Monuments

Melnik, the city in central Bohemia, especially its mayor have spoken, they would be proud to have the unwanted statue of Jan Palach. The three and a half metre tall bronze monument depicting postmodern impression of the Czech freedom fighter who self-immolated as a protest against Russian despotism in 1969.

Nicolas Sarcosy wanted to bring it as a gift, however Prague representatives said they don’t have a place anywhere in Prague. The leader of Czech diplomacy Karel Schwarzenberg suggested it would stay in France, the name Dijon came in debate.

The mayor of Melnik Miroslav Neuman stated they planned a monument for Palach close to the grammar school where Palach studied. He said they wanted to make a one, but if there is one already, they would accept it. It is now being negotiated.

The President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy prepared a big gift on the occasion of his visit on the next Monday – 3,5 metre tall statue of Jan Palach. Prague however refused it: the representatives think the statue made in France should stay in France. The problem only moves – they didn’t get get very excited the huge statue representing Jan Palach burning should stay in France either.

However, the French government took it easy and some information leaked that Sarkozy prepared a more modest gift for Mirek Topolanek, maybe a painting. Jan Palach already has a memorial, little, but skillfully crafted. Pavel Fisher, the ambassador of the CR in France commented we “… touch history of French politics. A lot of them have been in 1968 among Trockists and so were basically against Palach”

Where it could end up? Maybe in Dijon, as the Czech Republic keeps close relations with it since the First Republic. But it may happen, the burning statue would be put in depositionary, as it could distract any place it would be put in.

Prague stands before another architectonic contest. The original Old Town City Hall was severely damaged at the end of WWII, after it became a target of the German occupation army during the Prague Uprising in May 1945. It was set on fire and had to be taken down. Since then, plans for a new building were in motion.

Now the city has decided the case should be solved at last. The reasons are obvious. The City Hall at the Old Town Square is apparently a torso and the park that covers the space today doesn’t make much sense, it creates sort of a square- within- a square. A new, tenth competition is supposed to take place this year and it is likely it will be international.

The Marshall Radecky’s memorial has disappeared from the eyes of public for ninety years, but still is a matter of feud.

Prague National Heritage Institute want to put the bronze memorial back to its original place, the Little Quarter. The opposers are český svaz bojovníků za svobodu (Czech Union of Freedom Fighters) and Legionarska Obce (Legionary Council)

For: Rehabilitate Radecky’s part in Czech History. He was a famous Czech born army-leader, who is said not to lose a battle, he was the one to work out the plan of the Battle of Nations, where Napoleon was defeated.

Against: Radecky was more an Austrian than a Czech, and he is a strong symbol of Austria Monarchy and Czechoslovak national enslavement in favour of the Austria-Hungary, where Czechs represented without exceptions second-class citizens.

Charles Bridge of Prague is in much worse shape, than the experts expected. The reconstruction moves up in price.

Some parts of Charles Bridge were invariably damaged by salting and mistakes of the last reconstruction in 1975. It was proved by the current reconstruction of the bridge.

The biggest surprise is the extent of damages. The railing, where most tourists lean against to have a nice picture of them taken with Prague background, is damaged quite a lot – two thirds will have to go.

The Prague town council even wants to open their own stone quarry. Until now, damaged sandstone from the bridge was replaced with sandstone from a historic quarry, but it may run out of stone during the reconstruction, which is now clear to go on all the 2008. The bridge is accessible, though.

Langweil model of Prague is one of the most extraordinary and most admired exhibit in the Museum of the City of Prague. And now, they prepare a 3D digitalized version of the unique piece.

Anyone interested in old Prague can virtually go through all the corners of the city from the first half of the 19th century. E.g. there is St. Vitus Cathedral before the southern wing was finished.

In the half of 2008, the digitalized version should be accessible by the public. It will cost probably about 12,5 millions czk.

If we go to prague.net, we can read more about Langweil’s model of Prague :

Langweil model of Prague is one of the most extraordinary and most admired exhibit in the Museum of the City of Prague.

Langweil’s model of Prague is a paper and wood model that shows Prague what it looked like about 150 years ago. Many buildings in the model cannot be found in present Prague any more. The model was created in a scale of 1:480, which means there is a street one millimeter wide, the graves on the Jewish town are similarly petite.

Sun rays and pleasant temperatures around 5 Celsius, continuing in present days, made it possible for the archaeologists to get back to Charles Bridge.

