5. Lyžařská historie chaty Mercedes

SKIING AND THE MERCEDES VILLA

Mercedes Scouts lodge and its surroundings played a significant role in the development of skiing in Nové Město na Moravě. Since 1923 the Scouts helped organize ski races hosted by the local Sports club. The lodge, which was at first made of wood and then in 1939 rebuilt with bricks, was frequently used by the Scouts during ski races as facilities. “We used to ski down to the Mercedes lodge from Brožek’s hill and there we made tea from a special Scout herb mix on a small sheet metal stove” Jiří Šebek recounts. In 1938 the lodge was used during the IV Championship of the Moravian High Schools, which was held during a ski course. The event was organized by the instructor, Professor Jaroslav Puchýř. During the Second World War, the lodge was occupied by the Hitlerjugend, and the Scouts could not use it again until the winter of 1946. The last Scout group races took place in December 1950, shortly before the Scout organization was dissolved again. After that the lodge was administered by the sports divisions of Chirana. The abandoned and locked lodge, its open porch in particular, served as the starting point of all ski practice, be it for the Sports school or later for the Ski Bases. Many various ski races were held near the lodge, especially on fresh snow. The bigger include for example TJ Sokol Nové Město Championship (1952) or the Golden Ski of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands (1957), which had to be held here by TJ Sokol Nové Město due to a thaw and a lack of snow. The organizers had to put a lot of effort into preparing the shorter courses for race. During the years 1968 – 1970 the Scouts could use the lodge again for a brief period of time. Though they did not regain its ownership until 2009. Nowadays the lodge once again belongs to the local Scouts group, called „the White Shield“, who lend it nation-wide to youth organizations.

On the opposite hill, across the valley of the Cihelský potok stream, you can see Harus hill (741 m). The Ski slope has been there since 1994. In 1922 a small tourist chalet was built at the top of the hill and the following year a bigger chalet – designed by an architect from Nové Město na Moravě, František Šmíd – was added. They served their purpose only until 1942, when they both burned down because of a kitchen fire.

Left of the Harus hill can be found the “Šibenice” hill (706 m). That is where the first non-snow ski jumping hill, made of wooden trestle support, was built in 1912. Since the 1920s the jumping hill has been renovated many times and is now used as a training spot for local ski jumpers.

Author: Jiří Janíček, LS, AH