The monument preservers will take over the Invalidovna, they want to invest a billion in it

Prague - The National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) will take over the management of the Prague Invalidovna on Friday. The vast and long-unused baroque complex has been managed by the Office for State Representation in Property Matters. This was announced today by the office's spokesperson, Radek Ležatka. Heritage officials will receive the building almost two years after the state unsuccessfully attempted to sell the monument. They plan to invest approximately one billion crowns in repairs.

The NPÚ has declared its interest in reconstructing the building and subsequently using it for its own needs and for the public since the auction in August 2016, which did not attract any interested parties. The building, which has since become a national cultural monument, was offered for nearly 640 million crowns.

The heritage officials' investment plan for the repair estimates costs of around one billion. The reconstruction of the Invalidovna is also mentioned as one of the significant investment projects in the program declaration of the incoming government of ANO and ČSSD.

The NPÚ wants to operate an educational center in the building in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture. The Prague Philharmonic Choir and other contributory organizations established by the Ministry of Culture are also expected to be based there. In addition to making the monument accessible, the NPÚ proposes that some state-established galleries or museums have exhibition spaces in the Invalidovna. This would allow for the display of collections that are currently stored in depots due to a lack of space.

The Invalidovna complex includes a built-up area and courtyard covering over 12,000 square meters and gardens that span nearly 10,000 square meters. The area is popular among filmmakers; for example, scenes from Miloš Forman's Amadeus were filmed there.

The building was constructed between 1731 and 1737 as a shelter for war veterans. The model for the builders was a similar building in Paris. Plans for the construction were drawn up by the famous builder Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer in 1730, but due to a lack of funds, only one-ninth of the proposal was realized. The building served to accommodate war invalids until 1935. Until recently, the Military Central Archive operated in the building, which relocated to a facility in the barracks area in Prague-Ruzyně. The Ministry of Defense then transferred the Invalidovna to the Office for State Representation in Property Matters based on a government resolution.