Prachatice, Neumanneum - rodný dům sv. Jana Nepomuka Neumanna s kaplí

The history of the house is from the very beginning connected with the Sisters of Mercy of St. Borromeo. The birth sister of John Nepomucene Neumann, Johanka Neumannová (born in Prachatice on 19th May 1813 and thus only two years younger than her brother), promised to John to become a nun and pray for him when he left in 1836 for the mission in America.

At the turn of 1854-1855, John visited Bohemia, at that time already as an American bishop. In early 1860s, shortly after this European journey, John suddenly died in Philadelphia. In the same year, their father living in Prachatice also became seriously ill and before his death, he donated his house to the Sisters of St. Borromeo. Johanka – sister Caroline – thus got her birth house back. The legacy of her brother John Nepomucene Neumann, whose reputation of holiness was gradually beginning to spread overseas and in the Czech lands, was developed in a deeper way by later generations of the sisters.

In 1860, Sister Caroline founded a community in her hometown, and she worked there for almost 30 years until her death. Within the community, she first opened a charity institute, later a study for girls, then a girls’ school, and on the recommendation of the mayor she also opened a care center for children. Shortly afterwards the Congregation bought several other neighboring houses and one school.

John Neumann was canonized in 1977. In that year, no one was allowed to visit his birthplace; sadly, the state apparatus did not allow it even to the American bishop Mořkovský who came to the hometown of St. John Nepomucene Neumann from a great distance.

After the turbulent period of totalitarianism, the house was in 1992 returned to the Congregation and the Chapel of St. John Nepomucene Neumann was one more time consecrated. The community of sisters began to live and work here again. As the birth house itself was in a very poor technical condition, the Congregation decided to restore the entire building. The main intention was to give the house its original external visual aspect. The house, especially the chapel built in the room where St. John was born, is visited by many pilgrims, not only from the Czech Republic but also from abroad. It has therefore been made also a place of the gallery of St. John Nepomucene Neumann and of the venerable servant of the Mother of God, Vojtěcha Hasmandová.

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