we need to mention the history of the local Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren (ECCB) congregation which is closely connected with the history of the nearby Velim congregation. The secret Protestants from Velim and its environs espoused to the Reformed confession already in 1783 and a year later the first toleration house of prayer was built. In 1854 it was replaced by a monumental three-nave Neo-Renaissance church with a tower. A rectory was added later. In 1907 a preaching station of Velim congregation was established in Pečky and based on the idea of Velim minister Jaroslav Řepa a possibility of building a new church in Pečky started to be considered. The church was to be devoted to Master Jan Hus and its construction started on 16th May 1914. The courageous plan to complete the building in 1915, on the 500th anniversary of the execution of Jan Hus at the stake was however interrupted by World War I. Despite that the first service took place in the new Protestant church already on the 2nd February 1916. The inauguration of the new church on 16th May 1918 was not only a religious event but it was also equally important for general public as architect Oldřich Liska with his colleagues designed a building that has no equivalent in religious architecture in Bohemia or perhaps even in Europe.

The whole complex of buildings is a unique example of early Cubism. The church is connected with a rectangular tower, with a chalice at the top, with a rectory and community rooms. Also the interior of the communion area and a neighbouring Jerome Hall, in memory of Master Jerome of Prague (Jeroným Pražský) is in its very detail in a Cubist style. The Lord’s table, benches, the organ, stained glass windows as well as beautiful chandeliers are in agreement with the author’s vision and with an excellent craftsmanship finish.

Worth noticing is a plaster model of Master Jan Hus statue made by Stanislav Sucharda in 1912. It can be found on a neatly kept place in front of the church.

The Protestant church in Pečky, even though not very well-known, is one of the architectural treasures and definitely worth visiting.