The renewal of the former prison in Uherské Hradiště is expected to cost about half a billion CZK

Uherské Hradiště – The estimated costs for the restoration of the former prison in Uherské Hradiště are about 520 million crowns. It is a chilling place that needs to be preserved as a reminder of everything that happened here, said Minister of Finance Zbyněk Stanjura (ODS) to reporters after touring the prison today. Together with a totalitarianism museum, which will commemorate the history of the prison, the complex should house the district court, the district public prosecutor's office, and the probation and mediation service.

The prison was known primarily for the brutal methods used by the communist State Security investigators against political prisoners in the 1950s. During World War II, it was used by the Gestapo as a gathering place for political prisoners before their transport to concentration camps. After the war, people's courts were held there, and public executions took place in the prison courtyard; during the communist era, people considered inconvenient to the regime were incarcerated there. The prison was closed in 1960; most of the complex has been deteriorating since then, and the city has been striving for its transformation for years.

In the architectural competition for the construction restoration of the former prison, announced by the Office for Representation of the State in Property Matters (ÚZSVM), the Prague studio ov architekti was successful. According to Stanjura, everything is proceeding according to schedule. "We will be working on the individual stages of the project documentation, zoning decision, and building permit; it could be finished in 2025. At the beginning of 2026, the competition for the contractor could be launched. The estimate is about 520 million at today's prices, including tax. It is a huge investment from the state, but I am convinced that the investment is justified," said Stanjura.

The money will come from the state budget. "It is state property; I think it is right that if we want to remember the dark sides of our past, then who else but the state budget should finance it," said Stanjura, who toured the prison last year and today became familiar with the winning proposal of the architectural competition. If there are no problems, the construction could start in 2026, and it should last 30 months. The Memoria association, along with the Uherské Hradiště town hall, is striving for the prison to become a National Memorial to the Victims of Totalitarian Regimes.