Civilněprávní proces stavitele Jana Valihracha s kongregací sester dominikánek

The Czech Congregation of Dominican Sisters was founded in Repcin near Olomouc in 1889. The mission of the congregation was primarily to educate and to bring up young girls in the spirit of St. Dominic. As the congregation was increasingly popular with the Czech population the nuns had to rebuild and enlarge their monastery several times. The last reconstruction planned for autumn 1930 involved a new three‑floor building that was supposed to be situated next to the monastery. An Olomouc builder Jan Valihrach undertook the construction, however, shortly before its completion the building suddenly came down. The builder Valihrach just as the designer Josef Derrich were accused of the fall. While Valihrach was found guilty of the collapse of the building, Derrich’s prosecution was stopped due to his death. But Valihrach denied his guilt and subsequently brought a lawsuit against the Dominican Convention of Repcin. He demanded a payment of the agreed sum for the building and also a payment of other debts from the past that hadn’t been paid by the nuns yet. The Sisters countersued and demanded compensations for damages caused by the collapse of the building from Valihrach. After examining the evidence and questioning the witnesses of both involved parties the courts concluded that both the builder Valihrach and the deceased designer Derrich were guilty of the collapse. In case of the designer Derrich the court recognized him as the implicit representative of the Rępcin convent of Dominican nuns at the construction. The judges ruled that the Dominican sisters should pay Valihrach just a half of the requested compensation, which amounted to 333,300 crowns.