Brno fears it will lose 1,400 cultural monuments

Brno - Up to 1400 cultural monuments in Brno could potentially lose this designation. The reason is the late registration on the list of cultural monuments, which may cause the ministry not to recognize the process, said the mayor's deputy Matěj Hollan (Žít Brno) to reporters today. Brno is requesting the ministry to resolve the situation to avoid issues related to potential renovations. Strict rules must be followed for monuments, which also require higher costs. If the objects were not classified as monuments, the owners could manage them as they see fit.

According to Hollan, monuments could be listed on the register of immovable cultural monuments until 1988, when the current law came into force. According to him, only the Ministry of Culture can declare a cultural monument. "However, some monuments were registered on the list only later. Although we have been treating them as monuments all along, the ministry may not recognize them as such," said Hollan. This occurred, for example, with the Tišnov hospital, which the South Moravian Region wants to repair for approximately a quarter of a billion crowns.

Due to the planned renovation, he asked the ministry whether the hospital is a cultural monument or not. "The Minister of Culture has confirmed that it is not and never was," added Hollan, noting that the reason is the late registration.

Thus, while the region will save on renovation costs, according to Hollan, this has caused further problems for 1400 buildings that were registered later. "About 200 monuments in the territory of Brno are owned by the city, while the remaining 1200 are private and other entities. If the objects were not monuments, the owner could do whatever they wanted with them and could irreparably damage them," warned Hollan. Mayor Petr Vokřál (ANO) additionally stated that there could also be retroactive problems. "A number of entities had to implement various measures during renovations knowing that it was a monument. If someone claims otherwise, someone might begin to demand compensation. It is a chaotic situation and could set a precedent for the whole Czech Republic," added Vokřál.

According to Hollan, this concerns, for example, Janáček Theatre, the Sokol Stadium on Kounicova Street, or the bank building on Jánská Street; other structures are also in different regions.