Czech Krumlov withdraws lawsuit against the ministry over the bridge

Český Krumlov - Český Krumlov will withdraw the lawsuit it filed against the Ministry of Culture due to its declaration of the bridge over the stream Polečnice as a cultural monument. This was decided today by the municipal representatives. The bridge, built in 1768, obstructs flood protection measures; thus, the Ministry of Culture and heritage officials agreed in early April that it would be relocated. However, it is still unclear where this monument will be moved to.
    The town filed a lawsuit against the ministry in November 2006. By doing so, the city challenged the historical value of the bridge and pointed out that it had been repaired in the 20th century, which devalued it. After the ministry stopped opposing the removal of the bridge from the riverbed, the reason for the lawsuit ceased to exist. “There is no point in not recognizing it as a historical monument if it won’t obstruct flood protection measures,” explained Mayor Luboš Jedlička today.
    The Polečnice frequently overflows its banks and floods the center. The Vltava River Basin Authority intends to begin modifications of its entire riverbed this year for approximately 90 million crowns; according to the mayor, the work should start in October. The riverbed currently accommodates flows with a three- to ten-year return period. After expansion, dredging, and reconstruction of protective walls, the city will be protected against a hundred-year flood.
    According to the city's proposal, a suitable site for relocating the bridge is part of the Jelení Gardens, where there was a castle pond in the early 17th century and later gardens; currently, a new city park is planned there. However, the National Heritage Institute disagrees with this location because the monument would lack connections to the surroundings. Therefore, it is currently searching for a suitable site. According to heritage experts, the bridge should connect "somewhere to somewhere," not just stand somewhere as a remnant. They currently consider two variants of the new location acceptable, which would partially retain the connection to the historical communication to which the bridge belongs. The first is to relocate the bridge to a nearby sports and recreation area, and another suitable location is near the turnoff to Chvalšiny, close to Petráškov Dvůr.