In the Czech Republic, the UNESCO inscription is still primarily a matter of prestige

Prague - With 12 entries on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Czech Republic ranks among the more successful countries. Its neighboring and much larger Germany has about thirty items on the list. Recently, doubts have emerged in Germany about whether in some cases such membership can be more of a burden hindering the development of the city, while a positive view still prevails in the Czech Republic. The registered cities see membership as a clear benefit for their culture and tourism.
The difference is that Czech entries mainly concern smaller historic cities or their parts; in Germany, cities like Dresden or Cologne have had problems, large cities with a significant need to build. Similarly, Prague could express concerns, as it is currently dealing with the issue of high-rise buildings in Pankrác. "The positives clearly outweigh the negatives. Registration does not have a specific benefit, but it significantly manifests itself in tourism. Travel agencies inform their clients that Prague is part of the UNESCO list," said Jan Kněžínek, director of the municipal heritage department, to ČTK. According to him, Prague does not doubt the sense of the registration.
According to him, UNESCO is not a "bogeyman," and its officials can be negotiated with. The planned construction on the Pankrác plain has been criticized by experts and civic associations. Eventually, even the Ministry of Culture canceled last year's municipal permit for construction, and Prague must decide again. In the spring of next year, representatives of UNESCO will come to Prague to form an opinion on-site. The question of whether membership on the UNESCO list hinders the construction and architectural development of the city is always a specific problem and cannot be generalized, according to experts. Any new construction in or around protected areas should always be preceded by a discussion, Kněžínek points out.
More than the Pankrác plain, the subject of discussions is the Český Krumlov rotunda - the historic center of Krumlov along with the castle complex, including the garden, is on the UNESCO list. For several years, disputes have occurred in the Czech Republic about whether the rotunda poses a risk of the city's removal from the list. The new city leadership does not want to comment on it now because the situation is still changing at the Ministry of Culture and other competent authorities. "It would be a huge mistake to allow any changes on the UNESCO list in relation to Český Krumlov. It is a legacy for the future, and losing it would be irresponsible," said the deputy mayor of Český Krumlov, Jitka Zikmundová.
Český Krumlov was registered on the list in 1992 along with Prague and Telč. It is now visited by about a million tourists annually. UNESCO attracts many tourists from Japan to Krumlov. They usually have little time and travel along a route that guarantees there will be something to see. Krumlov is lucky to be on the route between Prague and Vienna or Salzburg, the deputy mayor believes.
Many Czech cities that later became part of the list were already under preservation before. The mayor of Telč, Roman Fabeš, notes that many building restrictions were therefore already in place. The biggest problem, according to him, is the assessment of new constructions. "It often depends on the opinion of an individual. If they lack professional arguments, they will hide behind the risk of removal from the UNESCO list. It is no wonder that registration becomes a brake on development in the eyes of the public," Fabeš believes. Telč has also seen an increase in the number of tourists, mainly from East Asia.
In the Vysočina region, the Church of St. John of Nepomuk in Žďár nad Sázavou and the Jewish Quarter with St. Procopius Basilica in Třebíč are also registered. Before the registration, about 16,000 tourists visited Žďár. This year, according to mayor Jaromír Brychta, about 40,000 people will visit, who have also seen other city monuments.
However, due to the Žďár church, the town, entrepreneurs, and citizens cannot build near the monument in so-called sightlines. "For example, we wanted to prepare land between the city center and the local part of Stržanov for residential construction, but it was not possible because of the monument. Private individuals also have problems, but I still believe that the positives far outweigh the negatives," Brychta stated.
The listing on the UNESCO list is viewed as a huge promotion by representatives of Kutná Hora. For more than ten years since the city has been on this list, its visitor numbers have increased by about ten percent annually. This has a significant influence on the decision-making of tourists who come from far away, such as from America, Japan, or Asia," stated Mayor Ivo Šalátek.
The Lednice-Valtice area has been on the list since 1997, and according to Lednice Mayor Libor Kabát, tourism associated with this fact is of immense significance for the city's development. The two-thousand-strong community, due to the hundreds of thousands of tourists arriving, has its municipal police, which is rare for such small settlements, and new shops and hotels are being established. However, according to Kabát, heritage protectors are sometimes too strict, and the mayor speaks of "excessive protective measures." The castle itself has seen an increase from 180,000 visitors before the listing to 280,000 this year.
The Tugendhat villa in Brno is a chapter in itself; this only modern architectural monument on the Czech UNESCO list has also recorded an increase in visitor numbers. Again, these are often Japanese or "informed" and specialized tourists from around the world.
The membership in this prestigious company is also celebrated by Olomouc with the Column of the Holy Trinity and Kroměříž with the Archbishop's Palace and Gardens. The castle in Litomyšl in the Svitavy region has been on UNESCO for seven years. According to the deputy mayor of Litomyšl, Jan Janeček, participation in this "selected company" does not reflect on the number of visitors to the city, nor does it create obstacles to its development.