The fire at the Kampa Museum last year was not a criminal act

Prague – Police have ruled out the possibility of a crime being committed during last year's fire at the Prague Museum Kampa. However, they suspect an offense of negligence in fire protection. Police spokesperson Jan Daněk informed Czech Television of this today. The firefighters in Prague will decide on a fine, which, according to their spokesperson Martin Kavka, could amount to several thousand crowns.

The fire broke out in mid-July last year in the museum's technical room. In addition to damages to the building exceeding ten million crowns, the museum estimated two to three million crowns in damage to the artworks affected by smoke. The fire did not destroy the paintings or sculptures, but the toxic smoke generated by the burning air conditioning required them to be cleaned and restored.

After the fire, the museum launched a fundraising campaign, which raised nearly 340,000 crowns in four months. Part of the damages will be covered by insurance, and the state has also promised assistance.

Prague acquired the future museum building from the state in 1997, and collector Meda Mládková rented the Sova Mills from the city for 99 years. The collection includes over 220 paintings and drawings by František Kupka, 16 sculptures by Otto Gutfreund, and over 1,000 works by Czech and Slovak artists from 1965 to 1985. Significant Czech poet, visual artist, and art collector Jiří Kolář donated his collection to the Mládek Foundation before his death in 2002.