The Student Colony in Letná

The film footage from the AB Zpravodaj production company features the construction of the Kolonka student colony in the western part of Letenské sady in 1920-1921. These wooden cubist buildings, designed by architect Miloš Vaněček, were built by university students with the financial support of several sponsors, amongst them President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. Kolonka dormitory was primarily intended to accommodate students from socially disadvantaged families. The footage shows the loading of construction materials on Podskalská embankment, stone mining in the Strahov quarries supervised by the Minister of Public Works František Kovařík and professor of structural mechanics Jan Záhorský, the transport of materials and a survey of the construction site. On 19 October 1920, workers from the Dejvice district assisted the students in digging the foundations. Other shots show a student shift on the anniversary of the independent republic on 28 October 1920 or the preparation and serving of lunch. The YMCA president, entrepreneur Václav Maria Havel, visits the building. The footage ends with an assembling of the pavilions in spring 1921.