Opponents of the Marian Column in Prague want to postpone its construction

Prague - The Association for the Preservation of the Current Historical Appearance of the Old Town Square in Prague is requesting a suspension of the construction of the replica of the Marian Column and its postponement. According to the members of the association, the reason is the imminent threat of coronavirus infection and the disregard for government measures due to the coronavirus pandemic. This was stated by the vice-chairwoman of the association, Lenka Veselá. A change in the occupation period of the square would need to be approved by the Technical Administration of Communications (TSK). According to Prague councilor Jan Wolf (KDU-ČSL), construction is proceeding as planned and there is no reason to limit it.

"The construction site is an official construction site with a building permit, just like hundreds or thousands of other constructions in the Czech Republic. The current state of the coronavirus situation does not mean that constructions should be suspended," Wolf announced today to ČTK. According to him, safety measures related to the state of emergency due to the coronavirus are being observed at the construction site, such as wearing masks.

According to Veselá, the problematic issue is that believers are gathering at the construction site of the replica Marian Column even during the time of crisis measures, praying together and touching the occupation around the column, where flowers are placed. "It can be verified from the camera system at the Old Town Square that the placed advertisement on the steel mesh - occupation, is being visited, there are touches with this advertisement and the steel structure, and it allows for potential spreading of the coronavirus," the document, which is available to ČTK, states.

The construction of the column began on February 17 of this year and is expected to last until mid-September. Once completed, the column will become the property of the city. The return of the column to the square has been accompanied by long-standing disputes. The original column from the 17th century was toppled by a crowd in 1918 because they saw it as a symbol of the Habsburg monarchy. Its return has been under discussion since the 1990s.

The Society for the Restoration of the Marian Column at the Old Town Square in Prague has rented land for the construction site of 289 square meters. The lease has been arranged for a fixed term until September 15.