The new head of the Prague Heritage Department will be Jiří Skalický

Prague - The new head of the heritage preservation department of the Prague City Council is expected to be Jiří Skalický. According to a source from ČTK, his appointment was proposed by the selection committee. Skalický confirmed that discussions about his appointment are ongoing. The proposal will be presented to the city council next week. Skalický is to replace long-time heritage chief Jan Kněžínka, who is behind some controversial decisions.
     "We are negotiating this possibility, the final decision will be with the council of the capital city," Skalický said in response to a ČTK inquiry. He has been working in the field of heritage preservation and culture for twenty years, as he claims. He initially worked at the Central Bohemia administration, and for several years he served as a castle administrator. Currently, he leads a public benefit company in eastern Bohemia that is responsible for the restoration of the national cultural monument Kuks and for drawing from European funds. He said he could potentially take office by the end of the year.
     Kněžínek has been at the heritage preservation department of the Prague City Council for nearly ten years. In July, he took a position as the head of the UNESCO World Heritage Office, which was recently established at the council.
     The department issues binding opinions on whether planned development projects have an impact on the Prague Heritage Reserve. During Kněžínka's tenure, several decisions were made that drew criticism from experts. For instance, he sanctioned the demolition of a building on Wenceslas Square, the controversial restoration of Charles Bridge, and a modern new building at the end of Revolutionary Street. Critics argue that he was too accommodating to certain investors and developers.