“Whose farm is this?” someone asks. This is Bečvářův dvůr. Bečvářův dvůr stands as the sole surviving farmstead of old Strašnice.
Let’s delve into the story of Bečvářův dvůr. It is a classical building with a rich history. The farmstead’s story began in 1781. The Strašnice fortress with its land was divided. Jan Tykač acquired this farmstead.
In 1862 Tomáš Bečvář became the owner. The estate is named after him. He was Strašnice’s biggest farmer. He owned half the local fields.
Around 1830 Josef Popelář built the farmstead in the Classicist style. Bečvářův dvůr is a three-winged building around a central courtyard. The main facade has nine axes. The center three axes have a slightly protruding risalit. A segmented arched entrance adorned with pilasters marks its center. Pilasters also articulate the first floor. The risalit culminates in a triangular gable.
Bečvář’s property included land in today’s Strašnice. It also included Žižkov, Malešice and Vršovice. His son Julius inherited the property. In 1926 Julius decided to divide it among his three children. His daughter Anna was to receive the farm and a house in the Old Town as a dowry. This was stated in Julius Bečvář’s will from 1945.
After 1948 the Bečvář family’s property was nationalized. The farm buildings were managed by the Prague State Farm. Apartments were established in the courtyard. The Solidarita housing estate was built on the farm’s land.
Anna passed away in 1987. She bequeathed her property to her late husband’s friends. These friends were František Činčera and Štěpán Forman. They rightfully restituted the farm in the 1990s.
Originally the farm building was below a pond dam. The pond was filled in. Today the Gutovka Leisure Area stands there.
The building has one floor with vaulted rooms on the ground floor. The late Classicist facade on the building’s east side is decorated. It features a low central risalit. A triangular shield crowns it. The courtyard facade of the facade wing is three-axis. The ground floor has blind arcades on the sides of the passage. The floor has segmented thermal windows. Both other courtyard facades have segmented arcades on the ground floor. The floor above has rectangular windows. The right wing’s side facade is smooth and undecorated. It has windows on both floors. The left wing’s side facade features arcades in its lower part. Supporting pillars reinforce these. A passage vaulted with lunettes runs through the main wing’s center. The ground floor to the left is vaulted with flat vaults. The right side wing has a two-aisle space. It is vaulted with a cross barrel vault featuring ridges and lunettes.
Bečvářův dvůr has been a protected cultural monument since 1964.
However, Bečvářův dvůr is also linked to a case of fraudulent restitution. This is related to the Bečvář family’s property. It is known as the largest restitution case. In 2009 the leadership of the land office changed. Radim Zika became its director. Petr Šťovíček became his deputy for law and restitution. Jan Horák took over the restitution case. He repeatedly confirmed the claims of the above-mentioned heirs. This was regarding the property after Jan Maria. He began to call Emilie Bednářová the daughter of Josef Bečvář. František Činčera and Štěpán Forman were called descendants of Anna Bečvářová.
In July 2020 the Prague Municipal Court found all defendants guilty. Jan Horák was sentenced to seven years in prison. Eva Benešová received six years. Petr Chmelík was sentenced to probation. The court also ruled to seize illegally issued land. This land was in the possession of Zdeněk Činčera and Bečvářova company. In May 2021 the appellate court acquitted Jan Horák. It confirmed Petr Chmelík’s sentence.
In June 2021 the appellate court did not uphold Eva Benešová’s conviction. However, it found her guilty. She was guilty of frustrating the task of a public official. She was sentenced to a three-year suspended prison sentence. In August 2021 the Supreme State Attorney filed an appeal. The Supreme Court complied with the appeal. It overturned Jan Horák’s acquittal and Eva Benešová’s sentence reduction. In April 2022 the Prague High Court sentenced Horák. He received a three-year suspended prison sentence. In June 2022 Benešová’s three-year suspended sentence was confirmed. In January 2023 the Supreme Court granted the state attorney’s appeal. It ordered the case of the former head of the land office Benešová to be reopened.
Today Bečvářův dvůr houses the firm X Consulting Co. s.r.o. Its walls whisper tales. These tales are of farming, families, and fraud. It is a place where history and modernity intertwine.