7
Wolker Alley
An ornamental alley and gardens were planted in 1848 at the site of the former town walls. With the removal of the fortifications all traces of the original pond and Domain Mill also disappeared.
The flow of the Svitava River was gradually brought under control and this water source was utilized at the end of the 19th century by the local textile factories. In 1869 Heinrich Klinger built his factory here at the start of Wolker Alley, in the direction of the roundabout; in 1886 the factory owner Sponer built his large homes on today’s Milada Horáková Street. Sponer built a residential villa with an ornamental park featuring a romantic pond, caves, and castle ruins at this location. Peace talks were held here between Austria and Prussia in 1866 and Sponer Villa was chosen as accommodations for the Prussian general staff. The commemorative plaque installed at the entrance to the state administration office building was destroyed by Red Army soldiers in 1945. Following liberation the ownership of the houses and villa was taken over by the state. The ornamental park at the Wolker Alley, where celebrated Bier roses had also been cultivated, was likewise destroyed.
Large-scale construction work is currently under way at Wolker Alley in connection with the conversion of the former Vigon factory into Fabrika Svitavy, a multi-purpose, cultural, educational, and community centre.