Lovers of history are calling for the establishment of the Olomouc Fortress Museum

Olomouc - The chairman of the Historical Olomouc section of the Museum Society, Ján Kadlec, calls on the Olomouc city council to establish a Museum of the Olomouc Fortress in the Crown Fortress in Bezruč Gardens. According to him, the museum would inform interested parties about the unique military history of the city and attract tourists. The city welcomes the idea but is rather considering making another site accessible. A specific study has not yet been created, said Olomouc Deputy Mayor Vladimír Pokorný today.
    According to Kadlec, the Crown Fortress is part of a unique system of fortifications surrounding the city, which was developed in the 1750s. It was part of the Theresian Fortress. Subsequently, particularly in the first half of the 19th century, a system of 22 forts, that is small fortresses, was built around the city to prevent attackers from getting close. "The museum would create an information center that would provide visitors with information about military historical sites including the forts. Some are in the hands of private owners who open them to the public, others are owned by the army. The Crown Fortress belongs to the city and is currently used as a storage facility for building materials," explained Kadlec. According to him, a total of 14 forts have been preserved that could be made accessible to the public.
    However, according to Pokorný, the Crown Fortress is not in good condition, and the city would rather utilize, for example, the fort on Tabulový Hill. That fort belongs to the army, and in the past, Olomouc heritage protectors showed interest in it as they wanted to create an exhibition about the history of the Olomouc military fortress. "We are certainly focusing on military history as the museum could make the city more attractive to tourists. We would also like to utilize European funds. For now, it is just a vision," said Pokorný. Together with Historical Olomouc, the city would like to issue a city plan this year that would capture the military fortresses. The state of the Crown Fortress has not only been affected by time but also by floods in 1997.
    Pavel Michna from the National Heritage Institute in Olomouc considers it more suitable to use the fort on Tabulový Hill rather than the Crown Fortress. However, the heritage protectors have not succeeded with their own proposal for its use; they did not receive 60 million from the Ministry of Culture to purchase the site. "Many interventions have already been made in the Crown Fortress. In contrast, the fort on Tabulový Hill is a model case of a fort and is undamaged. It has no equivalent in our country," stated Michna. According to him, Olomouc as a border and imperial Austrian fortress is unique in that there has been a continuity of the construction of fortified facilities from 1655, when Olomouc was declared a regional fortress, until 1945.