Lipno's hermit Godoš

Still shortly after WWII stood in the forest near today's dike of Lipno dam beside cave with a simple rocky kneeler, altar and wooden desk with cauterized inscription "The Hermitage". Text on the desk was: "Here lived a hermit Godoš, husband of Manda, daughter of gypsy chieftain Wolf. Manda died after four year marriage due to lung pneumotorax, which she suffered during siege of gypsy camp on May 29 1715. Manda is buried beside St. Oldřich's church close to Vltava river. Godoš died many years after that and his grave is just to Manda's one".

The Thirty year war was followed by a great movement of gypsies from Hungary against stream of the Dunabe. Part of gypsies settled down in Southern part of the Šumava. Couple of tens found their shelter in wooded hill on the right side of the Vltava between Uhlířský hill and Vyklestilka. This hill is till today called the Gypsy hill. At the end of the 17th Century have lived here among overhangs and clefts 50 to 60 members of group. The gang did not join only gypsies but people hiding for all reasons. One of them was Godoš, son of German refugee from Rhineland. He grew up in camp surrounded by coevals, together with daughter of the chief Wolf - Manda. The gang was plundering only far away from their camp. Though it was decided to attack the camp under the Gypsy hill in May 1715.

During a raid came to cross fire but most of Wolf's men managed to escape. On the daybreak the grave was dug and 13 corpses, mainly women and children were put in. Vicar from Vyšší Brod, father Albernik, built there later on a roughly carved 90 cm high monument with cross and inscription 1715. The monument stays there till today, grave was in years 1820 and 1824 opened and found bones were transported to Vienna for a research. The soldiers were searching the surrounding forests for the next four days, from 25th to 29th May 1715, to find those who managed to escape. Eleven of them found their communal grave at Kapličky, where also used to be a monument. It was pulled down by a bulldozer together with the whole village. Manda's father was killed in Martínkov, as he tried to revenge to a gamekeeper who showed the way to soldiers.

During the cross fire was hit Manda Wolfová and one of projectiles wounded her lung. She managed to escape to house of a fisherman near St. Oldřich's church close to the Vltava. The called doctor took out the projectile out of her body. Un-wounded Godoš was hiding himself near to Čertova stěna (The Devil's wall). Manda was convalescing gradually and she married Godoš in St. Prokop's church in May 1716. Their marriage remained childless. Their living was made by selling a tailor's products and various goods. In 1720 got Manda's wound worse, and so they spent winter in fisherman's house. In spring 1721 Manda died and her body was buried beside a wall of St. Oldřich's church. Godoš then returned to Rhineland and periodically was visiting his wife's grave.

When Godoš aged, he returned near grave of his wife Manda. During winter he lived in fisherman's house, summer was spent in the old deserted hermitage discovered by him during his childhood in gypsy gang. The hermitage was founded by hermits from monastery in Přední Výtoni. The hermites lived during summer in woods around a monastery for winter they were returning to their monastery Heuraffl. It was founded in year 1384 and in last quarter of the 16th Century its administration passed to monastery in Vyšší Brod. Godoš has lived in hermitage many years as his ancestors. On one day he was found with a rosary in his hand. According to his wish he was buried close to his wife's tomb. Based on this occasion wrote and published monk Zephyrin Tobner a roman "Der Ziegeunerwald". The hermitage is waiting for its renovation and development. It will be part of an educational track with its start and end located on the Lipno dike.

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Further information:
History of the Vyšší Brod Region
Places of Pilgrimage in the Český Krumlov Region
Lipno nad Vltavou
Lipno Dam