The tradition of theatre in Jičín grows historically out of Baroque religious productions of the local Jesuits college. The oldest record of a theatre performance in Jičín is dated back to 1628, when the play Martyrdom of the Lord was presented. Secular plays were produced after the end of the Baroque period, perhaps the first ones already after the year 1800. Various visiting troupes stopped in the city in the course of the 19^th century (J.K. Tyl appeared here with the Zöllner’s company as well). The inn „U Hrubých“ on Valdické Square hosted productions in the 1860s. Local amateur actors were assembled in local civil societies in the last third of the 19^th century: in Občanská beseda (Civil Forum) that organized theatre in the inn „U města Hamburku“ and in Řemeslnická beseda (Forum of Handicrafts), which members performed in inns „U Cepků“, „U Němců“, in the house N. 6  (U zlatého hroznu) on  Valdštejn Square or in an arena, erected in the area of the castle garden. Cooperation of both the association led eventually to foundation of the Union of Amateur Actors in 1875. Differences of opinion crumbled the membership of the Union in a very short time; an independent association Hálek came into existence in 1876 and independent activity of theatrical sections of the Civic and Handicraft forums was restored from 1883. Plays were produced by the drama section of the Jičín Sokol from 1899 as well.

Construction of a new theatre building with a cinema was promoted by the corporation “Bio Czech Paradise, Cooperative of War Invalids in Jičín, a society with limited liability”, founded on 26^th April of 1922, which obtained (similarly as the Jičín Sokol) a cinema licence. Jičín culture public became divided into two parts by the effort for assertion of the second Jičín theatre in 1923. Opponents of this idea, surrounded around the Jičín Sokol, in whose older and inconvenient building that first theatre was suffering, but that was not able to procure better conditions, pointed out the alleged uselessness of a second permanent stage and unnecessary financial charges related to its construction. František Holeček from Jičín worked out the design for construction that was realized by the Prague enterprise Gröger, Hemerka and co. according to the design delivered in February 1923 ( participation of architect Kraupe, otherwise completely unknown, in theatre designing is a traditional error of regional literature as Jiří Hilmera had clarified). Construction works, carried out by Jičín firm Ing. Karel Vorel, proceeded at high speed and the ceremonial opening of the building for public took place at 23^rd December of 1923. Construction costs reached in total 1.200.000 Crowns. An effective architectural appearance of the building has been considerably bastardized by several reconstructions in the course of the latter years. A chairman of the association between 1925-1938 was Josef Mrňák, a representative of theatre association Intimní scéna, (the building carried the name Mrňák’s Theatre from 1940). Apart of theatrical productions and movie projection, the building served to organizing concerts, discussions and other cultural events. Movie projection prevailed over other programs after 1949, when a cinema was closed in the Sokol’s Hall and movie projection ended in Lidový dům (Ruská Street N. 192). The structure served only for movie projection purposes after the Second World War (it was named “Cinema the World” for a long time). A general overhauling of the building was carried out in 1957 – 1958, by which the building was furnished by new technical equipment. In 1994, the city council decided to return the original name “Cinema the World”. Presently the cinema has 302 seats, equipped apart of classical by digital projection and it is managed by Kulturní zařízení města Jičína.

Sources and literature:

- Městský úřad Jičín, Archiv odboru výstavby, složka k čp. 47

- Jaroslav Mencl, Historická topografie města Jičína I. Jičín 1940, s. 395-398.

- K slavnosti otevření nového divadla v Jičíně, Hlas našeho venkova IV, 1923, č. 51, s. 5.

- Na paměť otevření divadelní budovy v Jičíně, Krakonoš XLII, 1923, č. 7, s. 1-8.

- K otevření divadelní budovy v Jičíně, Krakonoš XLII, 1923, č. 8, s. 1.

- Rozměry divadla, Krakonoš XLII, 1923, č. 9, s. 5.

- J. Banýr, Jak vzniklo divadlo Český ráj, Krakonoš LII, 1933, č. 6, s. 4.

- Mrňákovo divadlo, Krakonoš LVIII, 1939, č. 9, s. 1.

- Alfréd Javorin, Divadla a divadelní sály v českých krajích. I. Divadla. Praha 1949, s. 79-80. - Čtyřicet let kina v Jičíně, Předvoj IV, 1963, č. 48, s. 3.

- Emanuel Poche (red.), Umělecké památky Čech I. Praha 1977, s. 595.

- Jaroslav Wagner, Jičín. Praha 1979, s. 101, obr. 86. -+- Hana Horáková, Jičín. Bibliografický průvodce po stavebních, uměleckých a technických památkách. Jičín 1988, s. 106-107.

- Jiří Hilmera, Česká divadelní architektura. Praha 1999, s. 107.

- Eva Bílková, Pod Valdickou branou. Jičín 2004, s. 54.

Tags: Interwar period, detached building

Author: Pavel Panoch

Translator: Jan Purkert