An association for the protection of monuments will be established in the Czech Republic

Pardubice - An association for the protection of monuments will be established in the Czech Republic in the near future. It will umbrella civic associations and groups, which it will help in the preservation of historically interesting buildings. The association is being founded by documentary filmmaker and director Petr Ries, restorer and musician Petr Šefl, and people around the civic association Nádraží nedáme!, who managed to save the train station building in Ústí nad Orlicí. Martin Kadrman from the association said this to ČTK today.
    "Civic associations saw that we managed to do it and started asking us for advice and help. It will be good when I can share my experiences with historians and restorers with other associations," Kadrman stated.
    Founding member Petr Šefl would be pleased if the association contributed to better awareness of heritage care issues because "to this day, heritage is often perceived as a burden by society," he noted.
    The association of organizations for the protection and development of cultural heritage in the Czech Republic (ASORKD) will deal with, for example, the Kyselka spa in Karlovy Vary province, for whose preservation Petr Ries is trying. Several buildings that are part of the former spa face demolition.
    "The association will assist those efforts of individuals in the regions, which often end up in front of the doors of authorities not knowing how to proceed. The birth comes from below, not from above, which is proof of its apolitical nature. And I hope it stays that way," Ries stated.
    Kadrman himself points out that his association still has a lot of work ahead. Although the demolition of a building from the second half of the 19th century has been averted, no one has yet been found to repair it. Czech Railways is trying to sell it, while the Railway Infrastructure Administration does not accept the price. The organization will straighten and modernize the track, but building or repairing the station building is not its responsibility, said SŽDC technical deputy Pavel Mathé to ČTK.
    "We are not carriers, nor administrators; Czech Railways will decide about its function. We respect the decision and the demand that the building has value for someone. We do not need this building; it is unsuitable for operational support," Mathé stated. Czech Railways expresses similar views. Some time ago, spokesperson Petr Šťáhlavský told ČTK that the old building is not suitable for the station building for the carrier, and therefore the railways are trying to sell it.