THE NAZI OCCUPATION
The Nazi occupying authorities drew up plans to demolish the entire Lauby block. The intention was that the city would buy the “Jewish property” (nos. 54 to 62) and knock the buildings down “for sanitary reasons”. However, these plans were not implemented due to the shortage of housing, the economic situation, and (in the case of building no. 54) opposition from the State Heritage Authority in Brno.
AFTER 1948
When the communists seized power in Czechoslovakia in 1948, the privately-owned buildings were nationalized, and they quickly fell into disrepair. Although a reduced number of shops and inns continued to operate, the city council no longer saw a future for the buildings at Lauby. Maintenance was cut to a minimum, and the condition of the buildings deteriorated further due to subsidence caused by coal mining.
“THE NEED TO EXPAND NEW CONSTRUCTION…”
This phase, quoted from Ostrava’s official chronicle for 1964, was used to justify the demolition of the entire block of buildings at Lauby. The demolition was motivated by the communist authorities’ doctrine that Ostrava should be rebuilt as a new “socialist city”. The authorities sought justification for their decision to demolish these historic buildings by claiming that they were in a disastrous technical condition and had lost their original historical character.
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