Notable Personages of Mariánské Lázně

Nepomuk Felbinger

(February 26^th 1768 – March 8^th 1855)

The first chronicler of Mariánské Lázně was Johann Nepomuk Felbinger, a retired bookkeeper of the Teplá Monastery. In 1816-1817he built the first two-floor brick house there. He lived through the transformation of the inhospitable valley into a welcoming spa town. He composed a private chronicle of the spa in the years 1835 – 1855 that was based on his collected notes. Its recollections date back to 1786. This chronicle remains a unique source of knowledge on the city's origins. Felbinger made the illustrations himself – he depicted numerous buildings, several of which were later demolished or radically rebuilt, and thus his chronicle is also an important iconographic source for the town's history.

Dr. August Lorenz Herzig

(March 20^th 1839 – September 25^th 1901)

He was the town's mayor from 1873 - 1880 and 1892 - 1899. During his mayorship, Mariánské Lázně experienced rapid development, to which Dr. Herzig contributed through his many initiatives.

In 1913, a memorial was unveiled in the town's park in honor of Dr. Herzig's foresight, selflessness and virtues. The memorial, created by Edmund Klotz of Vienna, was melted down during the Second World War.

The Architect Friedrich Zickler

(September 20^th 1829 –August 2^nd 1899)

He created many buildings during the second half of the 19^th century, which have shaped the appearance of the town up to the present time (The Town Theatre, Town Hall, Observatory, Forest Spring Pavilion, his villa at 107 Třebízský's Street among others).

The Architect and local native Josef Schaffer

(May 21^st 1862 – June 15^th 1938)

He carried out his architectural studies in Vienna. In 1889, he was appointed by the abbot Clementso to the position of architect, builder and director of monastery's spa facilities in Mariánské Lázně. Together with his father-in-law, the builder Johann König, he developed several landmark buildings in neo-Renaissance style.
Buildings by J. Schaffer:

• The Casino Cultural House (1898 – 1900) with the New Baths in the background (1893 – 95)
• The Central Baths built by J. Schaffer in 1889 - 1892 at the site of the former Old Baths
• The foremost building in the town – the New Baths – built by J. Schaffer in 1893 - 1895.
• The Town Hospital, built by J. Schaffer in 1898
• The Grand Hall of the Casino Cultural House in 1900

Václav Skalník

(June 29^th 1776 – October 7^th 1861)

Václav Skalník was an outstanding garden architect and creator of parks in Mariánské Lázně. Starting in 1817, he carried out major transformations of the marshy terrain. Together with the abbot Reitenberger and Dr. Nehr, he established the basis for the building of the spa town.

In the center of the town, he built the English park with an area of 18 hectares, designed and created the terrace of the promenade between the Cross and Caroline's Springs, modified the terrain of the Upper (Horní) Square (today's Goethe's Square), planted several domestic and exotic bushes and trees, laid out the footpaths in the parks and surrounding woods, built bridges across the brooks and adjusted the spring outflows.

In 1824, the Monastery of Teplá appointed him the superior of the municipality and entrusted him with running the building, cultural, financial and social offices. He also supervised the spa facilities and mineral water distribution. He dedicated forty-four years to the building of parks and the town.¨

Mariánské Lázně still adheres to the Skalník's concepts and territorial layouts in the central part of the town.  

His son Karel and grandson Albert also perpetuated the family tradition of artistic gardening.

Josef Dyonys Halbmayr

(1813 - 1879)

From 1845 - 1848, he was the superior of the municipality, and in the years 1861 - 1861 and 1867 - 1873 was the mayor of the town.

J. Halbmayr was a successful entrepreneur, originally from Munich in Bavaria, the son-in-law of the wealthy hotelier Albert Klinger and owner of the largest hotels in town: The Old Klinger (No. 36), The New Klinger (No. 33), The Halbmayr-Haus (No. 32, formerly "Rozkvět" – "Blossom", today's "Mondorf"), which he lavishly rebuilt.

In about the year 1871, he built a new hotel, The Louisendorf (No. 252, Cheb Street) and around 1875 the Hotel Maxhof (No. 141, today's "Maxim", Peace Square).

J. Halbmayr was a generous sponsor, a chairman and an honored member of many corporations and associations. During the course of his work, the town acquired a brick theater, the Forest Spring Colonnade and in 1872, the train station providing a connection to Vienna and Germany through Plzeň and Cheb, which was essential for further influx of spa guests.

The developed section of the town was extended through some parts of the English and Russian Streets, among other areas.

In addition to other holdings, the family owned a steam mill and a bakery in Plzeň. J. Halbmayr's sons Josef Anton (1846 - 1903) and Maxmilian Franz (1854 - 1903) followed their father in sponsorship and also participated in the town's administration (one example was their holding of shares in the town's savings bank, established in 1882). In 1903, Maxmilian F. Halbmayr bequeathed his Luginsland villa (No. 332, today Lil) to the town of Mariánské Lázně. The Emperor Franz Joseph the First stayed in the villa in 1904.

Translated by: Jana Vejříková