About 50 people protested against the former head of heritage conservation in Prague

Prague - Approximately 50 people gathered today at Mariánské náměstí in Prague near the City Hall to express their protest against the appointment of Jan Kněžínka as the head of the UNESCO World Heritage office. Critics are bothered by his previous role as the director of the Heritage Care Department of the City Hall. The protest was organized by the Czech Pirate Party, and some architects also attended. The attendees labeled Kněžínka as the "gravedigger of Prague's monuments."
     "This is a real patronage," said Vítězslav Praks, who represented the Pirates regarding his new position. "Stop Kněžínka," the demonstrators shouted. Some of them held banners, including one that read "We won’t give Prague to Kněžínka; we’d rather demolish it."
     Kněžínka, who is behind some controversial decisions, left the Heritage Department in July. The position concerning UNESCO was recently established at the City Hall. Kněžínka will be tasked, among other things, with developing a management plan for the Prague Heritage Reserve, which UNESCO requires. According to the demonstrators, "the fox became the gardener."
     The attendees discussed several controversial cases in which Kněžínka played a role in front of the City Hall. These include the disputed reconstruction of Charles Bridge and the renovation of a historic building in Hradčany, where the Václav Havel Library is to be located. "How could Kněžínka's heritage office permit the construction of a swimming pool in a 16th-century palace?" Praks asked.
     In the past, Kněžínka was criticized by the Club for Old Prague, which speaks of the clientelist system that was created at the City Hall during his tenure. The decisions of the City Hall's heritage officials under Kněžínka often contradicted the opinion of the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ), according to the Club for Old Prague and went against the principles of heritage care. The club describes Kněžínka's transition to the new UNESCO office as a mockery.
     Kněžínka worked in the Heritage Care Department of the Prague City Hall for ten years. The department issues binding statements on whether planned development projects affect the Prague Heritage Reserve. Opponents accuse Kněžínka of being too accommodating to some investors and developers. Kněžínka has long defended himself against criticism. "He has caused immeasurable damage," architect Marie Švábová, speaking on behalf of the Association for the Protection and Development of Cultural Heritage in the Czech Republic, argued today at the gathering.
     Applications for the vacant director position in the Heritage Care Department after Kněžínka can be submitted until August 10th.