Relief on Oesterreicher's House / Reliéf na Oesterreicherove dome - Pardubice (East Bohemia) - Relief Art Sculptures on Waymarking.com

The depicted relief depicting the origin of owners of the Pardubice demesne, Lords of Pernstein (Pernštejnové), decorates facade of the Oesterreicher's House (Oesterreicheruv dum) in Pernstein Square (Pernštýnské námestí).

Oesterreicher's House, in the core late-Gothic structure built in 1507, was reshaped into luxury Renaissance burgherhouse after 1538. The house is a fine example of the architectonic development of the Pernstein Square, in the richly decorated Renaissance building you can find several late-Gothic elements (e.g. windows with stone frames or vaulting in ground floor). The house, completely reconstructed after 2000, bears name of Marek Oesterreicher, the first Jewish Pardubice' citizen who got permission to settle in the Old Town of Pardubice (he owned the house after 1848).

The stone relief describes tale of Perstein family ancestor, charcoal burner Vanek (also Venava or Wienawa), who lived in a Moravian forests in ancient times. Hardly working all of his days, he returned hungry from the woods one evening, looking forward to his-poor repast. But barely arrived at his poor house, he saw the broken door. Angered went inside and soon saw only breadcrumbs on the table and on the ground...

After this sad discovery he decided that he will not go into the forest tomorrow morning. Hidden behind the cottage he was lurking for mysterious robber. After long waiting he heard stomping and snorting, peeked out from his hide place and saw approaching wisent (European bison). Wisent immediately broken the door and entered into cottage. Vanek did not believe his eyes, but soon recovered. Just a moment, thought about it and then decided to act. Meanwhile, as the wisent was enjoying his bread, Vanek approached quietly to the cottage. After short fight, when wisent was unable to move in a small room, Vanek put the nose ring into its nostrils and took wisent to royal castle in Brno.

On the way to the castle he was accompanied by words of astonishment and admiration and eventually he stayed before the King in royal castle. The King, amazed by Vanek's bravery and strength, asked him what such a brave man wants as a gift for his courage. Vanek replied that he need only freedom and own piece of land. Because the king had donated the land and freedom to him immediately, grateful Vanek once again decided to demonstrate his abilities. Thus he beheaded the wissent before the king by one axe' blow... King was impressed again and immediately decided to give to Vanek his own coat of arms - black wissent head with golden nose ring in silver field. And at the site of Vanek's old poor wooden cottage was soon erected stone castle called later Pernstein...