17. Johann Hönig’s House

17. Johann Hönig’s House

ul. nám. Míru 19

The two-storey terraced house with an attic and a Neo-Renaissance façade acquired its current form during an extension remodel in 1886-1887, based on Josef Bayer’s design. A number of interesting personalities of Šumperk used to live in this house.

The most prominent one was Johann Hönig. His admiration for architecture and art was apparent from a young age. When he was 17, he set off on a pilgrimage to Rome to explore the architectural sights. He came from a family of linen and damask merchants, and he carried on the family tradition, running a shop on the ground floor of his house. His father-in-law, the builder Josef Bayer, inspired him to compile the first inventory of houses in Šumperk. He went down in the history of the town mainly as the founder of the Museum Association. Following a call for donations in 1896, the townspeople donated historically valuable objects, which formed the basis of the collection. The museum artefacts were first stored in the attic of Johann Hönig’s house. The collections were first opened to the public in 1901 in the dormitory of a former monastery.