The house of Štěpánek Netolicky is located in the historic center of Třeboň and is one of the outstanding examples of well-preserved Renaissance architecture not only in the city, but in the entire region. Over the centuries, it went through a series of transformations, acquiring its current Renaissance form in the first half of the 16th century, during the economic boom, when its most famous owner - Štěpánek Netolicky - lived in it.
In 2015, the House of Štěpánek Netolicky underwent extensive reconstruction and today it houses the Center of Třeboň Pond Heritage with a permanent interactive exhibition dedicated to pond farming and, above all, the personality and work of Štěpánek Netolicky. The house also offers unique gallery spaces, lectures, creative workshops, workshops and various cultural events take place here.
Stepanek Netolicky
The famous pond owner and builder evicted the house in 1522 by marrying Dorota Lukšová, the widow of a scribe from Třeboň. He was one of the two key figures who gave the Třeboň landscape its characteristic character thanks to his spectacular work on ponds.
Štěpánek was born in Netolice in South Bohemia, probably around 1460, into a serf family. His youth and education remain a mystery to us, but we know that at the end of the 15th century he was at the birth of the golden era of fish farming. At that time, Štěpánek was in the service of the ruling Rožmberk family and had completed the first successfully completed ponds. And so it is not surprising that he very soon became a fish master - he took care not only of the construction of new ponds, but also of fish breeding.
Brilliant Zlatá stoka
During his lifetime, Štěpánek built seven larger and more than forty smaller ponds. However, his most famous work remains the Golden Canal, the construction of which he began at the beginning of the 16th century. This more than 45 kilometer long "grower" (as the Golden Canal was originally called) connects the ponds of the Třeboň system and supplies them with living water. The sewer is proof of Štěpánek's masterful skills, as its average fall is approximately 33 cm per 1 km of length, and in some sections it is even less than 10 cm per kilometer - it can often seem that the water is flowing in the opposite direction.
New interactive exhibition
Everyone knows Jakub Krčín's name today, but did you know that it was Štěpánek Netolický who started shaping the Třeboň pond landscape in an ingenious way and whose plans the famous Rožmberk regent followed up on? In our permanent exhibition, you will not only get to know Štěpánek Netolicky and his work in an interesting way, but you will also learn how the Třeboň ponds were created, you can watch a short film about the Zlatá stoka or try working with the measuring tools that were once used in the construction of ponds. In the backyard, thanks to the Zlatá stoky model, you can turn into a water manager for a while and, with the help of small sluice gates, bring water to individual ponds.
FOR SCHOOLS
Come to us with your class! We offer tours of the permanent exhibition throughout the year. In a fun way, we will introduce you to the famous fish pond builders who gave a unique shape to the Třeboň region, we will show you what the measuring tools used to build fish ponds looked like during the time of Štěpánek Netolicky and Jakub Krčín, and how they were used. Thanks to the interactive exhibits, you will be able to see for yourself how perfectly thought out the Zlatá stoka is, the most famous work of Štěpánek Netolicky, which forms the backbone of the pond system.
We are also preparing accompanying programs for the currently ongoing exhibitions tailored to kindergarten, primary and secondary schools.
