NPÚ in Telč will start training craftsmen for work on monuments

Jihlava - The National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) will train craftsmen from Vysočina for work on monuments starting this year. Masons, carpenters, bricklayers, plasterers, and other professions that heritage conservationists may encounter in practice will be able to learn old techniques and technologies. This was announced to journalists today by the director of the NPÚ's Telč office, Martina Veselá. The project is funded by the Vysočina Region.
The aim of the project is to reduce friction areas during repairs of monument-protected objects. "There is this misunderstanding where the values we see and have the obligation to protect, many people do not see there," Veselá explained. Conservationists want craftsmen to learn how to recognize such valuable elements on their own.
According to Veselá, there is great pressure, for example, to use modern building materials that are cheaper but unsuitable for historic buildings. "That’s a general issue. It’s usually determined by price," she noted.
The project, with costs around 3.5 million crowns, is intended for both larger and smaller companies from Vysočina. It will start in April and last for two years. A series of themed seminars complemented by practical demonstrations of period technologies, such as beam carving, will be prepared. At the end, participants will receive a certificate that could help them in obtaining contracts for repairs of notable buildings.
In addition to builders, Telč conservationists are trying to develop cooperation with schools. In the new educational hall, which will open this year on the ground floor of the Telč Lanner House, replicas of armor and historical costumes will be on display, among other things. They are also preparing seminars for teachers of humanities subjects. Another current goal is to improve the accessibility of monuments in the region for people with disabilities.