Response of the Heritage Inspection of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic
Dear Sir or Madam,
The Heritage Inspectorate of the Ministry of Culture has reviewed your complaint regarding the inappropriate existing and allegedly planned use of the National Cultural Monument Klementinum, building no. 190/I, Karlova Street, Prague 1, Old Town, specifically concerning the commercial spaces on the left side of the entrance to the Klementinum, where there was recently a bookstore, but currently a variety of items corresponding to tourist "taste" are sold, and regarding the intention to establish a so-called summer café and a number of other activities that are supposedly included in the document Priority NK.
According to the statement from the director of the National Library, this institution leases two commercial spaces on the ground floor oriented towards Karlova Street. On the left side of the passage, there is now a jewelry store and "gift items" shop (formerly a bookstore), while on the right side, in the space of the former information center, a café has been established with an outdoor patio in the courtyard of the Klementinum. Although the range of the gift items store does not correspond to the cultural and social significance of the National Cultural Monument Klementinum, given the relatively small scale of the store, it cannot objectively be classified among the factors that cause adverse changes to the monument or its environment, or threaten its preservation and appropriate social application, and thus would not be in conflict with Section 9, paragraph 3 of Act No. 20/1987 Coll., on State Monument Care, as amended, resp. that this fact should be a reason for initiating measures by the relevant body of state monument care pursuant to Section 11, paragraph 2 of the mentioned act.
The situation regarding the space on the right side of the passage is somewhat more complicated, as it was still serving as an information center in 2006 (according to the accompanying and technical report of the PSP), and a café was recently opened there. The establishment of the café was preceded by the following steps:
Although the Heritage Inspectorate does not consider the use of the space for establishing a café to be an adverse change to the monument or its environment, the process that gradually led to the change in use from the information center to the “Café bar-restaurant” without this change being noted or evaluated in the course of the approval from a heritage care perspective, aside from the aforementioned last sentence of the binding opinion ref. no. MHMP 43956/2007, is striking. The application of such an approach from both the professional heritage care organization and the OKPP MHMP could, however, lead to serious damage in the future. The Heritage Inspectorate is aware of the extraordinary social significance of the Klementinum complex and the risks that may arise from its inappropriate use; therefore, it will formally request the directors of both institutions to strongly advocate for rectification, so that in the future all interventions and modifications to this national cultural monument receive the appropriate attention at the necessary professional level.
Regarding your further suggestions for investigation, we regret to inform you that the Heritage Inspectorate is not authorized to assess the issue of the future use of the Klementinum to the extent and context as you propose. The main mission of the Heritage Inspectorate is to perform central oversight over compliance with the law on state monument care and regulations issued for its implementation (Section 27, paragraph 1) and it primarily fulfills the following tasks: according to paragraph 2, item a) it oversees how care for cultural monuments is secured, according to paragraph 2, item b) it oversees how decisions of state monument care authorities regarding the care for cultural monuments are respected and how owners (managers, users) of cultural monuments fulfill prescribed obligations.
The intentions regarding the use of spaces that are still used for the needs of the National Library in the future are not known to the Heritage Inspectorate and have not yet been subject to any administrative proceedings. According to Section 14, paragraph 1 of Act No. 20/1987 Coll., on State Monument Care, as amended, a binding opinion from the OKPP MHMP must be issued for the intention of any modification of the premises, which may then be subject to investigation by the Heritage Inspectorate. It is therefore up to the OKPP MHMP to give appropriate attention to the issue of any intended modifications of the Klementinum.
The Heritage Inspectorate appreciates your interest in preserving the character of this significant national cultural monument; it considers your information regarding the intention of use to be serious and will actively engage in the development of this case.
Sincerely,
JUDr. Jiří Varhaník
Director of the Heritage Inspectorate of the MK
The Heritage Inspectorate of the Ministry of Culture has reviewed your complaint regarding the inappropriate existing and allegedly planned use of the National Cultural Monument Klementinum, building no. 190/I, Karlova Street, Prague 1, Old Town, specifically concerning the commercial spaces on the left side of the entrance to the Klementinum, where there was recently a bookstore, but currently a variety of items corresponding to tourist "taste" are sold, and regarding the intention to establish a so-called summer café and a number of other activities that are supposedly included in the document Priority NK.
