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Church of Saint Barbara in Otovice
The Baroque Church of Saint Barbara in Otovice is a distinctive and unique building within the Broumov Group of Churches, a collection of sacral structures erected in the first half of the eighteenth century to designs by the Dientzenhofer architects. The church is located in the very heart of the village of Otovice and has been protected as a national cultural monument since 2022.
History
On the site of today’s church originally stood a wooden Protestant church, likely built in the fifteenth century and expanded in 1677. It functioned as a filial church under the parish of Martínkovice. In 1724 it was demolished to make way for a new, more representative structure. The new Baroque church was constructed between 1725 and 1727 at the initiative of Abbot Otmar Daniel Zinke of Broumov. The design is attributed to Christoph Dientzenhofer, while the actual building was overseen by his son Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer. Above the main entrance there remains a commemorative plaque bearing Abbot Zinke’s monogram and the year 1726, marking the year of consecration.
Architecture
Saint Barbara’s Church features an unusual oval floor plan from which seven semicircular chapels project, including the sanctuary. This arrangement differs from other Broumov Group churches, where the chapels are usually recessed into the exterior walls; in Otovice they protrude outward, giving the building pronounced sculptural character. The western façade has a triangular gable with the main entrance. Above the portal is the aforementioned plaque dated 1726. The church does not have a tower, only a small octagonal sanktus bell turret mounted on the ridge of the hipped roof. A striking architectural feature is the false wooden vault suspended from the preserved original Baroque roof structure. The roof frame is very complex, adapted to the elliptical plan. The ceiling is flat and undecorated, which is exceptional since most other Broumov churches feature vaults with ceiling paintings. The facades combine roughly plastered surfaces with smooth pilaster frames that give plastic articulation to the overall expression of the building.
Interior
The interior is divided by eight pilasters without bases, alternating with the niches of the individual chapels. The gallery is simple, with a wooden balustrade. The interior decoration today is extremely modest; most of the furniture has been removed for safety reasons and placed in storage or the Broumov Museum. The most valuable surviving feature is the Baroque altar in the southern central chapel, which formerly served as the main altar. Reliefs and sculptures from the eighteenth-century original inventory of the church are also preserved. In the Broumov Museum is exhibited a fifteenth-century panel painting of the Crucifixion, originally part of the Otovice church, an exceptional work of its kind in the entire region.
Surroundings and Site
The church complex lies in the central part of the village of Otovice. Originally, the church stood in open rural surroundings and was surrounded by a cemetery. Today it is embedded in denser development, yet the grassed-over cemetery remains immediately adjacent to the church. The site includes a boundary wall with a wrought-iron gate and a statue of the crucified Christ placed before the main entrance. In the 1930s, a World War I memorial created by the sculptor Emil Schwandtner was installed here.
Present Condition
The Church of Saint Barbara is among the most endangered structures in the Broumov Group. Until recently it suffered serious damage from water infiltration, dry rot, and woodworm infestation. The roof frame was particularly affected, causing structural issues with the ceiling, which was at risk of collapse. In 2013, the church was included in the Architectural Heritage Rescue Program. Treatment against wood‑destroying insects was carried out, and gradual replacement of damaged parts of the roof frame and roofing began. From 1995 to 2014 over one million Czech crowns were allocated for repairs. Despite this, restoration is not yet complete and the church still awaits full rehabilitation. No regular religious services are held in Saint Barbara’s Church today. The building now serves primarily as a monument to Baroque sacred architecture, valued for its unusual floor plan and the craftsmanship of the Dientzenhofer architects.
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