History of the house in Telč
The first known owner of this house was called Mertl or Martin the scythe-maker. Mertl the scythe-maker, as his name already says performed the craft of scythe and sickle making. Besides his craft he also farmed some fields. Mertl the scythe-maker had 3 sons and 2 daughters. Mertl the scythe –maker died in 1567 and in his last will that he made before his death he devised the house to his son Linhart the tailor. Linhart Mertlů participated in the executive town management, from 1560 he was a town councillor and in 1580-1582 he was the reeve of the town. Linhart Mertlů died in 1593 and in his last will he devised everything to his wife Rozýna and his children Václav and Anna. After the death of Linhart the tailor, i.e. from 1593 or shortly after that, the owner of this house was Jan Liškář, it is presumable that he married into this house.
Jan Liškář was also a town councillor in the town hall. On the St. Jakub bell, that was casted in 1603, we can read the name of Jan Liškář among the other councillors´ names. Jan Liškář probably sold this house to Ondřej Zoufalý in 1606. This man came from Stará Říše and his wife was Anna Mysletická. In 1609 the house was sold to the Italian man Petr Alberto for 430 threescores. Petr Alberto probably was one of the descendants of those Italian people who came to Telč in the middle of the 16th century to build the castle. Petr Alberto was a very rich man and he seemed to be a merchant. In 1621 Petr Alberto bought the neighbouring house No. 55 for his son Adam Alberto from his first marriage. Petr Alberto was sitting on the town hall as a councillor from 1619 respectively as port reeve. Petr Alberto got married twice. He died in 1640 and according to his last will the widow Marie Magdalena Albertová received the house. Already in 1641 Pavel Litohorský married her and in 1642 this house was conveyed to him together with the house in Podolí.
Pavel Litohorský was sitting on the town hall among the town councillors from 1650. He died in 1697 and from his children only the daughter Kateřina was found out, who married Šimon Suttner in 1688. He took over the house with the whole homestead in 1697. Šimon Suttner died already in 1703 and left the widow Kateřina and 3 minor orphans. The surviving widow Kateřina Suttnerová was housekeeping in this house with her orphans till 1705, when she married Jan Linhart. In 1713 she left the house to her son Martin Suttner for 1.500 Austrian Guldens. Martin Suttner, who married the widow Alžběta Hegrová in 1718 was not able to pay off his sisters share and therefore he had to sell the garden in the Old Town and one half of the hide. Martin Suttner died in 1733 and the surviving widow sold this house in her name and in the name of her orphans already in 1734 to Ondřej Hanusík for his bonniest wife Teresie for the sum of total 1.200,- Austrian Guldens. Ondřej Hanusík was a merchant with fabrics and he got rich very much. Jan Bílek remarked about him that he came to Telč from Italy. Ondřej Hanusík built the The Virgin Maria Chapel in Štěpnice on his own costs in 1719. And in 1727 he got built the Holy Family sculpture under the Greater Gate. From his heritage the Way of the Cross near the St. Jakub Church was built in 1740. Ondřej Hanusík was a councillor for long years and in 1716-1718 he was the mayor of the town Telč. Ondřej Hanusík kept already from 1703 the house No. 66. The widow Teresie took care not only for this house, but even for the house No. 66 until the full age of her son Josef. On 27.9.1747 she sold this house to Martini Ignác Chornitzer for 1.600,- Austrian Guldens.
Martin Ignác Chornitzer was the owner of this house from 1747. The search for the place where he came to Telč from was not successful. Martin Ignác married 14.11.1747 Marie Anna, the daughter of Tomáš Fleischer, the senator in Jindřichův Hradec. Martin Ignác was the serjeant at law in Telč in the years 1751-1760, later he joined the service for the local suzerain and was the acting director of the manor house of Telč for many years. Martin Ignác was a noble and pious man. He established even farming at the house. With his wife Anna he had 3 sons: Alois, Ignác and František and the daughter Johanna. Alois and Ignác became priests. The son Alois reached the degree of philosophy doctor at the theological faculty in Olomouc. He acted as chaplain even in Telč for 17 years and died as the priest in Želetava in 1811. He was buried in the St. Kateřina Chapel near the church door. The evidence of that is shown on the Epitaph, his brother Ignác let to make it in remembrance of him and that is still near the entrance door of the already mentioned chapel. A replica of that Epitaph has been placed next to the entrance to the rear apartment by the current house owners as the expression of thanks and admiration of Martin Chornitzer family who participated in the present beauty of our house predominantly. The younger son Ignác was ordained as a priest in Telč in 1780. In Telč he acted as a chaplain till 1798, after that he was the hospital chaplain for 13 years. In that time he got built Dlážky from the Town Gate to the Mother of God Church on his own costs. He died as the priest of Babice in Telč in 1834. The third brother, František Chornitzer, after having finished his studies, entered the public service and became monarchy´s privy councillor. The daughter Johanna married Jan Ellinger in 1788, the rent caretaker in the manor house of Blatná. She became a widow early and married again Vincenc Zwach in 1793, the soaper and the owner of the house No. 53. Martin Ignác Chornitzer was ill in the last years and became retired on 1.4.1783. The manor house owner of that time Maria Johanna countess Lichtenstein, born Of Thurheim, confirmed his retirement pension on 25.7.1783 awarding his loyal service for 21 years and 9 months. Martin Ignác died on 11.12.1785 at the age of 67 and left the widow Anna and 4 named children. After his death, his wife Anna continued the housekeeping until her death in 1800. Her 4 children inherited all property from her. Johanna´s husband, Vincenc Zwach the soaper, as their guardian took care for this house and the remaining property on behalf of them. When Alois died in 1811, in that time as the priest of Želetava, the other 2 brothers decided, due to their love for the sister Johanna, to leave this house with all furniture and books to her. Johanna left this house, under consent by her husband Vincenc, to her oldest son Leopold Zwach for the sum of 4.000,- Austrian Guldens already in the next year 1819. Leopold Zwach was a soaper and only 18 years old when he obtained this house. His wife Kateřina died in 1851 and left 3 orphans: Alois, Johanna and Arnošt. After the Leopold Zwach´s death all heirs made an agreement and on 29.12.1883 the son Alois Zwach obtained this house and all other real estate with the obligation to pay for all outstanding debts for the house, to pay 223 Guldens for the widow Anna and to provide her with accommodation in the house until her death, and to pay 2.131,- Guldens to his sister Johanna Anthonová and 794,- Guldens to his brother Arnošt Zwach. From 1883 this house was owned by Alois Zwach. Alois sold this house to Jan Vyhlídal for 8.000,- Guldens in 1897.
Jan Vyhlídal came from Mrákotín, where his father Cyril was farming and had a store with eggs and butter. Similarly Jan Vyhlídal established a store with butter and eggs in this house. Jan Vyhlídal, who remained single, died on 11.3.1923 without any last will and left property in the value of 115.968,- crowns. The court adjudged the right of inheritance to the following 3 people: ½ to the sister of the died Jan Vyhlídal Jena Basnerová, ¼ to the niece Josefa Kolandová and ¼ to the nephew František Fojt, the son of František Fojt, the teacher in Mrákotín. František Fojt continued to have grocery under the company name Cyril Vyhlídal, butter and eggs delivery to Telč. František Fojt died in 1939 and in his last will he demised all his property to his two nephews: Oskar Koland and Adolf Koland, by equal share.
In the 50ies the brothers Koland left this house to the Czechoslovak state. Since then various tenants lived in the house, depending on the decision by the housing administration in Telč.
Remark: Source book „Domy v Telči“ by Mr. Josef Rampula
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