Restoration of the Bučovice organ has begun

 02.12.2021

At the end of November, a general organ renovation in the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Bučovice has begun.

The renovation of the organ is divided into two parts, the restoration of the playing part of the organ, which will be carried out by a Slovenian company ORGLARSTVO ŠKRABL, d.o.o., and the restoration of a listed organ cabinet with Baroque decoration, which will be carried out by a Czech company A.Q. Attentus Qualitatis s.r.o.

The first step was dismantling the playing part of the organ. A restoration and comparative survey of individual parts and an evaluation of the findings were carried out. All this was discussed on the first inspection day with representatives of the NHU and the state monument care authority. The dismantled pipe fund was transferred for restoration to the studio of the restoration company in Slovenia. Copies of parts that cannot be restored will also be made there. Works to renovate the cabinet will begin next spring.

The restoration of the organ will take two years. The total expenditure on organ restoration amounts to almost 7.7 million CZK. Organ restoration is part of the project "Organ restoration and revitalization of the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Bučovice", for which the parish of Bučovice managed to obtain a grant from the EEA Grants 2014 - 2021 under the programme Culture. Another significant financial support was provided by the South Moravian Region. The parish is also grateful for the generosity shown by small donors.

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The original organ was built by an unknown maker in 1788. After 100 years of use, they were so demaged that their playing part was replaced in 1897 - a new machine was built in an old organ cabinet. The new instrument was built by the Brauner brothers' organ factory in Uničov. The parish chronicle states that the organ pneumatic system was ordered from the Brauner brothers for 4261 golden coins. The organ with 20 registers and 1245 flutes, of which 261 were wooden and 839 pewter, 2 keyboard manuals and one pedal manual. The organ was delivered in 1897, examined and acknowledged as a very good instrument, after receiving permission from the pastor Jan Straka, it was consecrated on the Feast of the Annunciation on the 25th of May 1897.

The organ was exceptional in terms of sound, but its technical background was not very good. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Bučovice instrument was twice drastically rebuilt by Jan Tuček from Kutná Hora. However, the quality of the reconstruction was low, so it was necessary to constantly repair the organ. The repairs were often done by unprofessionals, which led to its current state on the verge of usability.

Restoration will return the instrument to its original state in appearance and full functionality. The sounding part of the instrument will be restored to the state of the 1897 romantic organ disposition, i.e., to the form of the instrument of the Brauner brothers, of which about 80% of the flute fund is preserved. The restored unique mechanical romantic organ with auxiliary equipment by Brauner including the restored organ cabinet with handmade sculptural decoration will be a unique tool of the style period and will enrich the region in terms of history and culture.


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Project information

Information on the EEA and Norway Grants