Holašovice will receive funding from the Ministry of Culture for roof repairs

ČESKÉ BUDĚJOVICE - Holašovice in the Česke Budějovice region, where last week the roofs of two barns collapsed under the weight of snow, will receive funds from the Ministry of Culture for repairs. In the village listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, whose square is a unique example of South Bohemian architecture known as rural baroque, other roofs are also in a state of emergency, so similar problems may occur again.
The roofs of two of the 23 homesteads in the village, which are national cultural monuments, could not withstand the snow load. "I saw the famous village and on it two gigantic scars," said Culture Minister Vítězslav Jandák, who visited Holašovice today. He decided to release 750,000 crowns from the Memory of the Nation fund so that the owners of the buildings could make repairs as soon as possible.
However, according to the mayor, the problem concerns more than just these two homesteads. "The roofing system as a whole is in an emergency state, and there is a risk of further collapses on some buildings," said Jan Jílek, the mayor of Jankov, to which Holašovice belongs, to ČTK.
According to his rough estimate, the amount that Jandák has now released will be enough for the repair of one of the collapsed roofs. However, the homesteads in Holašovice also need many other repairs, which their owners cannot afford. Moreover, if something is being repaired, they focus on the residential parts. Barns or sheds are a burden for them, so they are often in the worst condition.
Today, Jandák agreed with the mayor that the municipality will prepare a study on the condition of the individually protected monuments. "The municipality will calculate how much is needed, and we will try to arrange the funds so that everything is in order before the season," added the minister.
Holašovice, located 15 kilometers from Český Krumlov, is a unique ensemble of brick folk architecture. It was declared a heritage reserve in 1995 and has been on the UNESCO list since 1998. About 80,000 tourists visit it annually.
Jandák is the leader of the regional ČSSD candidate list for parliamentary elections. Last autumn, he sent 50,000 crowns for the repair of a Jewish cemetery in Velký Pěčín in the Jindřichův Hradec region, which was desecrated with neo-Nazi symbols. In January, he extended the life of the rotating theater in Český Krumlov by two years, which faced closure this year.