Werichova villa on Kampa should be repaired by the end of the year

Prague - The Werich Villa on Kampa should be completed by the end of this year, with the repair now delayed by five months compared to the original schedule. CTK was informed today by Veronika Blažková, spokesperson for the Prague 1 district, which owns the building. A Cultural and Social Center for Voskovec and Werich will be established in the villa, which will be operated by the Jan and Meda Mládek Foundation.

"Prague 1, as the investor, has accommodated some of the future tenant's requests for changes to the building before completion so that it better suits future operations," the spokesperson stated. According to original estimates, the repairs were expected to cost 30 million CZK.

For the rental of the villa, where actor and playwright Jan Werich and poet Vladimír Holan lived, the foundation will pay 600,000 crowns with VAT annually. The contract will be for ten years with an option for an additional ten years.

In April 2008, Prague 1 decided that the villa would be acquired for 40 years by the Jan and Meda Mládek Foundation for a one-time rent of 23.8 million crowns and then for a symbolic crown per day. The foundation was to repair the villa at its own expense. However, the new leadership of the city council decided after the 2010 elections not to support the contract and to undertake the repairs at their own expense. Subsequently, they prepared to enter into a new agreement with the foundation, but the representatives of Prague 1 refused to approve it and decided to announce a new tender. Last year, Prague 1 also conducted a survey among residents, in which the foundation's project won.

The Kampa Museum project includes a permanent exhibition, which will be dedicated not only to the Liberated Theatre and its protagonists but also to poet Vladimír Holan. A permanent exhibition, library, research room, a space for lectures and screenings in the attic, and areas for temporary exhibitions in the basement should be built. The foundation also aims to utilize the garden, although much of it will be joined to the surrounding park.

Other candidates for the rental included the Post Bellum project and the Charter 77 Foundation. The decision on the tenant of the villa has been ongoing since the floods in 2002. The villa is located near the Liechtenstein Palace on Kampa. It dates back to the early 17th century and was originally a tannery. Actor and playwright Jan Werich lived here with his family from 1945 until his death in 1980.