The coaling tower in Vratislavice was part of a carpet factory. Today it is a cultural monument

During the First World War, an interesting 65 meter high reinforced concrete tower with a viewing platform was built in Vratislavice, today one of the parts of Liberec. It stood on the premises of a carpet factory, so it was primarily of technical importance, although its aesthetic value cannot be denied even after years of decay. In 2015, the Coal and Water Tower was declared a cultural monument, and that was also when the AvantgArt association was founded, which takes care of the so-called Zauhlovačka.

To this day, the remains of the tracks indicate where the coal wagons came to the tower. How the entire system, including the boiler room, worked is illustrated by an information sign at the entrance, where you can walk the path of the coal. “The coal was sucked into the middle floor of the tower by a large-capacity vacuum cleaner, where it mixed with the moth and then traveled to the boiler room using a conveyor belt,” explains Jitka Jakubičková, president of the AvantgArt association, with the symbolic coal crunching on the iron board.

When the enthusiasts received the keys to the coaling and water tower, which was built by the eldest son of the manufacturer Ignác Ginzkey Alfréd, they had a lot of work to do. Most of the original technology didn’t survive, but there was plenty of dirt, grime, and junk. So far, the ground floor and two floors have been made accessible. “On the ground floor, which is accessible from the street, we try to organize various cultural events such as concerts and performances,” says Jitka Jakubičková, according to whom the state-protected cultural monument could be a place for meetings, art and entertainment.

A steel staircase leads to the next floor, where you can see paper models of the tower and the factory, and where occasional exhibitions are held. And it is possible to climb one floor higher. The coal hopper funnel is already there. From there, a conveyor belt led to the boiler room. And thanks to the located periscope, a virtual tour of the surroundings from the tower is also possible. Virtual because the upper floors are not accessible for now.

The association strives to make the next floor accessible as well. The reward could then be a real view of the surroundings through the windows. And also a look down into the coal bin. On the next floor there is a water reservoir and just above it is a viewing platform, today equipped with a number of antennas, which practically make it impossible to see the surroundings. As a technical monument, however, the tower is worth a visit. It is open mainly during events, of which there are several per month during the season.