The new sites join Brno’s Villa Tugendhat on the list of over 500 national cultural heritage sites. Credit: Brno City Municipality.
Bucovice, South Moravia, Dec 7 (CTK) – The Czech government approved the declaration of 18 new national cultural heritage sites at its meeting yesterday in Bucovice, South Moravia, including 14 town halls, the monument of King George of Podebrady, a castle and chateau, and two historic trams, the Culture Ministry announced in a press release.
The Ministry said the 14 town halls in question were of exceptional architectural, urban, and art historical value. They include the Lesser Town Hall in the centre of Prague, the old town halls in Brno and Prachatice, and the new town hall in Ostrava.
“The historical town hall buildings are a very specific and unique part of the cultural heritage of the Czech Republic,” said Culture Minister Martin Baxa (ODS).
Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) praised the fact that town halls from different periods were included in the list. “The Czech Republic has amazing historical and modern architecture,” he said.
The Culture Ministry highlighted the connection of two other sites – the monument of King George of Podebrady, in the town of Podebrady in central Bohemia, and the Pobezovice Castle and Chateau in west Bohemia – with the idea of creating a peaceful and united Europe. The Pobezovice Castle and Chateau is linked to the Coudenhove-Kalergi family, in particular Count Richard Nikolaus Coudenhove-Kalergi (1894-1972), who founded the pan-European movement, the ideological forerunner of the European Union.
The Prague mayor’s tram from 1900 and the Krizik tram from 1899 in the Plzen Region were also listed. According to the ministry, these are two of the most valuable historical trams in the country, with exceptional significance for the history of technology and industry in the Czech Lands.
A national cultural heritage site is a monument that forms the most important part of the cultural wealth of a nation. At present, almost 500 monuments are registered in the Central List of Cultural Heritage Sites, from ancient ones such as the archaeological site of Dolni Vestonice in South Moravia, to modern buildings such as the UNESCO-listed Villa Tugendhat in Brno and the wastewater treatment plant in Prague-Bubenec, as well as sites from the late 20th century, such as the hotel and television transmitter at Jested mountain near Liberec.
