Curiosities of Mariánské Lázně

The oldest wayside café

The oldest wayside café is the Mill of Mariánské Lázně (now named Cristal). The local mill originally stood below the Sun Hotel (Slunce Hotel) and in 1818 was transferred by order of the local government from the spa district into the valley where it is now situated. The miller opened a taproom for coachmen and drivers there, and provided them and the arriving guests with refreshment. Over time, the mill was gradually transformed into a wayside café.

The miller Tomáš Arnold built a veranda, glassed it in and erected stables in the courtyard for the horses of the coming guests. The mill ceased operation in 1872. The later reconstruction transformed the building into a two-story public house with a veranda and tea garden. In 1929, the hotel was rebuilt as a five-story building, a design it still bears today. The millstone embedded in asphalt in front of the main entrance to the hotel commemorates the old mill.

The first reeve

Franz Joseph Seidl became the first reeve in the year 1812. He was born in 1781 in Vlkovice and worked as a tailor, though he could read and write. He first lived with his parents in the little cabin belonging to Fischer near the Cross Spring. Its owner Anton Fischer was one of the lumberjacks who had built the first cabin there.

The Seidls built their own House At the Prince's near the Nehr's house in 1807. Franz Joseph Seidl married Tereza Ficher, who was the first child born at the springs. She was born on March 2^nd 1787 and was baptized in the church in Pístov to which the village was originally affiliated.

Seidl, as the reeve, kept a record of the arriving spa guests in his book, starting in 1815. Over the years, the Seidls built numerous houses in Mariánské Lázně. The Prague House (Pražský dům - today's Sněžka), the White Lambkin (Bílý beránek – today's Labe), Regensburg (the former Alexandria), the White Lion (Bílý lev), and Varšava (Warsaw) are among them. Seidl died in 1849.

The oldest grave

On November 24^th 1843, the original section of the current cemetery was inaugurated. The grandson of the first chronicler Johann Nepomuk Felbinger - Ferdinand - was buried there on the occasion. On August 5^th 1844, the dean of Bechyně and Czech revivalist František Josef Sláma was buried near the main path of the cemetery. His grave is the oldest one there and acquired its current form thanks to the amendments made by Czech patriots in 1884.

Polka of Mariánské Lázně

In the 1940s, J. Hoffmann published brochures of national polkas in Prague. The first brochure, entitled "Hiterer Sinn" contained Czech polkas by Josef Labický, who formerly served as the first violist in Mariánské Lázně and later as a conductor of The Spa Orchestra of Karlovy Vary for many years. The second and the eighth brochures of polkas include works by the composer František Hilmar. The Polka of Mariánské Lázně (Marienbader Polka) is included in the eighth brochure.

The oldest spa building

The oldest spa building is to be found neither in the spa district, nor in the original area of Mariánské Lázně. It is the Mansion of Hamrníky that served for spa treatment starting in 1710. A yard used to stand there and belonged to Jan Kryštof Rabicar, the owner of the village of Trmaly (now Drmoul) prior to the 30-Year War.

During the war, the yard passed on to Jiří Kryštof Daniel Froschammer. The monastery purchased it from him for 3000 gold coins in 1665, and built a new yard at the site of the previous one. The abbot Raymund Wilfert of Teplá underwent treatment there in 1697, with waters transported from Cheb (which actually meant the waters of Františkovy Lázně). When fire engulfed the woods around Kynžvart and consequently destroyed the yard in 1706, another one was built (which remains until the present time). The construction was carried out by Wolfgang Braunbock and overseen by Kryštof Dienzenhofer himself.

There used to be baths in the mansion, and around 1750 the abbot Ambrose planned to pump the mineral water there through wooden pipes. In 1781, the abbot Trautmannsdorf and Dr. Nehr lived there. The idea of founding Mariánské Lázně came into being right in that house. Later on, the mansion became a destination for spa guests, with its parks, benches and statues all around, though never more used for spa treatment.

The oldest house in the spa district

The oldest house in the spa district is not the Town Museum as often stated, but rather the house at No. 3 in the Goethe's Square below the Skalník Hotel, which is just an empty grass-covered lot today. The house was built by Johan Nepomuk Felbinger, the chronicler of Mariánské Lázně in 1816, and was the first two-story house in town. He named the house "Zum Kaiser von Oesterreich".

In the second half of the 19^th century, the house was named "Haus Frankl" for its owner Dr. Frankl, who later acquired a memorial plaque for the house. An illustration in the chronicle dating back to 1818 indicates that the mansion retained its original shape throughout its existence, with merely one story with balconies being added. It is believed that there were gas emissions beneath the house. In the park in front of the house, a well used to stand. After the war, the house bore the name "Tatra" and the Wine Bar of Hodonín was opened there.

