In Bubenč, the headquarters of the Literary Memorial is starting to be renovated

Prague - Today, the reconstruction of the future headquarters of the Memorial of National Literature (PNP) began in Prague's Bubeneč. Approximately 200 million crowns will be spent on the renovation of the Petschkova Villa, which will house the largest Czech museum of book culture starting in 2019. After moving to the new headquarters, the memorial is expected to end its long-term presence in the Strahov Monastery, where it has been renting since the 1990s.

"When we start something that is meant to improve the situation, it shows that we are thinking positively about the future. We are not just saving some crumbling ruins, as they have been preserved by unfortunate past times, but we are truly improving the condition. This is of course closely related to the economic situation. We have created a program for the preservation of national cultural heritage, which is also funding this reconstruction," said Minister of Culture Daniel Herman. He signed a contract with representatives of the memorial and the companies involved in the renovation, which will be bricked up during the reconstruction along with other artifacts as a message to the villa.

Herman reminded that the Program for the Care of the National Cultural Treasure, from which the renovations and new constructions of state cultural institutions are financed, still has five billion crowns available. Current expenses include repairs to the National Museum, Klementinum, State Opera, and the recently completed renovation of the Museum of Applied Arts in Prague.

The PNP was established in the 1950s after the Premonstratensians were forced by the communist regime to leave the Strahov Monastery. In 1952, the Memorial of National Culture was founded within it, which took over the Strahov Monastery along with the funds from its library and the libraries of the monasteries. The PNP as a museum of Czech literature emerged from it in 1953.

At the beginning of the 1990s, the monastery was returned to the order, and the memorial remained in small premises. Since then, a new location for the institution has been sought. The collections of the PNP consist of 2,000 funds with a total of seven million archival items.

In 2005, the government decided to transfer the Petschkova Villa, and in 2006 added a nearby building on Pelléova Street. Both buildings were taken over by the PNP management in 2006. The smaller one on Pelléova Street is used for exhibitions, lectures, or literary programs. The two buildings were originally supposed to be opened for the memorial's needs by 2009, but work was delayed due to court disputes, as Prague also claimed rights to the property. The court proceedings lasted until 2012.

The so-called third Petschkova Villa on V Sadech Street was built in 1930. After reconstruction, PNP will have, among other things, an exhibition dedicated to modern Czech literature, for which there was no space in the rented premises in Strahov.