I have always been attracted to history ****************************************************************************************** * ****************************************************************************************** ****************************************************************************************** * "We try to help to preserve the natural heritage and cultural sights. It does not mean o of material heritage, such as pedestals, stones and beams, but returning the original sign sights." ****************************************************************************************** *========================================================================================= * Jan Havelka, a graduate in History of European Culture, is interviewed by Anna Jaklová *========================================================================================= Do you have happy memories of your studies at Catholic Theological Faculty of Charles Univ I do, definitely. Sometimes it was fun, other times quite difficult and sometimes it made (laughter) But it was very good, and I think there was a wonderful bunch of people. I have with some schoolmates, and I know that I can ask any of them for help anytime. I also have of our student events – for example seminars in the Broumov region, or here in Letařovice, the associate professor Sládek. These are the unforgettable experiences. I also remember t lecturers, I don’t want to miss out anybody, but I remember for example professor Royt, pr doctor Kubík, doctor Doležal and of course my thesis supervisor professor Beneš. It was pr and associate professor Sládek who told us something which remained in my memory: Lecturer knowledge and sometimes they are successful and sometimes not (laughter) but they also set to handle the knowledge and pass it on. I try to do this in my life and during my activiti to pass something on. Have you always been attracted to history studies? Yes, I can say I have always liked history. It started with family memories over old photo example from my parents’ or grandparents’ childhood. Micro stories of my family – that was interest in history. At secondary grammar school, I had already been a typical history swo I have always been attracted to history. How did you as a “Prague person” get to the Podještědí region? I like the neighbouring region – Český Ráj because we had a cottage near Jičín and as a ch of time there. It’s not far from here, and it is a similar type of countryside. At seconda a school trip to Český Dub, which is actually the centre of Podještědí or Českodubsko regi moved my heart. We visited the local sights and saw other interesting places, such as Joha or old empty Sudeten German houses, a beautiful atmosphere everywhere. The whole area was me – old delipidating cottages we explored with my schoolmates. We found there various old behind by the original owners and we invented the stories connected with them. Was it there where you decided to establish the Dubáci fellowship which you preside? Could something about this fellowship? After that I visited the area more and more often and was thinking what could be done ther looking for a reason why to go there, not to go there for nothing. Still at grammar school, we thought of a film with my mates which we shot here about the l friend of mine is a musician, so it was a kind of historical musical (laughter). It brough to the region. When we were shooting the film, we explored the whole area. We noticed ways were everywhere around and dilapidating gradually as nobody looked after them. It inspired a repair of one of them – Baroque St John’s column situated in the countryside, on a hill view of Ještěd and Český Dub. Doing so, I was noticed by other people from the surrounding 2012 we established the Dubáci fellowship. It is called Dubáci, because Český Dub is a kind of the natural centre of the area. Basica help to preserve the natural heritage and cultural sights. It does not mean only preservat heritage, such as pedestals, stones and beams, but returning the original significance to if not the original one, perhaps a new one. When a wayside cross is being renovated, I try local people about it. It is the main purpose – to realize there are interesting places wh noticed before and form a relationship to them. It is also related to our activities connected with the reconstruction of St Jacob’s Churc which was in disrepair. There we started to organise (when I was still studying the first Theological Faculty) a festival called “Pouť mezi dvěma Jány”, which is a kind of small cu A great help came from the associate professor Miloš Sládek – he recommended Baroque music give lectures and performed with his student theatre. Professor Royt also comes to lecture Local people look forward to this event every year. First you reconstructed smaller sights in the surroundings. How did you get the idea of re Beran’s inn in Trávníček? A big topic here in south part of Českodubsko region is folk architecture, because beyond German areas, former borderland, where often the whole villages are quite preserved becaus the area. Then other people bought them as weekend houses and they look after them quite w Českodubsko region there was no expulsion or just minimum. The houses are held by the orig It means that sometimes they are neglected, dilapidating and collapsing. Because they are adapted. It is a logical step. At the same time, the local folk architecture is very preci and specific. In the village of Trávníček, not so many original houses were