The locomotive named  Marienbad

The management of the Northern State Railway in Bohemia ordered six locomotives from the Maffei factory in Munich in 1846. The producer delivered the locomotives needed for establishment of the railroad from Prague to Podmokly. Each locomotive received a name emblazoned on its boiler, as well as its number. They were named after cities, the last two being spas – Franzensbad and Marienbad.

These freight locomotives were fine works, proving their power on flat land in particular. They mainly served on the railroad from Prague to Podmokly. The State Railway reconstructed the Marienbad locomotive in 1862, and did not put it out of operation until 1872. Thus the locomotive was unable to be a part of the opening of the train station in Mariánské Lázně in 1873.

The most threatening highwayman

In the Middle Ages, the best known highwayman in Teplá and its surroundings was a certain Kronl from Kron's Mill at Milhostov. This was in the times of woods that stretched to the horizon, when the Podhorní les (Underhill Forest) was joined with the Císařský les (Emperor's Forest). Kronl had numerous hideouts and dens in the woods, but robbed villages as well. His gang was the terror of the whole area.

Once, Kronl and his twenty five men disguised themselves as the retinue of a rich merchant (the merchant of course being Kronl), and arrived at the Monastery of Teplá in a carriage. Kronl was sumptuously served at the monastic table. In the meantime, his men looted the monastery, signaling Kronl when they were done. Kronl arose, announced who he was and vanished together with his companions.

Once at night, he stole the horse of the pastor of Pístov and wrote on the door: „I am just a poor thief and so have to take what I see “. He punished his traitors cruelly (he dipped a mill groom's head in an anthill). He also dared to rob the vicarage in the town of Mnichov. He was caught in Vysočany, transported to Teplá and was executed there. His treasure of booty was never found.

The last owner of Kron's Mill, Max Plescher vainly searched for the bandit loot in the mill. Whenever a sum of money or valuables happened to be found in the woods, it was claimed that they were from Kronl's loot. Many years ago, a peasant from Kladruby found a hollow with various church relics that could well have been part of Kronl's treasure.

The longest telegram

In the days of frequent visits by the English King Edward VII, the English politician Sir Henry Cambell-Bonnerman often stayed in town as well. In September 1899, he maintained correspondence with London from Mariánské Lázně regarding the events that precipitated the Boer War in South Africa. In late September 1899, he received a telegram from the British Transvaal Commission that contained 16,000 words! It was probably the longest telegram that has ever been received in Mariánské Lázně.

The richest bagger

On the road from Mariánské Lázně to Polom, Josef Kutzer of Závišín used to beg with his street organ. He had previously lived penniless in a poorhouse. He later decided to earn his keep by organ-grinding. What a surprise it was when, after his death in 1935, his bank account was found to total 35,000 Crowns. A street organ of gold!

His relatives' joy over the inheritance was premature. In his will, Kutzer bequeathed his property to a missionary order. Thus the excitement fizzled. It was a time of economic crisis, and such an inheritance meant salvation from poverty. But the road to riches was assured when lawyers discovered that the will lacked the necessary signature, and so the relatives at No. 9 in Závišín inherited the estate in the end.

The heaviest guest

Although no recorded list of the "heavy" guests of Mariánské Lázně was ever kept, one may obtain various facts about them that are documented in other sources. In his book on Edward VII, Sigmund Muenz mentioned that a heavy-set Egyptian stayed in the spa and could only move with the aid of tower-shaped arm rests.

This was probably El Gamal Bey, dubbed by the local newspapers as the heaviest of all spa guests. He was a regular visitor. During his first cure, he lost 54 kg and experienced a notable improvement in his health. Later on, the Englishman William Campbell of London was the acknowledged heaviest guest. His weight was 240 kg. In 1970, Mr. Žemlička, weighing 235 kg at the beginning of his cure, was treated in Mariánské Lázně.

The wealthiest guest

Although countless prosperous kings and rulers stayed in Mariánské Lázně in bygone days, including wealthy Russian dukes and western millionaires such as Morgan, who financed the construction of the Panama Canal, the oil tycoon Gulbenkian or the French automobile king Renault, the Persian Shah Muzzefir-Eddin, ruler of Persia in the years 1896 – 1907, is considered the richest guest to have ever visited the spa. He visited Mariánské Lázně in 1900.

