Folk Baroque of Jakub Bursa

The charming landscape of South Bohemia, interwoven with streams and rivers and mirrored in the surfaces of countless ponds, is inseparably connected to the distinctive folk architecture commonly – though somewhat inaccurately – referred to as “folk baroque.”

A highly specific type of building style, known as folk baroque and made famous by texts inscribed into facades, can be found in the Prachatice region of the Šumavsko tourist area. The architect of most of these buildings was Jakub Bursa, the only confirmed master mason of folk architecture. Born on 21 August 1813 in Dolní Nakvasovice and died on 19 August 1884 in Vlachovo Březí, his works are very distinctive. They feature traditional decorative elements along with prominent columns and half-columns dividing the gables, stylized spruce motifs, and various inscriptions—sometimes even with grammatical errors of the time. A hallmark of Bursa’s style is the “eye of God,” typically framed by a triangle or semicircle. The pictorial decoration varied depending on the function of the building: for instance, taverns depicted tables with beer, spirits or baked goods, while blacksmith shops showed smithing tools.

Most of Bursa’s buildings date from 1832 to 1852. Notable examples in the Šumava region include farmhouse no. 9 in Dolní Nakvasovice, nos. 27 and 13 in Bušanovice, and nos. 18 and 4 in Předslavice. If visiting Předslavice, you can combine your trip with a stop at the unique private Museum of Rural Life, managed by LIVA Předslavice. More examples of Bursa’s folk baroque homes can be found in Litochovice, Jiřetice, Kratušín, and others. His work was possibly inspired by exceptional folk architecture ensembles in Zechovice, Nahořany, Hracholusky or Přechovice.