The heritage protectors appreciated the rescue of the Slovak Arrow and the restoration of the church in Fulnek

Prague - Two special achievements in heritage care, which can demonstrate its diversity, were awarded today by the Director General of the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) during the Patrimonium pro futuro awards. The awards were granted for the rescue of the motor railcar Slovenská strela and the restoration of the Church of the Holy Trinity with a paradise courtyard in Fulnek. The public award "Heritage Thanks" was given to the restoration of the gloriette in the Rose Garden of the Děčín Castle. The awards for the best achievements in heritage care were presented at the New Stage of the National Theatre.

The train Slovenská strela is the only preserved example of this type, manufactured in 1936 by Tatra in Kopřivnice. After being taken out of service in 1960, it became an exhibit at the Technical Museum in Kopřivnice. As a national cultural monument, it underwent complete restoration, regaining its original appearance, including the interior, after 60 years of decay in the open air. The vehicle, with a unique propulsion system based on an electromechanical power transmission, is now able to operate on railway lines in the Czech Republic. In its time, it was remarkable for its aerodynamic body design and the overall technical solutions of chief designer Hans Ledwinka. The travel speed reached 92 kilometers per hour, and Slovenská strela could cover the route Prague–Brno–Bratislava in four hours and 20 minutes.

During the restoration of the Baroque Church of the Holy Trinity in Fulnek, the discovery of Gothic plaster with wall paintings in the monastery's cloister was a surprise. The restoration allowed the accessibility of additional spaces and the creation of new exhibitions. One of them includes the church itself, its facilities, and the former monastery with its original furnishings. In the interior of the main nave, pews were restored and the original floor was reinstated. The organs underwent a general repair, and the original Baroque roof structure was also restored.

In the category of Discovery or Find of the Year, the award went to the discovery of Renaissance paintings in a church in Úlice in the Plzeň region, dating from the early 17th century. The expert committee appreciated the extraordinary interest of the community in restoring the church and the work of restorers in uncovering the original decorations. The category of Heritage Rescue has a winner in the form of the rescue of the Town Hall in Loket. The boarding school for students from the late 19th century had been deteriorating for the last three decades, but with the advent of self-governance in 2018, the building was saved and returned to its historical form and function as a social and cultural center.

In the category of Monument Restoration, the committee awarded the restoration of the Late Gothic altar of the Virgin Mary from the church in Chrudim. Thanks to investigations, original parts of the later repainted altar were uncovered, revealing the original appearance of the painting and sculptural elements. The restoration of the Church of St. Wenceslas in Old Boleslav was evaluated by experts as the best heritage restoration. The overall structural restoration of the church complex is considered exceptional for its complexity, difficulty, quality, and spiritual dimension by the committee.

In the category of Presentation and Popularization, experts awarded the prize to Martin Vonka and Michal Horáček for their consistent research and presentation of endangered factory chimneys. In the category of Heritage Care Personality, the project designer Jindřich Rineš (1943 - 2016) and art historian Jiří Kaše (1946 - 2022) were awarded posthumously.