The property office will attempt to sell the Central Bohemian castle Štiřín at auction for the second time

Prague - The Office for State Representation in Property Affairs (ÚZSVM) will today make its second attempt to sell the Central Bohemian castle of Štiřín in an electronic auction. No bidders registered for the first auction held in September, which required a deposit. Subsequently, the ÚZSVM lowered the starting price by 800 million crowns to 2.5 billion crowns. The auction starts today at noon and will last for 24 hours, with a minimum bid set at 75,000 crowns.

If the auction is successful, the castle of Štiřín could become the most successful sale in the history of the property office. The highest amount to date, 790 million crowns, was gained by the state from the sale of a property in Republic Square in Prague.

The castle previously served as a hotel with a restaurant, wellness center, and golf course. Originally, Štiřín was managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which announced it no longer needed the property and transferred it to the property office last June. At the time of the transfer, the property was reported to be closed. This year, the office announced that no other state institution had shown interest in the castle, and therefore it would begin selling to private interests.

According to the ÚZSVM, the costs of managing the property are high. The office's director, Kateřina Arajmu, told members of the parliamentary control committee in March this year that the empty property costs the state 600,000 crowns per month, with the largest expense being the maintenance of the golf course.

The control committee protested against the sale and suggested that the management of Štiřín be transferred, for example, to the Chamber of Deputies. The municipality of Kamenice also opposed the auction, proposing a joint project with the state. According to them, part of the castle could contain medical offices and a kindergarten, while the rest could continue to be used by the state.

The castle of Štiřín was built in the mid-18th century. It acquired its current appearance around 1900 following modifications based on the design of architect Jiří Stibral. In 1945, the state became the owner of the castle. From 1985 to 1993, modifications were made to the castle to allow it to be used as a hotel. Štiřín was previously used by scouts, who later unsuccessfully sued for the castle. However, in 2005, the court ruled that the current scout organization Junák had no rights to the castle.