The Heritage Institute will create four new administrative centers

Prague - The Ministry of Culture has confirmed the restructuring of the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ). The head of culture, Alena Hanáková (STAN), has signed a new status for the NPÚ, under which four new heritage management centers will be established. This was stated today by NPÚ spokesperson Zdeňka Kalová. Some experts, including NPÚ employees, have previously criticized the proposal.
      "The status has been signed with the proposed changes, and the restructuring is ongoing. The NPÚ structure will have four new administrative regions," Kalová said.
      Opponents of the restructuring disagree with the proposal. They argue that the management of castles and châteaux will be separated from the expert activities of heritage conservationists. They fear that hundreds of monuments will gradually be removed from state ownership. NPÚ management disagrees with this.
      The NPÚ is the largest contribution organization of the Ministry of Culture. It was established in 2003 when independent regional heritage care institutes were merged. According to NPÚ director Nadi Goryczková, the merger without creating a management center is causing problems. She thus wants to create a general directorate and administratively separate the management of expert care and heritage administration - for this reason, she wants new regional heritage administrations with centers in Prague, České Budějovice, Sychrov, and Kroměříž. The institute's management also defends the restructuring by stating that these are adjustments only in the economic and budgetary sphere.
      The approval of the new NPÚ status was preceded today by confusion. Initially, there were reports that the minister had signed a document that did not include the changes proposed as part of the restructuring. "There was an administrative error, which has now been corrected. The status was sent through official channels (from the ministry) today and is signed with the proposed changes," Kalová clarified.