The former gamekeeper`s lodge called Pankrác or Wahlhouse lies about two kilometers to the northeast of Březovice on the left side of the road from Bezdědice to Bělá pod Bezdězem. It is a one-storey timber-framed house on a rectangular plan. In the 1930s, the Wahl family had the old gamekeeper`s lodge remodelled very considerately according to a design by architect Vladimír Grégr and turned into a summer house. Ornithologist Veleslav Wahl has been visiting the lodge since his childhood. His love for nature and especially for birdwatching was deepened here. He made many interesting observations in the surrounding area, some of which were reflected in his publications. He started publishing scientific papers at the age of 15 and quickly became one of the most important ornithologists of his time. His later major work is the book The Birds of Prague, which is a valuable record of the state of birds in the capital in the first half of the 20th century. Wahl`s observations on the relationship between birds and their environment or his reflections on the legislative framework of bird conservation in the Czechoslovakia are valuable material for comparison with the situation of today. The book was successfully republished in 2021.

Wahl lived in a turbulent time, his father and uncle were executed by the Nazis in 1942 for their participation in the resistance, yet the young Wahl was also involved in resistance activities and took part in the May Uprising in 1945. After the war, he was awarded several decorations for his activities, including the Czechoslovak War Cross. When universities were reopened, he began to study simultaneously at the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Law of Charles University. After the communist takeover, while continuing his studies and research on birds, he again joined the resistance. This time, however, he was discovered, convicted by the communist judiciary and executed. According to his will, the lodge should have passed to the Czech Ornithological Society, but this did not happen. When the Wohl family property was confiscated, the lodge became a recreation centre. Today the building has a private owner.

Voříšek, P.; Stejskal, V.: K výročí Veleslava Wahla. URL: https://www.birdlife.cz/k-vyroci-veleslava-wahla/ [2. 9. 2021].
Wahl, V.: Pražské ptactvo: ptáci velkoměsta a jeho okolí. Praha 1944 (2. vydání, Praha 2021).
Vajchr, M.: „Petr Voříšek: Veleslav Wahl byl jedinečný zjev (rozhovor o mimořádné osobnosti ornitologa a odbojáře)“. Bubínek Revolveru, 18. 12. 2020. URL: https://www.bubinekrevolveru.cz/petr-vorisek-veleslav-wahl-byl-jedinecny-zjev-rozhovor-o-mimoradne-osobnosti-ornitologa-odbojare [22. 9. 2021].

Gamekeeper`s Lodge Pankrác at Bezdědice near Bělá pod Bezdězem