The demolition of the Slezan building in Frýdek-Místek is reportedly illegal

Ostrava - The demolition of the building of the former Slezan textile factory in Frýdek-Místek is illegal. This is claimed by the Czech Chamber of Architects. The chamber's spokesperson, Zuzana Hošková, informed ČTK about this. However, the insolvency administrator of Slezan Frýdek-Místek, Jiří Hanák, denies this, stating that he cannot stop the work for safety reasons.
    "At the beginning of April, the Ministry of Culture issued a decision to initiate proceedings regarding the declaration of Slezan as a cultural monument," said spokesperson Hošková. She added that after the initiation of this process, the owner is obliged to ensure the protection of the monument. "This has not happened. In violation of the monument protection law, demolition work continues," Hošková added. According to the monument protection law, in cases where proceedings for the declaration of a property or movable item as a cultural monument are initiated, the owner must behave as if the object or item already enjoys monument protection. That is, they must not only refrain from demolishing the building, but also from making any irreversible changes to it and must protect it from damage.
    However, the insolvency administrator claims that he cannot stop the demolition. "Demolition work is already in an advanced stage. According to the statician's statement, stopping the demolition would endanger the health and property of people moving around the building. Therefore, we consider this effort to be dangerous," Hanák said.
    The reason for the demolition is the compromised statics of the building, which is to be demolished by the end of May. What will be created in its place is not yet known. The factory has not been producing for several years. The company has been in bankruptcy for five years. The demolition was authorized by the Frýdek-Místek building authority. A petition has emerged on social media from people protesting against the demolition and requesting that the building be listed as a monument.
    Hanák previously stated on the company's website that despite regular maintenance, the condition of the building deteriorated due to extreme weather at the beginning of 2013, and part of the façade and masonry began to fall off. According to him, an independent expert assessment stated that the building is in a state of emergency and either extensive reconstruction work needs to be done or the building needs to be torn down to not endanger the safety of pedestrians and traffic. The administrator stated that the company, which is in bankruptcy, does not have the funds for extensive remediation. "The only solution left is the demolition of the building," Hanák said.
    In response to the motion to classify the building as a cultural monument, the city expressed its rejection in 2011. The reason was that the building exhibits several inappropriate construction modifications and extensions that violated its authenticity. Advocates for the building applied again for its inclusion among monuments some time ago. A decision has not yet been made.
    Slezan was once one of the largest textile factories in the Czech Republic. Before 2000, it had over 2,600 employees, and as of early 2009, it employed over 600 people. However, due to the economic crisis and cheap competition from Asia, the company significantly lost orders, and in February 2009 it went into bankruptcy. Within three years, Slezan managed to settle claims of all its more than 200 creditors. These exceeded 300 million crowns.