Let’s finish the construction of the St. Vitus Cathedral, the symbol of the Czech Republic.

The New Organ Play video Adopt a pipe QR Payment

Contribute by QR payment

Support the project of purchasing a new St. Vitus organ with a one-time donation. Just scan the QR code in your banking app on your phone. We would like to thank all donors.

Bank account number: 7191292/0800

News / Records from the Chronicle

25/11/2024

Svatovítské varhany se v katedrále začnou stavět v březnu 2025

Symbolicky v době, kdy si připomínáme 680. výročí položení základního kamene katedrály sv. Víta českým králem Janem Lucemburským a pražským arcibiskupem Arnoštem z Pardubic, s potěšením sdělujeme informaci, že stavba nových varhan se konečně přiblížila k svému završení.

02/10/2024

Celní úřad pro hlavní město Prahu podporuje svatovítské varhany

Během slavnostního aktu Celního úřadu pro hlavní město Prahu v Brožíkově síni Staroměstské radnice v Praze, jehož se účastnil Dominik kardinál Duka, byly včera zástupcům pražské celní správy předány symbolická miniatura varhanní píšťaly a certifikát potvrzující, že celní správa adoptovala jednu novou píšťalu svatovítských varhan v hodnotě 20 tisíc korun. Předseda správní rady Nadačního fondu Svatovítské varhany Mgr. Vojtěch Mátl přitom představil projekt obnovy svatovítských varhan a adopce píšťal.

21/03/2024

Proběhlo předání staveniště pro stavební úpravy kruchty

Ve středu 13. 3. 2024 došlo k předání staveniště pro stavební úpravy západní kruchty pro svatovítské varhany. Díky tomu mohou započít přípravné stavební práce předcházející instalaci varhan.

Pro zobrazení fotografií a více informací rozklikněte aktualitu.

12/01/2024

Žáci ZŠ Marjánka adoptovali píšťalu

Žáci Základní školy Marjánka v Praze dokázali během adventního jarmarku v prosinci 2023 vybrat částku 13 167 Kč, kterou věnovali na adopci píšťaly svatovítských varhan. Z dalších projektů, na které žáci přispěli, získaly svatovítské varhany nejvyšší podíl. Do benefiční akce se zapojili žáci od nejnižších až po nejvyšší ročníky a na adventním jarmarku nabízeli ručně vyráběné výrobky a cukroví. Jsme vděční žákům ZŠ Marjánka za štědrý dar, kterého si velmi vážíme. Symbolické předání šeku se uskutečnilo v arcibiskupském paláci, kde arcibiskup pražský Mons. Jan Graubner převzal z rukou žáků darovací šek.

The New Instrument

It would be difficult to find a structure in our country, which could be the equal of the cathedral of St. Vitus. It is a spiritual institution that shapes our relationship with the Creator. It is the first basilica in the country. Moreover, while it may be seen as a visual textbook of Christianity, at the same time it is at the crossroads of our history, where decisions were made about historical outcomes in our land. It is one of the greatest works of art in our country, which in a minute space, concentrates many artistic stages in many contexts. The cathedral is a visual witness to past events and helped to shape our own identity. It is also, however, a living organism, which evolved over half a millennium and even today is still not complete.

It is hard to imagine Prague today without the silhouette of the cathedral. And yet, this silhouette actually looked quite different until recent times. Half of the building (the nave) was missing and was not completed till 1929. The Metropolitan Church is such monumental work, that it will probably never be absolutely completed. Nevertheless, something very significant is missing to this day because, at the completion of construction, there were insufficient funds to install a new organ in the western choir loft of the cathedral. Several attempts have been made; all have been unsuccessful. Finally, today we have a new opportunity. It is up to us to in a time of peace and freedom to fulfill the legacy of our predecessors, in particular, that of the father of the nation, Charles IV and to ‘complete’ the cathedral.

The organ, because of its magnificence, is called the ‘king of instruments’. But is not the instrument of earthly kings for the organ speaks in the voice of God that sometimes gently whispers and infuses our soul with peaceful joy and at other times roars and thunders, sending shivers up our spine. The beauty of the organ lies in the fact that in spite of its monumentality it fulfills the word of Him who did not come to be served, but to serve. Anyone who listens to the music of the organ, is taught humility. It leads one to the art of listening and of harmonizing one’s relationship with his neighbor through singing and prayer. The organ leads us to a more genuine relationship not only with God, but also with our neighbor. For this reason, we want to work together to contribute to the glory of God, to the renown of St. Vitus Cathedral and to the further evolution of the famous musical traditions of our nation.

