In Třebíč, they celebrate the fifth anniversary of being listed on the UNESCO list

Třebíč - The opening of the medieval town on the Podzámecká floodplain today in Třebíč has started a two-day celebration of the fifth anniversary of the inscription of the Basilica of St. Procopius, the Jewish quarter, and the cemetery on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The festivities unfold in the spirit of folk entertainment with concerts by rock bands, the Maxim Turbulenc group, and brass bands. On Saturday, a large parade of historical fencing groups will recall history, unrelated to the town, there will be a concert in the basilica, and a fireworks display will conclude the event.
    In the Vysočina region, the highest concentration of UNESCO-listed monuments in the Czech Republic is found; nevertheless, according to statistics, the number of tourists is not increasing, but rather the opposite. Governor Miloš Vystrčil believes that monuments are not maintained only for foreigners but mainly for future generations as the memory of the nation. The statistics are not very revealing, as they do not include domestic visitors who stay overnight in smaller accommodations, he told ČTK.
    Before the inscription of the monuments, the town hall invested tens of millions of crowns into the ruined Jewish quarter, and after 2003, over 26 million has been spent on the restoration of monuments from the city's, the region's, and the Ministry of Culture's budget. Private owners also invested additional funds into the properties, said Deputy Mayor Miloš Mašek to ČTK. According to him, the promotion has also improved, which was criticized by President Václav Klaus during a visit years ago.
    "The inscription on the UNESCO list was a crucial event for the city and the preservation of the Jewish quarter," reminded city architect Lubor Herzán. The original inhabitants were exterminated by the Nazis in concentration camps, and during socialism, the ghetto was to be leveled. New inhabitants were later free to do as they pleased in the demolition zone. Today they are frustrated that due to regulatory constraints from heritage preservationists, they can hardly do anything.
    On the other hand, entrepreneurs have the opportunity to utilize their properties for the development of tourism. In the 1990s, there was one shop and one pub in Zámostí; today there are about 50 business entities. The revitalization of the Jewish quarter began in the 1990s with a massive investment in infrastructure, communications, lighting, and the construction of a footbridge over the Jihlava River, which connected the quarter to the center. It is difficult to quantify how much money has been invested in the quarter since 2003. Out of 123 properties, 90 percent are privately owned.
    This year, the city received a ministerial grant for the restoration of the educational trail along the monuments and for the translation of inscriptions in the Jewish cemetery. There are also plans to expand the exhibition in the synagogue into the neighboring house, which has been purchased for these purposes. The restoration of the passageway will improve the route for tourists from Zámostí to the basilica.