The Historical Town of the Year in the Vysočina region is Havlíčkův Brod

Jihlava – The title of Historic Town of the Year 2020 for the Vysočina Region was awarded to Havlíčkův Brod. It will advance to the national round of the competition, the results of which will be announced in April on the occasion of the International Day of Monuments and Sites. Ilona Ampapová from the Telč office of the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) informed about this in a press release today.

Havlíčkův Brod participated in the competition most recently in 2011. "Since then, the historic center of the city has undergone progressive changes, not only in terms of the restoration of cultural monuments but primarily in public spaces and the support of public social life within them," stated Ampapová. Havlíčkův Brod succeeded against five other cities.

The commission, which visited the registered cities in mid-January, was particularly impressed by how Havlíčkův Brod dealt with extensive interventions in the original architecture during the 20th century.

The city improved its appearance through the demolition of a panel house and the revitalization of Smetanova Square, the reconstruction of Havlíčkovo Square, and the restoration of the Old Town Hall. The commission also appreciated the interventions in the Park of the Future and the repairs of Dolní, Žižkov, and Na Ostrově streets.

The four-story panel house was demolished in November 2011 because it obstructed passage through the historic Havlíčková Alley.

According to the commission, the restorations of individual buildings in Havlíčkův Brod were successful, including the gymnasium on Štáflova Street, Štáflova Cottage, which is a national cultural monument, and the city fortifications. The city is also working on the gradual restoration of an extensive cycle of paintings from the Augustinian monastery. The lunette paintings were found years ago in poor condition in the monastery's attic. The city took over this collection of 45 oil paintings from the Baroque period free of charge from the state in 2009. Currently, eight paintings remain to be restored.

The award for the best preparation and implementation of the Program for the Regeneration of Urban Monument Reserves and Zones with the right to use the title of Historic Town of the Year has been granted since 1994 by the Association of Historical Settlements of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia together with the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Regional Development. In the Vysočina Region, only Polná has won at the national level besides Brtnice, which won in 2007.