Dominik Duka OP, Cardinal Archbishop of Prague

An Organ for the Cathedral

The idea of the building of a new organ never disappeared completely: it repeatedly re-emerged, only to be postponed to more favourable times as a result of adverse society-wide events of the war years and also due to the post-war conditions.

The New Instrument

A new instrument may be regarded as a testimony to the capabilities, experience and knowledge of the present generation as well as acting as a legacy to future generations.

The builder of the new organ

The organ building company of Gerhard Grenzing is one of the most experienced companies in this field: it has successfully completed 220 restoration and building projects across continents.

Let’s finish the work of our ancestors. Let’s finish the building of the St. Vitus Cathedral, the symbol of the Czech Republic. The cathedral is missing a dignified voice. Support the building of its organ.
The St. Vitus Organ

Sponsorship / Support

90%

To this day, we’ve successfully raised: 78,836,673 CZK

Thank you!

The Old Organ

The Current Organ
HISTORY OF PIPE ORGANS IN THE CATHEDRAL
WHAT IS THE PIPE ORGAN

The Fund

The St. Vitus Organ Fund was established in accordance with Act No. 227/1997 Sb. by its registration into the fund registry administered by the Municipal Court in Prague, file ref. N 1123, on 19 March 2014.

The registration number of the fund is 02794471.

The bank account of the fund is 2109930876/2700.

Registered office: Hradčanské náměstí 56/16, 119 02 Prague 1 – Hradčany

Purpose of the fund: acquisition of a new representative organ for the St. Vitus Cathedral

 

Contact:

ICLic. Mgr. Ondřej Pavek
Chairman of the Managing Board of the St. Vitus Organ Fund
e-mail: pavek@svatovitskevarhany.com
phone: + 420 603 235 606

František Falta
Coordinator of the Organ for the Cathedral project
e-mail: Frantisek.Falta@apha.cz
phone: +420 733 164 063

 

Members of the Managing Board:

ICLic. Mgr. Ondřej Pávek
Prof. JUDr. Jan Kříž
JUDr. Pavel Müller
Ing. Robert Kolář
Mgr. Vojtěch Mátl

 

Members of the Supervisory Board:

ThLic. Ing. Zdenek Wasserbauer Th.D.
Ing. MgA. Pavel Farský
Mgr. Jakub Skřejpek
Drahoslav Chudoba
Ing. Arch. Marek Štěpán

Contacts

Media inquiries:

Šimon Slavík
Project press agent
e-mail: slavik@bohemianheritage.cz
telefon: +420 734 335 438

Contact for others parties involved in the Organ for the Cathedral project:

Vojtěch Mátl
Vice-chairman of the Supervisory Board
e-mail: vojtech.matl@apha.cz
telefon: +420 737 215 326

Jakub Skřejpek
Bohemian Heritage Fund
e-mail: skrejpek@bohemianheritage.cz

An Organ for the Cathedral

In the mid-19th century, with the rise of Czech national consciousness, the ongoing desire to complete the building of the cathedral culminated with the foundation of an ‘Association for the Completion of the Cathedral’. The chief aim of this association was to fulfill the dreams of previous generations by completing the building program, which had dragged on for over five hundred years. The intention was to complete the cathedral by 1929 in time to celebrate the millennial anniversary of the death of St. Wenceslas. Plans were also made to install a new, representative, grand organ in the basilica. From the start of the twentieth century, grandiose plans were formulated for the construction of the instrument; the organ was meant to be the chief ornament of the basilica and perhaps the largest cathedral grand organ in the world. These great expectations, however, could not be fulfilled because the costly extension to the basilica and its refurbishment exhausted the financial resources of the builders. After long discussions, therefore, it was decided to install a more modest, provisional grand organ and to entrust to future generations the task of installing a more representative instrument. Consequently, the provisional organ was built in 1932 by the organ building firm Josef Meltzer of Kutna Hora. The idea of building a new grand organ, however, never ceased and repeatedly re-emerged only to be shelved as a result of adverse socio-political circumstances, years of war and because of postwar conditions. Ultimately plans were postponed until more favorable times.

At present the provisional organ, dating from 1932, is used in the St. Vitus Cathedral for the accompaniment of liturgies, for concerts and for festive occasions. This organ is located in a very constricted space on the lower level of the so-called Wohlmut choir loft in the north transept of the cathedral. Because of its location, the sound of the organ does not carry adequately through the entire space of the basilica. On the upper floor of the same choir loft is the case of a former Baroque organ, whose mechanism unfortunately disappeared in the early decades of the twentieth century. The area of the western choir above the main entrance to the cathedral, which was intended for a grand organ, has remained empty for almost a century.