The restored Kuks has won the most prestigious European heritage conservation award

Turku (Finland) - The restoration of the baroque complex in Kuks in the Trutnov region today received the main award, the Grand Prix of the European Cultural Heritage Prize Europa Nostra, in Turku, Finland. Jan Cieslar from the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) informed ČTK about this. The highest award was presented to seven of the best European heritage projects from a broader group of 29 recipients of the award by the Europa Nostra association.

The Czech Republic had two candidates in the Grand Prix competition. In addition to Kuks, there was also the educational project of NPÚ "Heritage Excites Us."

The ceremonial announcement of the "heritage Oscars" was attended in Finland by the general director of the Czech National Heritage Institute, Naděžda Goryczková, who told ČTK that this is a "historic success" for the Czech Republic, as this is the first time a Czech project has received the heritage Grand Prix.

“This is a huge success for Czech heritage care and for everyone involved in it, NPÚ included,” Goryczková rejoiced.

Twenty-nine laureates of the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage Europa Nostra 2017 were announced at the beginning of April. Representatives of the European Commission and the Europa Nostra association selected them from over two hundred submitted projects.

Today in Turku, all successful projects were presented, and subsequently, the seven main award winners were announced, along with a prize of 10,000 euros (approximately 265,000 CZK).

“I assume that this money will be spent to further enhance the monument,” said the head of NPÚ. However, according to her, no specific use has been decided yet.

According to Goryczková, the jury appreciated once again that the restoration of Kuks was not approached merely as a restoration of a building, but of the entire complex.

“The restoration of the Kuks hospital, as an integral part of the building and landscape protection project, is of the highest quality. We consider its interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary approach commendable and it should serve as a convincing example for other restoration projects in Europe,” the jury stated in its rationale in April.

The Europa Nostra award was established 15 years ago and is given for exceptional contributions in categories of heritage care, in which the restoration of Kuks succeeded, for research, extraordinary contributions to the care of cultural heritage, and in the field of education and awareness, where the jury was impressed by the "Heritage Excites Us" project. The award is referred to as the equivalent of the film Oscars in the field of heritage care.

The main tourist attraction of Kuks is a guided tour showcasing the history of the Šporc family and the functioning of the hospital from its construction to the present.

The reconstructed hospital in Kuks is the most visited state monument in the Hradec Králové Region, visited by 113,362 people last year. In the first year after the reopening of the monument in 2015, a record nearly 140,000 people toured the premises.

The extensive renovation of Kuks hospital cost nearly 440 million CZK, with both internal and external spaces restored, the courtyard returned to its early 18th-century appearance, and the herb garden behind the hospital also restored. The renovation also included the former economic wing, where an educational center was established.

The hospital was founded in the early 18th century by František Antonín Špork to care for elderly and incapacitated men from the area. The baroque complex is renowned for its sculptural decoration from the workshop of Matyáš B. Braun.

Today's presentation of the winning projects and the ceremonial award announcement were part of the ongoing session of the Congress of European Cultural Heritage, organized under the auspices of Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and attended by the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Tibor Navracsics, held by the Europa Nostra association.

Europa Nostra is a pan-European federation of non-profit organizations supported by a wide network of public institutions, private companies, and individuals. The organization encompasses over 40 European countries. Its president is the renowned opera singer Plácido Domingo.