The island is not interested in UNESCO also due to the development of its industrial zone

Photo: Ondřej Koníček

Ostrov (Karlovy Vary) - The city of Ostrov will not join the joint project of Czech and Saxon municipalities Montanregion Krušnohoří, which aims to have the geographically defined area of Krušnohoří included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. One of the reasons for the city's decision to stay out is the effort to protect the industrial zone. Mayor Pavel Čekan (ČSSD) told ČTK today that the strict criteria for inscription could hinder the development of the zone, which the city has prepared for investors.
    The Montanregion Krušnohoří project primarily concerns mining monuments in the Czech and German border area. In the case of Ostrov, according to Čekan, it would mainly concern the entire complex of historical buildings in the so-called monastery district, but also the culture house and the new square, built in the architectural style of socialist realism. "One of the conditions for inscription is a protective zone between the protected parts and other buildings. No one has been able to tell us yet where it would lead," the mayor pointed out.
    Council members were concerned that the evaluation of the application for inscription would take into account so-called distant views, where a building, although not yet in the heritage zone, is disruptive when viewed from the city as a whole. "When we realize that the industrial zone is built directly above Ostrov, with its further expansion it could affect the view of Ostrov and could result in no further construction there. The city has invested significant resources into the zone and has been trying for years to fill it," Čekan stated.
    The zone is all the more important for the city as promising negotiations have begun with a strong investor from the automotive industry. If the plan is successful, the investor is expected to build the first hall by 2013, where a hundred people will find work. Gradually, a manufacturing complex for 1,700 workers should grow on an area of 68,000 square meters by 2018. However, the mayor does not want to reveal which company it is yet. The project has the support of the Karlovy Vary Region.
    The industrial zone near Ostrov was established in 2002 for nearly 60 million crowns. Since then, the city has been trying to fill it, achieving only partial success. Currently, the zone is used by the printing company KVtisk and the company Lindner, which specializes in metal production. The city is offering additional land for sale. The unemployment rate in Ostrov is around 11 percent and in the Karlovy Vary region around nine percent. "A more rational opinion prevailed in the council, which was not to strive for inscription in UNESCO," added Čekan.
    Opposition councilor, former mayor, and current MP Jan Bureš (ODS) also supported the idea of Ostrov not seeking inscription. However, he said he would not associate it with the protection of the industrial zone. "Ostrov should primarily be a place to live and should not become an open-air museum. Heritage protection in the Czech Republic is often disproportionate and complicates life for property owners. We know how to take good care of our monuments without any further protection linked to the UNESCO list, which we wouldn't be able to join anyway," Bureš added.