In Ústí n.L., they moved the Gothic portal to save it

Ústí nad Labem - In Ústí nad Labem today, construction workers lifted a Gothic portal from the 14th century from the construction site of the Zdar Palace and relocated it to the area of Mírové náměstí. Archaeologists discovered the monument last year during research. The city leadership decided to save the portal.
    The preparation for transport took three weeks. Workers had to cut the portal from the walls, properly wrap it, and create an iron structure around it. Today, a crane lifted the monument, weighing 85 tons, to a height of eight meters and lowered it to a predetermined spot in 15 minutes.
    Many citizens of Ústí watched the transport. Most of them agreed with the city's decision. They particularly appreciated that something was finally being saved in the regional city. "So far, only demolition has happened here," noted one of the onlookers.
    For now, the wrapped portal will remain at a temporary location. The city leadership is now considering, together with the architect, whether to leave the monument on the square or to partially embed it below the level of the square. However, by the end of the year, the portal should be in its final location. It will be glazed and illuminated, so it will be a nice attraction for the square, said Usti Mayor Jan Kubata to CTK today.
    The lifting of the portal and its placement at the temporary location will cost approximately eight million crowns. According to Kubata, the permanent installation of the monument is expected to cost roughly the same. The city has already received ten million crowns from the state budget and three million crowns from the Ústí region. Initial estimates spoke of an amount around 20 million crowns.
    Some heritage protectors argue that this money could be used to save more significant monuments. However, Kubata reminded that Ústí nad Labem went through a historical phase when most monuments in the city were destroyed. "I understand that there are many Gothic portals in the republic, but there aren't many in Ústí," Kubata said.