Cities utilizing former monasteries praise their contribution

Klatovy - Cities that utilize former monasteries or religious buildings mostly praise their benefits. Although historic buildings, which often form extensive complexes, require considerable resources for repairs and maintenance, municipalities are predominantly satisfied with their use for education, culture, social services, or tourism. This was agreed upon by representatives from several municipalities at today's nineteenth conference of the Association of Historical Sites of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia in Klatovy.
    For example, the former Dominican monastery in Klatovy was recently renovated by the municipality for more than 50 million crowns, of which about 30 million was paid by the city, with the rest coming from grants. The building now houses a branch of a Prague university, protected workshops, apartments, and a day center for mentally disabled clients of Diaconia, as well as a public internet station. "The renovation of the monastery saved the building and beautified a certain corner of the city, but it also brought other effects - contributions to education and fulfilling a certain social function," said Klatovy's mayor Rudolf Salvetra.
    Domažlice's mayor Miroslav Mach is also pleased that the local monastery is still being used. "The monastery is a beautiful place for a music school, there are strong walls that separate the individual rooms, making it an excellent acoustic solution," he remarked. The former Augustinian monastery is leased by the city, which financed its use for the next 30 years with a recent multi-million crown reconstruction of networks and interiors.
    Out of the large number of monasteries and former religious houses, only a fraction of the buildings is used for their original purpose. From the perspective of conservationists, this is the most ideal way of use because it does not require extensive alterations to the building, said conservator Zdeněk Chudárek. He appreciated the efforts of municipalities to utilize monasteries for cultural or spiritual missions. "Monasteries have always been centers of spiritual life in urban organisms; the worst are commercial activities, which often bring very unfortunate consequences, such as insensitive construction modifications," he stated.
    The former Franciscan monastery in Slaný continues to be used for ecclesiastical purposes, now utilized by the Discalced Carmelites. Mayor Ivo Rubik cannot praise it enough. The monastery serves its original purpose and is fully integrated into the life of the city. The Carmelites organize lectures, meetings for young families, and other events. Thus, it has become common for not just believers to visit the monastery. "It is amazing; for the citizens of the city, it is a true blessing to have such a functioning monastery in our territory," he added.