Nebočady - School

The village of Nebočady lies on the southern outskirts of Děčín (District XXXIII) and had a population of 368 in 2021. The first mention of the village dates back to 1352; its Slavic name refers to settlers who “smoked up the sky.” However, its most significant importance lay in its transportation role—thanks to its location near the Elbe River along the important Elbe route to the heart of Bohemia, Nebočady had a medieval ferry. Administratively, it first belonged to Děčín, later to Střekov and Vrabinec, and then returned to the Děčín estate.

The center of the village is formed by the Church of St. Lawrence (originally dedicated to St. Wenceslas), in the immediate vicinity of which stands the half- timbered farmhouse No. 2, which has been a cultural monument since 1966. According to the date on the lintel, it was built in 1730 specifically for the needs of the school, which had been operating in the village since at least the mid-17th century and which, along with the church and the rectory, was destroyed by a major fire in 1712. Originally, it was likely a fully timber-framed house, which was rebuilt in 1802 into its current half-timbered form with a half-timbered upper floor and a gallery. It is unknown when the ground-floor courtyard wing was added.

In the 19th century, the school’s capacity became insufficient (in 1883, it was attended by 130 children from the surrounding area), so a new school (No. 39) was built in 1885–1886. The original building, No. 2, became a residential house and an inn (as evidenced by a fragment of the inscription “Kaffee und Wein”) and has remained exclusively in private ownership ever since.

The half-timbered house No. 2 in Nebočady is a unique example of folk architecture from the period before the standardization of school building design, which never served agricultural purposes.