Students are organizing another protest regarding St. Michael's Church

Prague - A student initiative will continue its public protests on Thursday against the sale of the former St. Michael's Church in Prague. For the ninth time, students want to express that they consider the manner in which the long-time tenant of the building acquired ownership to be incorrect. They also express new concerns about what the owner plans to do with the property.
    The protest will begin at 4:30 PM in front of the church, and the march route is planned to the Ministry of Culture’s headquarters at Maltese Square. During the protests, which began last May, the ministry insisted that the sale was the only possible option for utilizing the building. Former minister Martin Štěpánek suggested in December that the owner of the church might receive another property from the state. The state would then seek another use for the church.
    However, the brevity of Štěpánek's tenure as minister did not allow him to continue the contemplated negotiations, Milan Kupka from the Ministry of Culture said today to ČTK. Štěpánek allegedly saw hope mainly in collaboration with Prague. According to Kupka, Minister Václav Jehlička stated that the sale occurred after all possibilities for using it for the state had been exhausted and "decided to fully respect the state of affairs."
    "The ministry perceives the church as an important monument of sacred architecture as well as an example of insensitivity in reconstruction typical of the first half of the 1990s. The owner, like the owners of other monuments, may request a grant for its restoration; alternatively, if they propose a program considering dignified use of the former church, they can count on support from the ministry, similar to other entities providing services in culture," the ministry states. Whether the owner has already taken such action is not clear.
    Protesting students are now referring to a source they wish to remain unnamed, stating that the owner reportedly plans to connect the church building with neighboring houses. This would create a cohesive commercial-administrative complex with arcade sales.
    "This would mean irreversible devastation of an already damaged cultural monument, as well as the unique original medieval architecture directly in the center of the city’s heritage reservation listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List," said Stanislava Fedrová from the student initiative to ČTK.
    The intentions of the church owner Jerri Nowikovsky are difficult to ascertain, as he does not communicate with journalists. A few months ago, he held a press conference for the first time in several years, during which he stated that he wants to build a Crystal World in the building, which would present the history and present of Czech glass to visitors. At that time, he referred to collaboration with Czech state collecting institutions, which knew nothing about it.
    Some houses near the church are owned by the city hall and are being vacated after moving to a building on Jungmannova Street. If the owner of the church were to gain access to some of these houses, they would reach Old Town Square, which is one of the most lucrative places in Prague in terms of sale attractiveness.
    During last year’s presentation of the property’s future, Nowikovsky stated that he is still seeking funds for the establishment of a museum and necessary renovations, which would require five million euros (approximately 142 million crowns).
    The church has been the subject of disputes since the early 1990s. Some heritage protectors, non-governmental organizations, and other entities criticize the renovation of the building, the previous disadvantageous lease agreement, and the sale of the property. The building was transferred in the 1980s in poor condition to the current National Library, which found it unsuitable. After attempts to offer the property to another state institution or sell it at auction, the state ultimately signed a lease agreement in the 1990s valid until 2029.
    The tenant carried out a controversial reconstruction, and the Ministry of Culture confirmed that they invested nearly half a billion crowns. Therefore, the ministry could not terminate the lease. The library then sold the property to the tenant for 46 million crowns; according to critics, its estimated value is much higher.