A bit of history…
The present Mělč Children's Home is situated in the building of a stately home that was
built in 1755. In the first half of the 19th century the baroque building with a mansard
roof was reconstructed in the empire style. It was used as the seat of the manor of the
former owners and partially for spa treatment purposes. In 1936 the owner, Count
Rozumovksi, sold the stately home to the "Czech Heart" club, which used it as a
convalescent home. During the Second World War the convalescent home was turned into
accommodation for a girls' commando force and a military hospital for German soldiers.
After the war a special boarding school was set up here and today the building, with a
capacity of 40 beds, is used as a home for abandoned children.
A detailed examination of the entire building in 1996 found serious defects that required
immediate reconstruction. As the building is over 200 years old, its lack of insulation
has caused it to suffer from excessive moisture, rising as high as 2 metres. Moreover, a
preliminary measurement of equivalent radon activity levels, necessary for the issue of a
building permit, found increased radon levels. The only logical solution to enable healthy
inhabitation was to carry out comprehensive anti-radon measures and to treat the damaged
masonry.
The building work (fitting new guttering, salvaging the damaged masonry, anti-radon
measures, and repair of the facade on the front of the building ) lasted from 1996 until
December 1998 without any restricting the activity of the children's home. December 1998
saw the building work come to its successful end and the stately home had a new, healthier
face. None of the work performed would have been possible without the financial support of
EuroTel, which presented the children's home with a financial donation of CZK 2,350,000 on
the occasion of the EuroTel hockey Dream Match in August 1998. |
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Once again we see that human solidarity is a
powerful force. In this case it helped create a better home for abandoned children,
children who need our help most.
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