The association filed a criminal complaint due to neglected maintenance of the bridge at Výton

Prague - The Association Don't Demolish today filed a criminal complaint for suspected abuse of ownership, which according to its representatives occurred in connection with the failure to carry out repairs and maintenance of the railway bridge under Prague's Vyšehrad. CTK was informed of this by representatives of the initiative today. The bridge at Výton has been managed by the Railway Administration (SŽ) since 2008, which, according to spokesperson Iny Koldová, as a state organization cannot bear criminal responsibility, so identifying specific responsible employees would be part of any potential investigation. SŽ spokesperson Nela Eberl Friebová rejected the claim that the state organization does not maintain the bridge. Regarding the criminal complaint, she stated that SŽ would provide the police with full cooperation.

SŽ previously announced an international architectural competition to address the poor condition of the bridge, the results of which were presented last year. The winning project proposes that only the lower part with the pillars be preserved, while the current riveted structure would be replaced with a new one. This faced a wave of resistance among local residents, municipal politicians, and experts who demand the preservation of the existing form. Minister of Transport Martin Kupka (ODS) previously stated that he wants to decide on further action by the end of the year.

The Association Don't Demolish organized an online petition against the proposal, which has so far been signed by around 17,000 people. Representatives of the association stated today in connection with the criminal complaint that under the law, every owner of a cultural monument is obliged to take care of its good condition and to protect it from damage and degradation. According to them, SŽ has been violating this duty for a long time.

"We supplemented the criminal complaint with documentary evidence that we collected over the past several months. We have also submitted a proposal to the Prague heritage authorities regarding the lack of maintenance, which the Department of Heritage Care found to be justified, so this is one of the supporting pieces of evidence," Koldová said. She added that the practice where owners allow cultural monuments to decay should be penalized. "It is all the sadder when the owner is the state," she added.

Eberl Friebová mentioned that one similar criminal complaint had already been received in the spring. "We have fully cooperated with the police in this matter. We will proceed similarly now," she stated. She added that SŽ has been warning about the poor condition of the bridge and the necessity to address the situation since 2008. "Maintenance and repairs have been ongoing since then. We have repeatedly documented this. However, they could not significantly extend the overall lifespan of the 120-year-old bridge on their own," she explained.

In the past, the Czech National Committee of ICOMOS expressed its opposition to the planned reconstruction of the bridge, and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre urged the Ministry of Culture in a letter to preserve its existing form. The National Heritage Institute, the City of Prague, and the municipal districts of Prague 5 and Prague 2 also demand preservation.

In contrast, most experts who participated in the international colloquium organized by SŽ and the Ministry of Transport recommended replacing the structure in their statements. For example, according to Jiří Kolísek, director of the Klokner Institute at the Czech Technical University, the repair that would ensure resistance to the expected traffic load and sufficient lifespan seems to be unfeasible.

The railway bridge at Výton was opened in its original form on August 15, 1872. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, it was replaced by the bridge that spans the Vltava River to this day. According to experts, the structure is a significant technical cultural monument in an exposed part of the Prague Monument Reserve. SŽ has previously twice unsuccessfully sought the removal of the heritage protection of the bridge.