The ministry rejected the controversial reconstruction of St. Michael's Church

Prague - The Ministry of Culture has rejected the controversial reconstruction of the deconsecrated Church of St. Michael in the center of Prague. It has identified a number of violations. Prague's municipal heritage officials, who previously permitted the construction, acted unlawfully, according to a decision available to ČTK. The fate of the church and the vicarage, owned by a private investor, has been debated for many years. Some fear irreversible damage to the monument.
    Experts from the fields of architecture and history approached the ministry with a proposal. They pointed to alleged violations of the heritage law and architectural devastation of the monument. In a letter addressed to the ministry and others, they expressed suspicions of the desecration of skeletal remains.
    The ministry sided with them and in its current statement annulled the decision of the Prague heritage officials that was to lead to the controversial reconstruction. It also recommended that the municipality revoke the building permit, which Prague 1 had already appealed against last year. They feared that the owner could use the building for erotic services. The investor indicated the establishment of a shopping gallery and accommodation. Previously, the church operated as a music club, but posters for the parties there often resembled invitations to an erotic show.
    Experts pointed out the provisional and therefore illegal storage of 92 skeletons, which had previously been retrieved from the crypt and placed on the plot next to the adjacent house. They also found the storage of mass skeletal remains in a dug pit beneath the crypt inappropriate. They view the construction of a loft as problematic, as it would triple the load on the sandstone columns. It is said that the planned pouring of concrete for the church's foundations is unacceptable. They recommend modifying the project to preserve the historical value of the monument.
    The use of the church has been debated for years. It is located a short distance from Old Town Square and was transferred to the National Library (NK) in 1984 in a dilapidated condition, with no use found for it. In the 1990s, it was unsuccessfully attempted to be sold, and then it was rented out. In 2005, it was sold to a controversial tenant for 46 million crowns.
    Owner Jerry Nowikovsky reconstructed the property in the 90s as a tenant. Experts still criticize the appearance of the reconstruction, although some admit that the church would have struggled to survive to this day without intervention.