Brno succeeded in court regarding the non-recognition of the polyclinic's heritage status

Brno - Brno succeeded in a lawsuit against a decision by the Ministry of Culture, which did not recognize the status of a cultural monument for one of the buildings of the polyclinic on Zahradníková Street, at the Prague court. This was stated to journalists today by the mayor's deputy Matěj Hollan (Žít Brno). Ministry spokesperson Simona Cigánková told Czech News Agency (ČTK) that the ministry filed a cassation complaint with the Supreme Administrative Court against the ruling, along with a request for a suspensive effect. The building of the polyclinic lost its status due to a delayed entry onto the list of cultural monuments. According to Hollan, over 1000 other monuments in Brno could face a similar situation.

Monuments were supposed to be registered by the end of 1987. Although some were recognized in time, the registration could not be completed. Based on this, the ministry did not recognize the status of the polyclinic building.

Brno therefore defended itself in court, seeking to achieve a precedent-setting decision. "The court sided with the opinion that the decisive fact in the assessment is already the decision on the registration of the monument, not the actual act of some employee," said Hollan.

Once the Supreme Administrative Court decides on the ministry's cassation complaint, according to Cigánková, the problem of delayed registrations will be resolved. "Either it will annul the judgment of the city court and effectively confirm the Ministry of Culture's position, or conversely, it will confirm the judgment and the ministry will be forced to reassess its current stance on late registrations, thus acknowledging that items listed after January 1, 1988 are cultural monuments," said Cigánková.

However, she noted that in such a case, items that have already been decided not to be monuments will not automatically become cultural monuments. Each applicant would have to submit a proposal to the ministry, which would decide on it individually. Brno would also have to act regarding the Zahradníkova polyclinic. The ministry will have to adhere to the court's decision.

Of the more than a thousand objects in Brno threatened with non-recognition of cultural monument status, the city owns about 200. The rest belong to private owners. Hollan fears that with the loss of monument status, owners may do whatever they want with the buildings, which could irreparably damage them. Strict rules must be followed for the reconstruction of monuments, while no such restrictions exist for other buildings.