From the dilapidated castle in Miroslav, there will be an architecture center

Miroslav (Znojemsko) - An international architecture center will be established in the dilapidated castle in Miroslav in the Znojmo region. The local councilors decided on this on Monday. They will sell the castle for this purpose to the Brno architect Zdeněk Fránek. However, they will do so only after he undertakes basic repairs of the historical building. Roman Volf, the deputy mayor of Miroslav, told ČTK today. The town hall has been unsuccessfully searching for a use for the neglected castle for many years.
    The city has set exceptionally strict conditions for those interested in using the building. Nevertheless, there were two serious applicants. The city council wants to ensure that the Gothic-Renaissance complex in the city center is actually restored by establishing tough rules, so that the plans for its renovation do not remain just on paper.
    Fránek must invest two to three million crowns into the basic restoration of the castle. These are the funds necessary to ensure the structure's stability, repair the roof, façades, restore windows, and insulate the building against moisture. These works should be completed within three years.
    Then the town hall will sell the castle to the architect for three million crowns. This is the money the city has invested in maintaining the monument. The restoration of the interiors of the historical building will take ten years.
    The castle will be used for conferences, seminars, and exhibitions focused on architecture. The town hall has agreed with Fránek that the building will also be accessible to the public several times a year.
    There was little interest in the use of the castle for a long time. The situation changed only after the broadcast of the Czech Television (ČT) series "Historical Monuments for Sale," which presented dilapidated and unused castles in the Czech Republic. One of them was the one in Miroslav. Twelve interested parties registered for the property.
    Miroslav has owned the castle since 1993. Before that, it housed an agricultural school for many years. Before World War II, the property belonged to the Stumer family, Vienna sugar producers. Their descendant lives in Venezuela. He is not interested in the restitution of the castle.