Renovation of the roof of a historical house in Włodowice
The renovation of the roof of the historical house in Włodowice, which houses the Eduard Petzold Foundation, has been completed. The investment saved one of the more distinctive residential buildings in the Nowa Ruda Commune. Thanks to the initiative of Łukasz Przybylak and the Nowa Ruda Commune Office, the work was co-financed by the second edition of the Polish Government Program for the Restoration of Monuments.
The Eduard Petzold Foundation’s headquarters is located in one of the premises in the villa that is part of a complex formerly known as “Luisenheim.” This distinctive complex of residential and farm buildings with a garden, built in the 1890s, is listed in the Commune Register of Historic Monuments. Situated between the Włodzica River and the now-defunct section of the Młynówka Stream, the complex served as a comfortable residential care facility for the elderly. In the picturesque Włodzica River valley, called the “triumph of nature road” at the beginning of the 20th century, retirees from the Nowa Ruda mines and pensioners used to rest. Thanks to the care of post-war residents, the building has preserved many original decorative elements, including ceramic panels on the veranda balustrades. The structures of all three buildings in the complex remain unchanged, making them one of the most interesting architectural ensembles in the Nowa Ruda Commune.
The greatest challenge for subsequent residents, however, was the renovation of the roof with its complex structure. Despite temporary repairs and replacing parts of the covering with cement, the roof became increasingly leaky, leading to numerous leaks and damage to the truss elements.
In the summer of 2023, on the initiative of Łukasz Przybylak, the housing community, through the Nowa Ruda Housing Association, submitted an application to the Nowa Ruda Commune to include the roof renovation on the list of candidates for the second edition of the Polish Government Program for the Restoration of Monuments. On September 27, 2023, the results were announced, with the multi-family residential house in Włodowice and the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Ludwikowice Kłodzkie receiving financial support promises from the Nowa Ruda Commune.
Thanks to the grant obtained, a comprehensive roof renovation began in May 2024, including the replacement of damaged rafters, restoration of the roof covering with ceramic fish-scale tiles laid in a herringbone pattern, and replacement of gutters. The work also included restoring cement-lime plaster on the chimneys, conserving existing decorative woodwork, and reconstructing missing elements. All the work was carried out in consultation with the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Office for the Protection of Monuments in Wałbrzych.
The completed work represents another significant step by the Eduard Petzold Foundation and the Nowa Ruda Commune Office in their efforts to protect monuments and local cultural heritage. In 2023-2024, on the initiative of Łukasz Przybylak, the housing community submitted an application to the Nowa Ruda Commune to include a late 19th-century farm building in the Commune Register of Historic Monuments. After receiving a positive opinion from the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Office for the Protection of Monuments, the building was included in the register. As a result, all components of the former “Luisenheim” complex are now protected as monuments.
Following the conservation guidelines obtained for the building’s renovation, further work is planned, including refreshing the façade, conserving the original external door and window woodwork, renovating polychromed decorative elements and metalwork in the building’s vertical circulation area, and repairing preserved elements of the original fence. In the future, part of the garden will also be developed in the spirit of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The garden will be available for all residents of the Nowa Ruda Commune and tourists using the bike path to enjoy.
Beneficiary of the 2nd edition of the Polish Government Program for the Restoration of Monuments grant:
Nowa Ruda Commune Office represented by Mayor Adrianna Mierzejewska.
Funding: 233,828.00 PLN. Total value: 238,600.00 PLN.
Renovation project:
EKO-PRO S.C. design office from Jedlina Zdrój, engineers Jacek Brzozowski and Jan Jaworek.
Renovation contractor:
Firma Murarstwo-Ciesielstwo from Bielawa represented by Jan Sochanowski.
Formal supervision of the renovation:
Nowa Ruda Housing Association represented by CEO Grzegorz Niedziela.