The Germans are offering a plot of land in the center of Berlin for the Lobkovický palace

Prague/Berlin - Germany is offering the Czech Republic a plot of land in central Berlin in exchange for the Lobkowicz Palace in Prague, Prime Minister Petr Nečas stated today. According to him, the Foreign Ministry is analyzing the offer and no decision has been made yet. The baroque palace in Malá Strana has been used by the German embassy for years. However, Germany is striving for ownership of the building which it currently only rents.
    In the past, Berlin has already offered the Czech diplomacy, for example, the building of the former American embassy. The current offer, according to information from CTK from diplomatic sources, concerns a plot of land near the famous Tiergarten park, where the Czech Republic would have to build a new embassy building.
    "It must be an offer that will be adequate for the Czech Republic. It should not be an offer that the Czech Republic would be at a loss for. On the other hand, if you look at the land prices in central Berlin, they are basically among the most expensive places in Europe. So far, everything indicates that it would not be an offer where the Czech Republic would incur a loss," commented Prime Minister Nečas on the latest German proposal. He noted that Prague really needs to address the issue of its embassy in the German capital. "Anyone who has seen that horrible building knows it has to be resolved," he stated.
    The Prime Minister reminded that Germany cares about the Lobkowicz Palace. "For them, it represents a piece of German history, because from its balcony, the opportunity for refugees from East Germany to flee to the democratic part of Germany was announced in the autumn of 1989," said the head of the Czech government. The opportunity to flee to what was then the Federal Republic of Germany was announced in September 1989 from the balcony by then West German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher to about 4,000 East Germans.
    "We would like to buy that building - as long as this statement doesn't drive the price too high," commented today on his country's interest in the Lobkowicz Palace with a smile German President Christian Wulff, who was visiting Prague. Nečas and Czech President Václav Klaus, after their meeting with Wulff, emphasized that this topic was not discussed today. "This debate is being conducted at a different level than the presidential level. For my part, I can say that I have neither an a priori nor an a priori negative opinion on that," Klaus stated regarding the possibility of selling the Lobkowicz Palace.
    For example, Jiří Lobkowicz from the Mělník branch of the Lobkowicz family disagrees with the possible sale of the palace to Germany or an exchange of buildings. "Attempts at exchanges or the sale of the heritage of this country are insensitive, not only because of my family's history but also for the heritage of this country," he said to reporters this summer after diplomats from both countries began discussing the possible sale or exchange.
    The palace was built around 1704. Originally it was a single-story building with three wings. After a fire in 1768, it was restored, and an additional floor was added. Behind the building, at the foot of Petřín, there is a garden.