The Church will take over the castle in Kroměříž into its care from February

Kroměříž - The Church will take over the castle and the Podzámecká Garden in Kroměříž starting in February next year. It acquired them in church restitutions in 2015, but until now, the operation of both monuments has been managed by the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) based on an easement agreement. The validity of the contract will end on February 25, and the Olomouc archdiocese did not reach an agreement with the NPÚ on extending it, as stated by the spokesperson of the archdiocese Jiří Gračka and the spokesperson for the Kroměříž office of the NPÚ Dagmar Šnajdarová for ČTK. Visitors should not be significantly affected by the change.

According to Gračka, the archdiocese was interested in extending the contract, but the NPÚ refused. "According to the currently valid statute of the National Heritage Institute, we were commissioned by the Ministry of Culture to manage the Archiepiscopal Castle and the Podzámecká Garden only for the duration of the sustainability of the National Centre of Garden Culture project in Kroměříž, that is, until February 25, 2020," Šnajdarová stated.

From the public's perspective, according to the head of property management of the archdiocese, Josef Kropáč, nothing will change during the visit to the castle. "The site will continue to be accessible to visitors or art lovers. Similarly, cooperation with the Museum of Art in Olomouc will continue, which takes care of the archdiocese's art collections on the second floor of the castle and operates the Archdiocesan Museum there. The operation of both sites will be ensured after the easement contract expires," Kropáč stated.

Most employees of the NPÚ, who currently take care of the operation of the castle and the Podzámecká Garden, are expected to remain in their positions. However, they will move under the archdiocese. "Continuity will be strongly preserved. The management of the monuments will continue as before because the same people will be doing it. I have the impression that it will be up to 90 percent of the staff who will remain," Gračka told ČTK.

The remaining employees, according to Šnajdarová, will take care of the properties under the management of the NPÚ starting from February 26, which includes the newly established horticulture and composting line in the Podzámecká Garden and the Květná Garden, which the state refused to return to the church. However, the courts are still dealing with the dispute over this property due to lawsuits filed by the Olomouc archdiocese. The castle and both gardens have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1997, and according to NPÚ data, they welcomed over 175,000 visitors this year.

The archdiocese plans to complete extensive renovations of the castle and the Podzámecká Garden in 2022 for 246.3 million crowns. "This includes, for example, the repair of the castle roof, the restoration of the water system in the Podzámecká Garden, or the accessibility of the Mill Gate," Kropáč stated. In the future, the archdiocese is also planning further investments in both monuments.