German specialists: We see no mistake in the repair of Karl's Bridge

Prague - Specialists from the German city of Regensburg have defended their Czech colleagues who are repairing the Charles Bridge in Prague. According to them, they saw no faults on the bridge and have the impression of professional work. This was stated to journalists by Chief Construction Adviser Alois Swaczyna, who is involved in the preparation of the repair of the medieval bridge in Regensburg. The Ministry of Culture’s inspection criticizes the repair of the Charles Bridge, claiming that the work significantly disrupted the authenticity of this national cultural monument. Heritage protectors and the city hall, who are responsible for the repair, disagree with the criticism.
    "We definitely did not notice anything done incorrectly," said Swaczyna. The German experts came to Prague to gain experience with the repair of the medieval bridge. They plan to begin the repair of a comparable bridge in Regensburg in 2010, which was built between 1145 and 1146. "We take the Charles Bridge as a template for inspiration," added Swaczyna.
    Vladimir Křížek from the Czech Association of Civil Engineers also defended the builders of the Charles Bridge. "I have worked as a builder my entire life. I take the manner of criticism as an insult to builders. I am convinced of the correctness of the repair," he told journalists. "There can be various opinions on the concept of the repair of that bridge, and it can be done in different ways. It cannot be said in advance which one is better; there can be many good solutions," added Křížek.
    The heritage inspection found two areas of misconduct during its inspection. According to them, the restoration was conducted without notifying archaeologists, which is mandatory, and the city hall did not have an updated construction-historical survey and did not ensure a survey of stone masons' marks. The city hall and heritage protectors deny this, claiming that they reported everything, had the survey in order, and could not check the stone masons' marks because there were none on the stones in the railing.
    The second area of misconduct, according to the inspection, concerns the repair itself. Allegedly, more stone blocks were replaced than recommended by the diagnostic survey. "The number of replaced stones corresponds to the condition of the original masonry damage and the replacement is carried out based on the decision of the competent commission," the city stated in a written objection to the inspection. The inspection also labeled the use of Cokber sandstone during the repair as inappropriate. The city claims this stone from that quarry was chosen as the only possible alternative, being the most suitable stone for its properties.
    The city hall also protests against the manner in which the heritage inspection of the Ministry of Culture reported the results of its investigation. Thus, the director of the city hall, Martin Trnka, wrote a letter to Minister of Culture Václav Jehlička expressing the city hall's dissatisfaction that the inspection published the results of the investigation before the office could comment on them. Additionally, Trnka criticized the inspection employees for bias and expressed doubts about the quality of the heritage inspection.