From the EU, hundreds of millions are going to Czech monuments, billions are expected

Prague - Czech owners of monuments have already gained hundreds of millions of crowns from European Union sources. In the next period, according to the Ministry of Culture, there could be even more such money, totaling up to 250 million euros (about 6.7 billion crowns). EU funds will primarily assist large projects in the area of monuments, which often concern properties managed by the state.
The mentioned billions, however, are just a fraction of what Czech monuments would need - the ministry estimates the "accumulated neglect" of monuments in the country at 60 billion crowns. A large portion of these monuments are smaller structures in the landscape, village homesteads, or small churches that are difficult to integrate into projects with broad applications, as providers of funds often require.
A significant part of the funds obtained from the EU so far is from Norwegian funds. The financial mechanisms of Norway and the European Economic Area (EEA) were established in 2004 after new countries joined the union. Through the funds, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway contribute to EEA-accession countries for projects within the expanded internal market. So far this year, more than one billion euros have been allocated.
For the Czech Republic, 111 million euros were designated, making the country the third-largest recipient of funds from these grants after Poland and Hungary. More than half of this amount, over 55 million euros, has gone to culture.
"The commission of the ministry, which includes representatives of regions and experts, recommended 60 projects for implementation within three calls. After the gradual approval of projects by EEA/Norway, a work worth a total of one billion crowns should be created by 2011," said ministry spokesman Jan Cieslar to ČTK.
Among the applicants for funds from the Norwegian funds were municipalities, regions, and the state, with applicants contributing various amounts. The ministry supports at least 15 percent of the total costs for 12 projects of its contributory organizations and will likely support some projects related to church monuments, the spokesman said. Projects are rather chosen that provide a certain added value and revitalize monuments, making cultural values accessible to both the general and professional public.
Among the contributory organizations, the National Library was successful, receiving about one million euros (then about 27.5 million crowns) for the preservation of 19th-century magazines, and the Wallachian open-air museum. Over 2.6 million euros (then about 74 million crowns) are allocated there for new exhibitions, building enhancements, and new forms of presenting collections.
The Vysočina region will receive about 166 million crowns from Norwegian funds for the restoration of eight monuments. The region obtained over 19 million for the repair of six properties; the University Center of Masaryk University Brno received over 140 million for the renovation of the former Jesuit College in Telč, and Jihlava received over seven million crowns for the adaptation of the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross into a cultural center.
With funds from the Norwegian funds, a Castle Museum is being built in Český Krumlov, and the orangery at Sychrov Castle is being repaired. Funds are also going to sacred monuments; the Cathedral of St. Wenceslas in Olomouc is being restored, and in Tachov, a region reportedly with the highest occurrence of neglected monuments, the Santini chapel in Ostrov near Stříbro, the monastery in Stříbro, and the organ from the church in Úterý should be repaired within two years. The synagogue in Turnov, which was a ruin, has also been helped to be renovated by Norwegian funds. It now serves as a museum or for concerts.
So far, culture has not had a standalone program in structural funds; money for the repair of monuments has come through support for tourism or job creation. In the period from 2007 to 2013, for which projects are currently being prepared, a program for National Support for the Use of Cultural Heritage Potential has been established. The ministry expects to draw from the mentioned billions from it.
However, the call for project submissions requires minimum project costs of 100 million crowns. The ministry itself has prepared a list of 19 projects, mostly national cultural monuments and sites listed on the UNESCO list. The office is facing criticism for this; the original threshold was set at 50 million. The increased amount effectively precludes non-state entities from entering the competition.