The Prague Post Online: News: Ministry adds new heritage sites

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July 25th, 2008

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Ministry adds new heritage sites

Offbeat choices nationwide make the cut in register of historical, cultural landmarks

May 7th, 2008 issue

Courtesy of CZECH TOURISM

Being the site of Napoleon's proclamation of victory after the Battle of Austerlitz is one of Slavkov Castle's claims to fame. enlarge

The pope visited Velehrad in the 1990s. enlarge

Kost is known for its white tower. enlarge

Orlík belongs to the Schwarzenbergs. enlarge

Tourism officials hope to draw new visitors and get new funding to fix up historical sites around the country by adding 29 new cultural heritage sites to a national list of 230 unique spots.

“Being on the list means an influx of tourists, better access to national and European subsidies and better protection for the sites,” said Jan Cieslar, spokesman for the Culture Ministry.

Several offbeat choices are among the latest monuments and buildings, including a power plant from the 1920s, a Functionalist architecture villa from the 1930s, a tin mine, a water mill and several castles and churches.

“We wanted to balance the distribution of heritage sites throughout the country, as the list was centered too much on Prague,” Cieslar said.

Petr Přádka, the vicar of Velehrad, said he is very happy his church made the cut. Velehrad is considered to be the most important religious pilgrimage site in the country.

“Our basilica is in a very bad condition, and this means that we’ll have a better chance to obtain funds from Brussels,” Přádka said.

Started in 1962 by government officials, the prestigious national list also includes treasures such as the Bohemian Crown Jewels, historic automobiles and a unique daguerreotype made by Louise Daguerre that is older than the official invention itself.

Several criteria are used to select the cultural heritage sites, officials say. Sites must raise national or international awareness and illustrate important phases of history, culture and civilization.

Here’s a closer look at a few of the new sites:

Karlovy Vary region

The medieval tin mine Jeroným in Čistá opened in the 15th century. It includes hand-hewn niches for lamps and resting places in the rock. It is considered one of the most important of its kind among European technical historical sites.

Built in the 1950s, the Tower of Death in Ostrov nad Ohří is now a memorial to political prisoners who toiled there. It commemorates the victims who died of exhaustion and radiation sickness caused by ore mining.

Plzeň region

A rustic farm in Plzeň –Bolevec dates to the Middle Ages. It was reconstructed in the 19th century.

Vysočina region

St. James the Greater Church in Jihlava is a Gothic structure that was built during the 1240s, at the same time as the city.

The Church of Assumption of Virgin Mary in Polná is one of the most important Baroque buildings built by foreign architects. The plans were laid out by Dominik D. Angeli and experts from Florence were brought in 1707 to finish the interior decorations.

Ústí region

The Church of St. Florian in Krásné Březno started as a castle chapel in 1600. It was rebuilt thanks to donations of German Lutheran nobles and serves as an example of the Saxon Renaissance. It displays the common cultural heritage shared with neighboring countries.

Liberec region

Castle Grabštejn lies close to the Czech-German-Polish border and is among the oldest in north Bohemia. A Renaissance reconstruction in 1564–69 gives this popular castle its appearance. About 20,000 people visit every year.

South Bohemia

The water mill in Hoslovice from the second half of the 16th century is still in perfect condition thanks to past reclusive owners, who refused to communicate with the outside world. It was the first open-air museum in south Bohemia.

Orlík Chateau is a former wooden royal custom house from the 13th century. Its current appearance comes from a romantic Gothic reconstruction in the 19th century. It is currently owned by Foreign Affairs Minister Karel Schwarzenberg.

The Premonstratensian monastery in Milevsko was founded in 1184 on the spot of two older structures. Its two churches are among the most important of the 12th century. Besides being a spiritual center, the abbey produced bells and tiles, which were exported during the late Romanesque period.

Central Bohemia

Castle Český Šternberk has stood on a rocky hill above Sázava River for more than 760 years. Still owned by descendants of founder Zdeslav of Sternberg, it has valuable collections of art and furniture.

The Church of St. James in Jakub u Kutné Hory founded in 1165 is probably the most important landmark of the period because it has all of its original exterior decorations and statues.

Hradec Králové region

Kost Castle near Jičín was founded before 1349 and reconstructed in 1370. A Renaissance wing was added in the 16th century, but a fire broke out in 1635 and the castle was abandoned. Because of that, it now serves as an important archeological site.

The castle in Nové Město nad Metují was an important defensive stronghold at the beginning of the 16th century. It was later reconstructed by top architects.

A unique wooden church in Broumov, from 1177, has Gothic portals and a beam roof. It is the oldest-surviving wooden church.

Pardubice region

With its two fountains, various statues and a Plague Pillar to commemorate victims of the Black Death, a Baroque town hall in Polička easily could be mistaken for the seat of a noble family.

Moravian-Silesian region

A modernist villa built in 1936 by brothers Čestmír and Lubomír Šlapeta is the best example in the region of Functionalist architecture.

Olomouc region

A hydroelectric power plant in Třeština near Šumperk built in 1921–33 is an important technical landmark. The power plant house is a good example of interwar Modernist architecture.

The National House in Prostějov was built in 1907 to serve as a cultural center with restaurants, theaters and meeting places. Painters Jan Preisler and František Kysela and sculptors František Sucharda and Bohumil Kafka contributed to the building.

Zlín region

The Church of Assumption of Virgin Mary in Velehrad was originally a Cistercian monastery built in the 13th century. It is connected to Sts. Cyril and Methodius, who brought Christianity to the Slavs in the ninth century.

South Moravian region

Dolní Věstonice is one of the most important archeological sites in Europe, with ancient artifacts from mammoth hunters who roamed the region 27,000 years ago.

Slavkov Castle near Brno was a 13th-century seat of German Order knights. It was reconstructed according to plans by Domenik Martinelli at the end of the 17th century and is an important aristocratic residence.

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