The tenant of Muzejka paid the debt to Brno, the council will decide whether he may stay

Brno - The tenant of the Muzejka café in the Bergl Palace at Moravské náměstí in Brno has paid off debts exceeding one million crowns, which were related to rent and utility deposits. Brno city councilors will thus decide next week whether to withdraw the termination of the lease agreement, which will expire at the end of January. The city announced this in a press release.

"I see the settlement of obligations for the past year amounting to about a million crowns as proof that the company Gattamelata is interested in remaining in the premises of Muzejka. Therefore, we will address the withdrawal of the termination at the next possible council meeting, which will take place on Wednesday, January 27. I am aware that today’s times are not easy for any entrepreneur, and I hope even more that Muzejka will open as soon as possible, as that is our goal,” said Deputy for Property Management Jiří Oliva (ČSSD).

The city terminated the lease agreement with the tenant last October, so the notice period would end at the end of January. Before its expiration, however, the city again urged the company Gattamelata to settle its debt, which it did by January 20.

The historic premises were last open in the spring of 2012 when the Muzejka restaurant connected to the music club Mju:z closed. The then-tenant long refused to vacate the premises, so the city rented Muzejka again only in May 2016 to the current tenant. There are three lease agreements for the spaces of the former restaurant, buffet, and area with parking, all concluded for an indefinite period. There were also problems with opening the restaurant because heritage conservationists did not grant consent for occupancy due to the painting method.

The Bergl Palace, also known as Bergler Palace or Berglova Villa or Muzejka, was built in the 1860s as a Neo-Renaissance house with a Neo-Gothic facade. The building was designed by the Vienna architect Heinrich Ferstel, the author of the nearby Red Church and several other buildings in Brno. The name Muzejka was given to the building in the 1920s when it belonged to the Agricultural Museum and there was a Café Museum on the ground floor. The museum was abolished in 1943, but the name remained with the building. It has been protected as a monument since 1964.