For the demolition of part of the Hunger Wall in Prague, fines will be imposed

PRAGUE - Fines will be imposed for the demolition of part of the historic Hunger Wall in Prague. Heritage conservators from the city hall found that a private investor, who is building a hotel nearby, demolished more than was permitted. Additionally, they failed to meet other conditions. In the administrative process, they face a fine of up to half a million, said Jan Kněžínek, director of the heritage and cultural department of the city hall, to ČTK today.
The demolition of the wall was mentioned on Friday by Culture Minister Vítězslav Jandák when he dismissed the director of all branches of the National Heritage Institute. At that time, the conservators were not aware of the demolition.
Today, Kněžínek stated that ten years ago, the then-state heritage institute agreed to the "necessary" demolition of part of the historic wall for the construction of a hotel. The city hall's heritage department then issued the same statement.
The demolition of about four meters of the wall was permitted; now, ten meters of the monument have been demolished, said Kněžínek. The investor also violated the condition that all actions must be discussed in advance with the state heritage institute and the city hall's heritage department, the director pointed out.
Heritage conservators will initiate proceedings with the company, and the fine will be at the upper limit, continued Kněžínek. According to him, the building authority will also impose penalties, which has already halted all construction work.
There are reportedly more problems with the investor, who is said to be renovating dilapidated buildings into a hotel. It was previously discovered, according to him, that they demolished roof structures that they were supposed to repair. "There are old semi-ruined houses, but they have their value," said Kněžínek. The administrative proceedings have already begun, he added.
The Hunger Wall, which connected to the fortifications of Hradčany, dates back to the 60s of the 14th century. The six-meter-high wall ran from Strahov Monastery to the Church of St. Lawrence on Petřín and down its slope to the Vltava River. It has been breached in the past. For instance, over 70 years ago, it was broken through for the extension of the Petřín funicular.