The signatories request to preserve the project for the reconstruction of the Bubny train station into the Memorial of Silence

Prague – Dozens of signatories of the call for support of the Memorial of Silence are asking to maintain the original project for the redevelopment of Prague's Bubny railway station into the Memorial of Silence. They are responding to the fact that the Minister of Culture Martin Baxa (ODS) announced on July 12 a tender for the position of director of the state contribution organization Memorial of Silence. The new director is to replace the current acting director and author of the entire project idea, Pavel Štingl. The signatories are striving to cancel the announced tender and engage in constructive discussions about the future of the Memorial of Silence. Klára Bobková informed ČTK about this on behalf of the Memorial of Silence.

The official reason for announcing the tender is "unsatisfactory progress of work on the reconstruction of Prague Bubny Station." The Memorial of Silence became a contribution organization of the Ministry of Culture two years ago. The ministry approved a subsidy of 300 million crowns for the station's reconstruction.

"Unfortunately, over these two years, preparation has progressed very little – despite the strong support of my ministry and other institutions. And given that I consider it truly essential for the memorial to be established and for the reconstruction to take place, I decided to announce a tender for the position of director of the Memorial of Silence starting from September 1 of this year," Baxa told ČTK.

According to the minister, the Memorial of Silence was transferred to the Ministry of Culture with very limited personnel and financial support. He criticizes the previous leadership of the ministry and the then-government for allowing the Memorial of Silence to be established on one hand, while on the other hand failing to equip it with everything necessary that such an institution requires.

"When I took office, I unequivocally set the reconstruction as a priority, among other reasons because significant construction activities are taking place in that area. I also ensured, in our opinion, favorable conditions for the small team of Mr. Štingl to succeed in this task," said Baxa.

The director of the memorial, Štingl, counters in an open letter to the minister. "Instead of the proclaimed support, Minister of Culture Martin Baxa subjected the newly established organization to a series of administrative measures and controls, which ultimately hinder the financing for the construction to begin," he stated.

"The budget for cultural programs has been significantly reduced, and the number of planned job positions has fallen below the threshold of operational sustainability. The request for financial support for the scenario of the future permanent exhibition was rejected, and budgetary measures have long-term limited public communication and educational development," Štingl added.

According to the authors of the call for support of the Memorial of Silence, the tender is announced in violation of the Founding Charter of the Memorial of Silence, which stipulates that the founder's proposal to announce a tender for the position of director of the Memorial of Silence must be discussed with the Guarantee Council, which has not taken place.

The call was signed by, for example, the chairman of the Advisory Board of the Memorial of Silence, Petr Pithart, artist and co-founder of the Memorial of Silence project, Jaroslav Róna, film director and producer Václav Marhoul, regional rabbi Karol Efraim Sidon, chairman of the Jewish community in Prague, František Bányai, writer Radka Denemarková, architect David Vávra, and journalist Lída Rakušanová.

The charitable organization Memorial of Silence has been operating for about 12 years in the building of the former Prague Bubny railway station, mainly emphasizing the remembrance of Jewish transports.