destroyed. Specialist litera to Trávníček as a natural open-air museum of folk architecture in the Podještědí region. W a beautiful old inn in Trávníček which had been dilapidating and falling into ruin. When i we saw it as a challenge. Save a folk architecture sight, show how it was done before in a and show the people that it is possible to rescue such a building. Dubáci association did for its activities where it could present itself. For example, after the event in Letařovi have anywhere to go. At the end of an event, we always had to meet in front of sacristy (l it’s fine, we will have a clubroom. At events, you perform as Beran, the innkeeper after whom the inn is called. Who was Anton I did a historical research about the innkeeper Antonín Beran in archives, so I learned qu him. The Berans lived there for several hundred years and Antonín Beran was the last of th tuberculosis at 39 after having reconstructed the whole inn and got it running. His childr the family had quite a tragic fate. After more than 100 years we follow what the innkeeper behind, as there was nobody left to do it. The fellowship has been given several awards for the inn reconstruction. I would mention m prize Patrimonium pro futuro from the National Heritage Institute in the category of Histo Conversation and in the category Public Choice Award. Your activities follow the start of the 20th century – is this era a kind of model what th like? The building had an advantage and somewhat a disadvantage at the same time that its owner the house at all and it was on the verge of collapsing. We had to replace many beams and s had to be reconstructed completely. On the other hand, it was preserved in its authentic f start of the 20th century when its last big reconstruction was made. The engineers Pešta a did the historical research of the inn building, said: “We always ask where we should go b reconstruction.” And this building has the most preserved part from the start of the 20th an advertising postcard made perhaps by the innkeeper Beran, from between 1905 and 1908, a aim to achieve. In the interior, there are clay plasters with preserved original stencil p complicated Art Nouveau motifs. When you enter the inn where the paintings have been parti you have a feeling you are rather in a mansion, not in a cottage. All these aspects determ would like to renovate the state from 1905. It is connected with many things, for example open-hearth kitchen was used as a taproom. In Beran’s time, this type of kitchens had alre unfashionable. And because he had little space in the hall and the taproom would be in the he situated it in the former open-hearth kitchen. We found the pipes going from the cellar kitchen. So we will reconstruct the inn with this untraditional layout. It is also a reaso this project a museum with a taproom. It won’t be run as a standard pub because our recons would not be seen. A visitor will be able to have a draft beer from one brass tap, in the innkeeper Beran had it. Many cultural events are held at the inn. If we had a normal year, which events were you p Now we would have had the sixth year of carnival here in Trávníček. I’m still preparing th the funfair Mezi dvěma Jány, which is supposed to be at the beginning of June. If it works very tight. Even last year was rather minimalist, it was immediately after the lockdown, w In summer we organise events directly in Trávníček outside the Beran’s inn. We take part i Architecture Days in July. And other times we just do there what comes into our mind (laug You wrote the book Příběhy podještědské obce I. which became the book of the year in the L 2019. Is its part two coming out soon? Yes, it is. The first part is based on my bachelor and diploma work. Altogether there shou parts and it is supposed to be history of the village of Bílá under which we belong and wh comprises of six various villages that were united under the central village in the social the individual parts I will be dealing with these smaller villages and municipalities. In you can read about Trávníček and Letařovice. The second part is a new challenge for me and experience. From my point of view, it is a largely unexplored topic, so to say. In the fir pre-prepared material from my previous work. Now I am starting from scratch, all the bibli work and interviews with those who remember old times and other things. There is a lot of refreshing for me to discover other parts of this area and form relationship to it. You are a historian, the chairman of a fellowship but also a brewer. What beer do you brew come to Trávníček for it? The brewery was established because we had been thinking about the economic results of our activities and we realized that we cannot do it for living. So, the idea came from the inn the connection with beer. Coincidently, there were a few brewers in our surroundings and t could establish a flying brewery”. A flying brewery means that we have our own recipe, but is leased to various other breweries. We liked the idea and in 2018 we established Beran’s a tribute to Antonín Beran. And also because we have Beran’s Inn and there is also Beran’s village, not connected with us. So Beran’s Brewery is completing the series (laughter). At are preparing construction of a brick-and-mortar brewery, if circumstances allow. Our brew good beer, we supply to Prague as well. Every Thursday we can deliver anywhere. The text was first published in DOXA vol. 7, no. 2, june 2021 [ URL "https://www.ktf.cuni. version1-ktf_1370_version1_14_doxa_web_02_web.pdf"] , pp. 17-18.