It is not known why he decided to visit Mariánské Lázně. We do know that he ordered his envoy in Vienna to organize his stay in Mariánské Lázně. The envoy came to the spa town, negotiated with the owners of several properties, and ultimately decided on an apartment on the first floor of the former New Klinger (demolished in 1977). It was essential to ensure security precautions as well. Viennese detectives headed by the constable Dr. Schober had to accompany the King of Kings, the richest man in the world.

On September 6^th 1900, the mayor of the town, Dr. Nadler, and the state councilor Metzner awaited the honored guest in a ceremonially decorated train station lounge. Dr. Nadler gave a welcoming speech (which had been previously checked by the envoy), and the Shah responded with a speech in Persian. The whole visit was rather tense, since not long before, the Shah was fortunate in escaping assassination in Brussels, and thus was very unsettled. However, his visit to Mariánské Lázně ran smoothly.

The convoy departed from the train station through the festively decorated and lighted town to the New Klinger. Later that evening, the mayor was decorated with the Commander Cross of the Lion and the Order of the Sun. On the second day, the Shah's envoy visited the mayor and requested that he prepare an amusement schedule for His Majesty. And thus trips, rides, clay shooting, theater performances and other events to the guest's taste were organized. But there was one wish the town could not fulfill - to prepare grandiose fireworks every day - because it was very demanding and expensive, even though the Shah was a prominent guest. The Persian Shah wished to see the ballet in the Town Theater, but the local theater did not have a ballet ensemble and the ballet of the Prague German Theater could not come either. So mayor Nadler turned to the Court Opera in Berlin and requested a guest performance of the Berlin Ballet.

In the theater, Muzzefir–Eddin sat in the central loge. The adjoining loges had to be occupied by the town's councilors in order to prevent any assassination. While riding about, the carriage with the town's councilors had to travel in front of the Shah's carriage. The last carriage carrying officers ensured the Shah's security. Extended security precautions for the ruler were also provided during his walking tours.

The Persian Shah behaved very graciously, and in a friendly manner to children. He tossed coins to them during his walks, or down to them from his balcony. He decorated many personalities of the town with Persian orders, especially his police guards. The pharmacist Karel Brem ranked among those who enjoyed the Shah's favor, since the Shah also needed plenty of medicines for himself and his retinue, quite apart from the spa procedures. For his procurements of medicines, Brem was appointed the Persian court pharmacist and was bestowed the Order of the Lion and the Sun of the fourth grade. These are two exotic documents, the first written in French and the other in Arabic, the latter containing the Shah's seal with the classical invocation „The Empire Belongs to God Noble!“ in the header.

The awarding of foreign honors in Austria-Hungary had to be approved by the Austrian Emperor, who did indeed grant such approval to Karel Brem – through the so-called "Highest Decision of the Emperor Franz Joseph I" dated December 14^th 1900, and enabling him to wear the decoration in public.

The Transoceanic steamship "Marienbad"

Though it eventually faded into obscurity, prior to World War I a steamship by this name rode the ocean waves in the service of the Lloyd Park Company. It set off for its first cruise on August 2^nd 1913 from Trieste to India. The interiors were decorated by tableaus depicting Mariánské Lázně. The management of the spa sent a congratulatory telegram to the steamship's captain Bednář upon its first cruise, in Trieste. The further fate of the steamship is unknown.

Gold in the surroundings

In bygone times, gold used to be mined in the surrounding brooks. An ancient notation states that the gold had been mined „in silvam dictu Hay“ (in a wood called "Háj" – "Grove") behind Mnichov. Could that have been the old German name of Planý vrch (Barren Hill) in Mnichov? The Germans used to call it Hayd. Zlatý potok (the Golden Brook) flows behind Nová Ves (the New Village) towards Bečov, while above it there was Zlaté návrší (the Golden Rise).

Above the Lunapark (Fairground) in the surroundings of Třebízský's Brook, one encounters certain strange mounds. It is said that these are the remnants of gold panning. They used to be called Kočičí jámy (the Cat Pits). The Golden Brook (Zlatý potok - Schladabach) flows in Český les (the Czech Forest) through Tachov, Planá and the Chodov ironworks. The Golden Shafts used to be located near the extinct village of Slatina, not far from the German border. The origins of the German place-names beginning with Schlata-, Slata-, or Schlada- are to be found in the Czech word „zlatý“ ("golden"). Those were probably the brooks were the gold was panned off.

Source: "Mariánské Lázně 106 Times, or the Story of a Town that Only Needed 100 Years to Achieve World Fame" by V. Křížek and R. Švandrlík"
Many curiosities from the history of Mariánské Lázně and its surroundings may be found at the web site of Richard Švandrlík - Hamelika – at: www.hamelika.cz.

Translated by: Jana Vejříková