In Josefov, the repair of part of the fortifications begins for 130 million crowns

Jaroměř - Reconstruction of the northeastern section of the fortifications is beginning in the baroque fortress of Josefov in Jaroměř in the Náchod region. The repair will be divided into three phases, and it should be completed by the end of 2021, said Jiří Kubina, the deputy mayor of Jaroměř, to ČTK. The total costs of the reconstruction are estimated at over 130 million crowns including VAT, with more than 80 percent of the eligible costs covered by grants from EU funds.

The start of the work is about a month behind schedule. "Today we handed over the construction site to the construction company," Kubina told ČTK. The town hall was waiting for the approval of the grant. "We had the grant agreement, but the financial resources had not been approved by a legal act from the Ministry for Regional Development. Therefore, we could not start, we did not have the certainty that we would receive the money," he added.

The reconstruction aims to prevent further deterioration of the fortifications and to remedy the emergency state of the walls. The repairs will mainly concern the bastions and the walls, including sandstone cornices, openings, and gunpowder magazine. The reconstruction will also limit some cultural activities of organizations and local associations. For example, a colony of artists has been operating in Bastion IV for several years.

The construction work itself will amount to 124 million crowns including tax. The rest will be allocated to project documentation, construction supervision, and other matters. This will be the largest investment in the fortress town of Josefov, which is a city monument reserve, in more than ten years. The outer fortifications, known as the Upper Fortress, are on the indicative list of national cultural monuments.

The fortress of Josefov was established at the initiative of Emperor Joseph II to protect the state borders from Prussia in 1780, and seven years later it was handed over as combat-ready. The fortress continued to modernize until 1850, when it experienced its greatest prosperity.