They just moved from the Lesser Town Bridge Tower, were they found small pieces of pottery, the oldest probably dating back to the 8th century, to the other tower-gate of the Charles Bridge, Old Town Bridge Tower.

The archaeologists speculate, there could be one more arch hidden on the side of Old Town Bridge Tower. But they also state they are at the beginning. Spring Weather got Charles Bridge reconstruction back on track. The archeologists weren’t the only ones who came back; temperatures abled the workes to come back too, and continue the reconstruction.

The church of our Lady before the Tyn gains a new bell. The bishop Jiri Padour have blessed it on Sunday. It is named after its patron archangel Michael, weights 2,7 ton and it was made in Bohemia. The original bell can finally retire (left picture)

The church of our Lady before the Tyn is one of the most prominent symbols of Prague Gothic style. As well as many other monuments in Prague, this church has a long and eventful history. In the place we see the church with two Gothic towers that dominate the Old town square and all the Old centre of Prague, Ungelt, have stood three churches, each destroyed by the wickedness of times.

Statues at the Old Town Astronomical Clock are after two weeks back on their place. The Prague ‘orlojnik’ have installed them yesterday. The lower statues, which place is by the Calendar (which is the lower clock face) are Chronicler, Angel, Astronomer and Philosopher.

They came through a complete restorer maintenance. A restorer Jiri Matejka added the lost hand of Astronomer which an unknown vandal broke off (and also damaged stone parts of the clock).

The Astronomical Clock becomes often a target of attacks of vandals. Lastly, a young man climbed the clock this Wednesday, just for fun. But the clock faces belong to the most fragile parts of the monument. They are made of acid-etched glass.

For all the future vandals: police officers are permanently present on the Old Town Square so they can get to the monument in a matter of seconds, rather than minutes.

A vandal climbed Prague Astronomical Clock yesterday, to swing for a few minutes on the lower clock-face. The speaker of Prague constables said: “Police officers had to go to the man using a ladder and make him climb down. From a breathe test, they found out he wasn’t drunk. He reasoned his act as a recession. The thing is probably going to bepassed to be solved to an adequate administrative agency.

The ladder had to be brought to the spot by the fire brigade. This little incident happened only a short time after the figure of anastronomer lost his hand to some other vandal. Prague Astronomical clock, which has its statues returned toady, is going to be watched by a security camera system since the beginning of 08.

Snow and cold ended this year season of Charles Bridge repairs.

Long prepared works on the Charles Bridge started in August. “Up to now, we looked at the bridge floor, stone rail, and we have also done little archaeological investigation “ said a leader of Mott MacDonald company, which reconstructs the Bridge.

Workers took the first layer of paving stones off, under which the wooden isolation is going to be replaced in spring.

“We are going to prepare new block-stones during the winter from sandstone, which is the original stone used” the leader Tvrznik adds.

The place at Lesser Town Bridge Tower was thoughtfully examined. At the side of the stones were found the same symbols as at the Lesser Town Bridge Tower. There were also small pieces of pottery, the oldest probably dating back to the 8th century, which responds to the oldest settlement of the area.

The archaeologist research at the bridge is prior to the repair. At the moment archaeologists have reached the canalization, where the drainage of the bridge runs, the excavation is about six meters deep, ending at the geological subsoil.

The long planned repair of the bridge started in August. Charles Bridge gains new isolating, watershed and gas lamps.

Prague astronomical clock, built 1410 by the clockmaker Mikulas of Kadan, is going to have its statues undergo a general repair the whole November 2007. Its 17th Century statues are going to be protectively coated against hard weather conditions.

Otakar Zamecnik, the ‘orlojnik’, said: “to lift down these takes about three hours, while the Astronomical Clock will be still working. We have to do everything in the morning, so we won’t be disturbed by tourists too much.”

Conservators are going to lift down first four statues today, and the next four in two weeks. Vanity, Miser/Jew, Turk and Death, the statues placed at the lower position by the astronomic clock-face, go to workrooms as first. The second wawe takes the lower statues by the Claendar- Chronicler, Angel, Astronomer and Philosopher.

Do you know the lifestyle of one of the most significant Czech noble families, the Borita of Martinic family. You can find it out in Martinic Palace in Hradcanske square near Prague Castle. The interior of the palace looks like the family left the building just yesterday. You can see the children’s room with dolls, the lounge with munitions, the bedroom of the owners and many others.