According to the statement from the director of the National Library, this institution leases two commercial spaces on the ground floor oriented towards Karlova Street. On the left side of the passage, there is now a jewelry store and "gift items" shop (formerly a bookstore), while on the right side, in the space of the former information center, a café has been established with an outdoor patio in the courtyard of the Klementinum. Although the range of the gift items store does not correspond to the cultural and social significance of the National Cultural Monument Klementinum, given the relatively small scale of the store, it cannot objectively be classified among the factors that cause adverse changes to the monument or its environment, or threaten its preservation and appropriate social application, and thus would not be in conflict with Section 9, paragraph 3 of Act No. 20/1987 Coll., on State Monument Care, as amended, resp. that this fact should be a reason for initiating measures by the relevant body of state monument care pursuant to Section 11, paragraph 2 of the mentioned act.
The situation regarding the space on the right side of the passage is somewhat more complicated, as it was still serving as an information center in 2006 (according to the accompanying and technical report of the PSP), and a café was recently opened there. The establishment of the café was preceded by the following steps:
- The decision of the OKPP MHMP regarding the project for building permits titled “Building modifications related to the use of the attic and reconstruction of the ceiling structures" was issued concerning the construction modifications of the attic and reconstruction of the ceiling structures of building no. 190 under ref. no. 160169/2006 on July 18, 2006. The use of the ground floor is not specified in the decision; according to the description, it involves minor modifications to the layout on the ground floor, shifting the modern compensatory staircase and modifying the infills to the courtyard. In the accompanying and summary technical report for the building permit stored in the building authority archive, the use of this space is characterized as “an information center with book sales and a café for a short visit and becoming familiar with the history and services of individual disciplines of the National Library." However, the drawing documentation unequivocally addresses a standard purely commercial café operation.
- The building permit ref. no. Výst.071079/2006-Hs-1/190 dated August 21, 2006, for the project with the above title was issued for “building modifications of the former Jesuit printing house into a store, café, offices, and accommodation."
- In the application for a binding opinion from the OKPP MHMP regarding the change of the building before completion, it is stated, among other things: “The building modifications concern the space of the former printing house, which operated as an information center until 2006. According to the building permit, there is a café located here, therefore it is not a change of use."
- A binding opinion on the change of the building before completion was issued concerning “building modifications of the ground floor space in building no. 190" under ref. no. MHMP 43956/2007/Poš on March 26, 2007. The description does not mention the change of use from the original information center to a café, but the last sentence of the justification states: “The operation of the café does not conflict with the operation of the National Library and brings suitable revitalization to the premises."
Although the Heritage Inspectorate does not consider the use of the space for establishing a café to be an adverse change to the monument or its environment, the process that gradually led to the change in use from the information center to the “Café bar-restaurant” without this change being noted or evaluated in the course of the approval from a heritage care perspective, aside from the aforementioned last sentence of the binding opinion ref. no. MHMP 43956/2007, is striking. The application of such an approach from both the professional heritage care organization and the OKPP MHMP could, however, lead to serious damage in the future. The Heritage Inspectorate is aware of the extraordinary social significance of the Klementinum complex and the risks that may arise from its inappropriate use; therefore, it will formally request the directors of both institutions to strongly advocate for rectification, so that in the future all interventions and modifications to this national cultural monument receive the appropriate attention at the necessary professional level.
Regarding your further suggestions for investigation, we regret to inform you that the Heritage Inspectorate is not authorized to assess the issue of the future use of the Klementinum to the extent and context as you propose. The main mission of the Heritage Inspectorate is to perform central oversight over compliance with the law on state monument care and regulations issued for its implementation (Section 27, paragraph 1) and it primarily fulfills the following tasks: according to paragraph 2, item a) it oversees how care for cultural monuments is secured, according to paragraph 2, item b) it oversees how decisions of state monument care authorities regarding the care for cultural monuments are respected and how owners (managers, users) of cultural monuments fulfill prescribed obligations.
The intentions regarding the use of spaces that are still used for the needs of the National Library in the future are not known to the Heritage Inspectorate and have not yet been subject to any administrative proceedings. According to Section 14, paragraph 1 of Act No. 20/1987 Coll., on State Monument Care, as amended, a binding opinion from the OKPP MHMP must be issued for the intention of any modification of the premises, which may then be subject to investigation by the Heritage Inspectorate. It is therefore up to the OKPP MHMP to give appropriate attention to the issue of any intended modifications of the Klementinum.
The Heritage Inspectorate appreciates your interest in preserving the character of this significant national cultural monument; it considers your information regarding the intention of use to be serious and will actively engage in the development of this case.
Sincerely,
JUDr. Jiří Varhaník
Director of the Heritage Inspectorate of the MK
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