Na Špičáku Cave - history
HISTORY OF THE CAVE AND THEIR OPENING TO THE PUBLIC
The Na Špičáku Cave is among the oldest recorded caves in Europe. As early as in 1430, a gold prospector called Antonius Walle of Krakov mentions the cave in his book “Gold Prospecting Guide” mistaking them for an ancient mining work. Some authors even consider the theory of the cave having been temporarily settled by fugitives who sought refuge from the Tatar invasion as early as 1241. What is certain is that they were discovered while quarrying marble in the Middle Ages. For centuries the cave offered a refuge to individuals or groups of people and was often visited by curious people and adventurers. According to some authors, the Czech Brothers found refuge here and worshipped God after the Battle of White Mountain. It is possible that the cave also served as a hermitage for some time. At the beginning of the 19th century a human skeleton was found in the cave. It is considered to belong to a lone visitor who got lost here and starved to death.
In the 1880s, on a request of the German Mountain Club MSSGV, the cave was explored by the geologist Alexandr Makovsky from Brno, and in 1885 they were mapped by an army topographer called Johan Ripper – a son-in-law of the founder of the Jeseník Spa, V. Priessnitz. His remarkably accurate map was still used in the 20th century. The first written accounts of historical drawings were reported by the Frývald homeland worker Adolf Kettner in 1886.
In the years 1884–1885, after some simple adjustments, the German Mountain Club MSSGV made the cave accessible to the public. The visitors passed through the ass with a guide and used carbide lamps. Perhaps the high ticket price was the reason for the small attendance and the Club waived the rights to the cave eventually. Nevertheless, the cave was an important tourist centre until World War II. During the war they became a hiding place for people in the near surroundings and also for German soldiers. At the beginning of the year 1947, the cave still provided refuge to members of the Wehrwolf Organisation.
In 1949 the abandoned cave was taken over by the Municipal Corporation of Jeseník and subsequently by the Turista – Severomoravský kras (Tourist – North Moravian Karst) national enterprise, which rearranged them, lit them with electrical light and broke through a new tunnel during the years 1954–1955. The opening ceremony was held in May 1955. In 1994 the access to the cave and some parts of the trail were adapted to suit the parameters of wheelchairs and the cave became barrier-free.