Martinic Palace with four wings comes from the second half of the 16th century and it’s a part of Prague historical city reserve listed on the UNESCO heritage list. The Martinic family is remember by a memorial plaque made of red marble with a coat of arms of the Martinic family. Visitors can see a large number of frescoes and unique panelled ceilings.

The palace is open every day from 10:00 to 18:00. The tour with a guide takes about half an hour. The entrance fee is 100 CZK (children and pensioners pay 50 CZK).

Prague municipal authorities want to finish the Old Town Hall in the Old Town Square soon. The Old Town Hall with the famous Astronomical clock was damaged during the World War II and it hasn’t been completely reconstructed yet.

The Mayor of Prague Pavel Bem said that there will be an international architectonic competition for the reconstruction of the Old Town Hall next year. The municipal authorities are now evaluating previous competitions that all failed and they try to learn from any mistakes.

The Old Town Hall became the seat of municipal authorities of the Old Town in 1338. On 7th and 8th May 1945 the Nazis fired at the building and then burned it. 30 years after the liberalization a part of the Old Town Hall was reconstructed.

The reconstruction works on Charles Bridge that had been planned for so long already started today. Charles Bridge will be reconstructed in two phases: the first phase should finish in 2010, the other one in ten years. The repair works are necessary due to a bad condition of the bridge.

The reconstruction is run under the supervision of an archaeologist. Any interesting discoveries will be placed in the Museum of Charles Bridge situated in the Knight of the Cross Square.

The bridge will be open to the public. People can even see the inside parts of the bridge as the barriers will be transparent. The works starts near the Lesser Town Bridge Tower and they are mostly financed from the city budget and donations.

Much more tourists visited Prague monuments administrated by the Prague Information Service (which belongs to the city of Prague) in the first sex months of this year than in the same period last year. From January to June 572,800 people visited these monuments, which is by 110,200 more than in 2006.

The visit rate of the Powder Tower increased by 150%, also thanks to a new exhibition presenting the life of people in the medieval times. The most popular building administrated by the Prague Information Services was the Old Town Hall in the Old Town Square in the centre of Prague. The Old Town Hall offers many permanent and contemporary exhbitions as well a nice view of Prague from the Old Town Hall Tower.

More and more tourists also plan the journey to Prague via tourist guides on internet or use the servises of information centres.

Even though you may think that you know Prague Castle very well, you might be surprised to find places that are not mentioned in Prague guidebooks but still they don’t lack their magic.

Instead of walking up the Old Prague Castle Steps, stroll along the streets Na Opysi or Chotkova to the Deer Moat. This green calm place created by the stream Brusnice is not crowded by many tourists and still offers a great view of famous monuments, such as Daliborka and Mihulka towers, St Vitus Cathedral or Queen Anne’s Palace.

The Dear Moat will take you to Prague Castle or U Brusnice street which leads to lovely street New World and narrow streets around the Loreto.

From U Brusnice street you can also easily get to Lumbe’s garden opened since the last year. There are many concerts held in that garden. Lumbe’s garden used to belong to the Lumbe’s villa, the residential villa of the Czech president.

The gold inscription on the statue The Crucifix and Calvary on Charles Bridge is back. However, the inscription is not the original one, but a replica made by the same technological process, including fire gilding techniques.

The Hebrew inscription saying ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts’ comes from the end of the 17th century. The original remains are placed in the Gallery of the City of Prague.

Last January the inscription was damaged by an unknown vandal who threw some parts of it into the Vltava river. To prevent such vandalism, 1“0 cameras connected with the police office have been installed”:http://www.abcprague.com/2007/03/12/10-new-cameras-on-charles-bridge-in-prague on the bridge earlier this year.

After four years of reconstruction,the Schwarzenberg Palace in the Hradcanske square near Prague Castle is going to be open to the public again. The palace will be open for now only for one day – on 12th July 2007. Then it will be open only for special events until the end of November 2007.

After that, probably in autumn this year, visitors can see a large collection of Czech Baroque art moved into the palace from St George’s Convent. The Schwarzenberg Palace will also host a collection of art from the Renaissance time and also art from the time of Rudolf II when Prague was the centre of the European culture.

Another historical palace is going to be reconstructed. The reconstruction of the neighbouring Salm Palace is planned for autumn of this year. The Schwarzenberg and Salm palaces will be connected. Salm Palace will hold an exhibition of the art collections of the 19th century.