Academics oppose the sale of Invalidovna, writing to the Prime Minister

Prague - Some experts are opposing the planned auction of the historical and monument-protected building of the Prague Invalidovna. They argue that no option other than state ownership can guarantee the protection of this significant Baroque monument. Therefore, they are calling in a letter, which ČTK has, for Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (ČSSD) to cancel the intention to sell the building. Today, representatives from several academic institutions delivered the letter to the Office of the Government. The Invalidovna is set to be auctioned on August 8.

"We believe that the sale and subsequent commercial redevelopment of the Invalidovna would be an irreparable mistake that would seriously jeopardize the future of one of the most valuable monuments of its kind in Europe. The Palladium shopping center and other examples of similar commercial redevelopments unfortunately too clearly illustrate how radically and irreversibly monuments can be damaged," write theorists of visual arts and architecture from universities in Prague, Olomouc, and Brno, from the Academy of Sciences, and the AAAD (Academy of Art, Architecture, and Design).

"The Invalidovna is included in the indicative list of national cultural monuments due to its extraordinary values, and therefore I believe it should remain in the hands of the state. If there is interest, NPÚ is ready to present a concept for its use, including public access, and to participate in its management." said NPÚ Director General Naděžda Goryczková to ČTK. The indicative list is a list of cultural monuments that could be proposed to the government for designation as national cultural monuments.

The Office for Representation of the State in Property Matters (ÚZSVM) announced in June that it would sell the long-unused Invalidovna building at a public auction. The minimum price is 637.7 million crowns. Interested parties can submit offers until August 8, the same day as the auction. This is expected to be the most significant sale of state property this year.

The Invalidovna in Karlín has been in state hands since its inception. "Due to favorable historical circumstances, it has survived to this day with remarkable authenticity, including many unique Baroque details. Fortunately, the floods that affected the building in 2002 have not changed this fact much," experts point out.

According to them, the Invalidovna ranks among the most valuable Baroque monuments in Bohemia in terms of significance, architectural value, and exceptional preservation. "Its qualities are so undeniable that, in our opinion, it should be promptly included in the list of national cultural monuments," they state.

The Invalidovna was built between 1731 and 1737 as a shelter for war veterans. Its builders were inspired by a similar building in Paris. The plans for the construction were developed by the famous architect Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer, whose sacred and profane buildings are among the most significant Baroque monuments in Europe. Although only part of the original grand design was realized, it is one of the largest Baroque buildings in Bohemia, which in the European context can only be compared with the much more famous Invalidovna in Paris. The Prague building served to accommodate war invalids until 1935.

In recent decades, the Baroque building belonged to the army, with its archives housed in it by the Military Historical Institute and the National Technical Museum. After being damaged by floods and relocating the archives, the army declared the building as unnecessary. No other department showed interest in it either. The Ministry of Defense previously estimated the property’s value at approximately one billion crowns, and restoration would require further hundreds of millions, according to conservationists.

Last year, the Property Office of the State managed properties with an accounting value of about 10.6 billion crowns. In the previous year, it also sold a former monastery building in the Republic Square in Prague for the highest amount in its history, which was auctioned by Lagerris for 790 million crowns. According to media reports, the owner became Slovak billionaire Milan Fiľo. One of his companies also operates a musical theater in the nearby U Hybernů building. The building is owned by the indebted State Culture Fund.