Today, the astronomical clock of the Old Town Hall will stop

Prague - Today, the astronomical clock of the Old Town Hall will stop. The clock, which is one of the most sought-after monuments in Prague, will undergo repairs. It will be in the restoration workshops for five to six months. The dismantling of the clock will begin after all parts are labeled and recorded following the machine's stoppage. The restoration of the clock mechanism and the apostles, including the wooden figures, will cost approximately 7.4 million koruna without VAT. An additional two million will be needed for the production of a new calendar, painting the astrolabe, and the apostles' doors.

Fragments that were in the museum of the capital city will be added to the clock. During the Prague Uprising in 1945, the clock was damaged by fire, and during subsequent repairs, new mechanisms were added to the machine, which will be removed during this year's reconstruction. The mechanism will thus return to its form from the 1860s.

The monument has been restored several times in recent years. Most recently, the clock was stopped for repairs in 2011 when experts primarily worked on its interior and the machine's mechanism faults.

The clock was crafted at the beginning of the 15th century by Mikuláš of Kadaň, later perfected by master Hanuš of the Rose. Numerous legends and mysteries are associated with the clock; for example, it is unclear when exactly the statuettes of the apostles, who appear every hour in two windows beneath the canopy, first appeared. In its history, it has experienced both glory and disasters. In 2002, it unexpectedly stopped due to a fault at the transformer station caused by the severe flooding that swept through the capital. Nine years later, on December 23, the clock stopped for five minutes as planned in honor of the late President Václav Havel.