A man has come forward who improperly removed the inscription from Charles Bridge

Prague - A man has come forward to the authorities who removed a spray-painted inscription from Charles Bridge in Prague unsafely. This was reported today by the server Seznam Zprávy, which spoke to the man. Miloslav Černý claims that he makes a living by removing graffiti and reportedly used a gentle method. He denied wanting to devalue the work of restorers or use the removal of the inscription for promotion. Restorers and the Technical Administration of Communications (TSK) previously stated that the removal was unprofessional and that the pillar of the bridge will need to be cleaned and possibly repaired.

The inscription, measuring five by two meters, was spray-painted on the pillar of the bridge by two German youths in mid-July. Restorers began removing it on Saturday, July 27, and planned for the work to last until mid-August. However, unexpectedly, the inscription disappeared on the night of Sunday, July 28. The man who spoke to Seznam Zprávy claims he removed the inscription with a high-pressure steam jet in about two hours on Sunday morning.

"For about fourteen days, nothing happened, and since I knew it was a critical time, I came to the site. I am convinced that every Czech wants Charles Bridge to look nice. That was my motivation, not to make fools of the professionals," he told the server. According to him, his technique is more effective than the restorers' methods, but is also gentle.

"I can confirm that we have been contacted by the person who removed the inscription from the bridge. The man came voluntarily to the police station," said Prague police spokesperson Eva Kropáčová in response to a query from ČTK. "At this moment, we are still only investigating the matter and waiting for documents from the bridge administrator to see if there was any damage or not," she added.

Restorers had previously estimated that the pillar had been cleaned with some kind of jet. "There are streaks on the ground. If a chemical was used, we may not recognize it now," said restorer Jan Mjartan, who was responsible for removing the graffiti, in a statement to ČTK on Monday. Residues of paint remained on the wall, spokesperson for TSK Barbora Lišková mentioned on Monday. The restorer took samples of the stone so that a laboratory could determine what agent was used for cleaning. According to Lišková, test results should be known today, she told ČTK. For now, she does not want to comment further on the case. Further steps will be taken by TSK in cooperation with the restorer, heritage conservationists from the Prague City Hall, and the National Heritage Institute, she stated.

Restorers wanted to clean the pillar of the centuries-old bridge slowly and carefully using long-acting cleaning agents and brushes. Given the size of the graffiti, they had to approve the cleaning method with the heritage conservators from the Prague City Hall and the General Directorate of the National Heritage Institute. The restoration project was also preceded by an analysis of the spray paints used.

The District Court for Prague 1 imposed a sentence on the tourists who spray-painted the bridge of one year probation, a five-year expulsion, monetary fines of one hundred thousand crowns, and compensation for damages of 40,000 crowns. However, the tourists' defense attorney filed an appeal against the court's decision in the Czech Republic, so a main hearing has been scheduled in the case, during which the court will also address the removal of the inscription. "The court has not yet received any notification about who removed the graffiti, how it was done, and at whose expense. An important question will also be determining whether the removal caused any further damage that may be related to the mentioned criminal case," said court spokesperson Dana Šindelářová to ČTK on Monday.