HISTORY OF NERATOV
At the time when Sdružení Neratov was established, two residents lived here. Especially during holidays and weekends, the number of people in the village increased thanks to local cottage owners. Nevertheless, it was still a place where, apart from beautiful nature and peace, there was nothing.
One of the intentions of the association therefore was (and still is) to bring life back to this area. In the past, it was indeed lively here. And Neratov was Bärnwald.
The first written mention of Bärnwald dates back to 1550, and it is mentioned by name for the first time in the municipal law of Rokytnice in the years 1575–1576. Nevertheless, there is evidence that as early as 1478 a glassworks stood on the site of the later rychtářství (the bailiff’s house). Glassmaking was very successful at that time, and there were several glassworks in the Orlické Mountains. The first wave of settlement began in the 13th century. The new inhabitants not only of Bärnwald were German glassmakers and workers. They came mainly from Thuringia, Franconia, Hesse, and Meissen. From the 15th century onward, glassworks and ironworks began to be established in greater numbers. Timber extraction also increased. This sequence of events caused another and much more significant influx of new inhabitants.
It is not known for certain whether a village arose here through the expansion of homesteads around the former smelter or whether it was a settlement created according to a plan. The last wave of settlement at the end of the 16th century and in the first half of the 17th century came from the Alps and settled in higher-altitude areas. This wave gave the mountains a level of settlement that lasted until the mid-20th century. The purpose of the settlement was to obtain wood for construction, forges, brickworks, and breweries, which were rapidly developing in the foothills.
From a Wooden Church to a Pilgrimage Site of Great Importance
The Orlické Mountains provided the inhabitants of Bärnwald with everything necessary for life. However, we should not forget that this was a time when faith and religion were deeply rooted, and the locals lacked a sanctuary that could relieve their suffering and provide support and hope. Therefore, in 1574, a wooden church stood on the site of today’s cemetery chapel, and a cemetery gradually developed around it.
In 1585, the new parish priest had the existing church enlarged and donated a bell to it, which rang until 1945. The bell weighed 320 kg and bore a Protestant inscription. The bells that returned to the church towers at the end of 2018 were created according to the original bells. The larger of them weighs around 300 kg, the smaller 180 kg, and they are also decorated with inscriptions. Naturally, no longer Protestant ones… At the beginning of the 17th century, the church was transformed into an Evangelical prayer house. In 1603, Christoph Mauschwitz donated a stone baptismal font to the church. It is decorated with his coat of arms – a green water lily on a silver field. This baptismal font still stands today in the cemetery chapel.
A fundamental change occurred at the beginning of the 1660s. The Rokytnice parish priest Kryštof Florián Blažej Drick had a dream in which the Virgin Mary appeared to him, and so in 1661 he had a miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary carved. When it was brought to Neratov, a woman from Rokytnice was miraculously healed. The miraculous power was attributed not only to the statue but also to the spring that flows near the church. Reports about the miracles in Neratov soon spread, and the sudden influx of pilgrims caused the wooden church to be rebuilt in stone in 1667–1668. From this structure, the presbytery has been preserved to this day, serving as the cemetery chapel. The place became increasingly popular, and so in 1723 the construction of a new church began — the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The foundation stone was laid by Johann Karl of Nostitz-Rhieneck on the eve of the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, that is, on 14 August.
The fact that this is an exceptional work is also evidenced by the architectural project, which still attracts the attention of experts today. Yet the architect himself is unknown; it may have been someone from the circle of Giovanni Battista Alliprandi. The architect could also have been the master builder Karl Rhein, who also built the church in Vrchní Orlice. However, on 23 August, Rhein fell from the church scaffolding and died. The construction was then completed by the Italian master builder Jacob Andre Carove.
What attracts so much attention to the church is its ground plan in the shape of a cross, the convex façade, the towers attached diagonally, and the concavely recessed pillars. Its length is 48 meters and its width 19 meters. The interior height is 27 meters. The exterior height up to the tips of the towers was 47 meters.
Another interesting feature is its location, thanks to which at noon on the first day of Christmas the sun’s rays fall exactly on the sanctuary.
Rococo Staircase
In 1776, a Rococo staircase was placed in front of the main portal, carved by Franz Hornich from Rothflössel. Four statues were placed on it – Saint Barbara, Saint Joseph, the Apostle Thomas, and Saint Teresa. Decorative vases were made by the Litomyšl sculptor Wenzel Heinrich.
This staircase is of crucial importance for the church. When the demolition of the church was decided during the communist era, an order was also issued to save the Rococo staircase because, according to the officials of that time, it was the only element that should be preserved due to its significance. It was transported to the Skalka manor near Dobruška using funds that had been allocated for the demolition of the church. Thanks to this, there were no funds left for the demolition, and the church remained preserved. Even though there were later efforts to return the staircase back to Neratov, the court decided that it would remain at Skalka.
Bärnwald until the fateful fire of the church
The school in Bärnwald operated from 1674 to 1939 as a two-class school. Until January 1945, it functioned as a single-class school. On the ground floor there was the apartment of the head teacher with a living kitchen and four additional rooms. On the first floor there were two classrooms.
Today, this former school building houses Sdružení Neratov, z. s.
Smuggling
Smuggling was mainly an activity that developed during the 19th century. From Prussia, items such as sugar, sweets, salt, jewelry, and even textiles for amateur theater were smuggled. In the opposite direction, shoes, clothing, and flour were carried to Prussia. Those who were caught in the act faced punishment in the form of a warning, interrogation, or imprisonment.
The Second World War and the expulsion of the original inhabitants
The peaceful village life began to be significantly shaken during the First and Second World Wars. The second one was fateful for the people of Neratov. At its end, the original inhabitants were expelled, and as if there were not enough unpleasant events in the village, the church caught fire. This happened after a Russian soldier fired several times from anti-tank weapons, and one of the shots hit the sanctus tower of the church.
The entire roof structure burned down, the wooden staircases of both towers were destroyed, and the bells and the clock melted. The interior was protected by a strong brick vault.
In 1955, people from the surrounding area attempted to repair the church, but sufficient funds were not found. The temporary roof structures and roof boarding collapsed two years later, and the interior of the church gradually deteriorated. In 1973, there was an attempt to list the church as a state monument. Instead, the request was rejected and a demolition order was issued for the church, from which it was saved by the above-mentioned staircase.
Even though the church continued to deteriorate, it managed to survive until 1989, when it was first discovered by the parish priest Josef Suchár. At that time, a new chapter of history began to be written not only for the church but also for the whole of Neratov.