Havlíčkův Brod is preparing an Architectural Manual

Havlíčkův Brod - This year, experts will map interesting buildings in Havlíčkův Brod created from 1900 to the present. They are not as well documented as monuments from earlier periods, and due to ignorance, they may face the threat of disappearance. An online database of significant objects, public spaces, and artworks from the 20th and 21st centuries will be launched in January next year. Its creation is funded by the European Union. The city hall informed about this.

"The architectural manual is not just a list of buildings – it is a way to start noticing the city around us. We want to show people that even the everyday environment has its history, value, and stories," stated art historian Dana Schlaichertová, the professional guarantor of the project.

The plan for Havlíčkův Brod is methodically based on the Brno Architectural Manual. A team of art historians with ties to the city will be involved in its preparation. Residents can contribute with memories, documents, or photographs. "It will be a living, open tool that can grow with the city and simultaneously help revive local tourism," stated mayor Zbyněk Stejskal (ODS).

The database will capture a theme that has not yet been systematically processed. It will also include objects that have been overlooked, for example, because they were created during the socialist period, such as the Sun Hotel. "We are not selecting only heritage objects for the manual, but all objects with the potential for artistic and historical value," stated Aleš Veselý, one of the creators of the manual.

Almost 24,000 people live in Havlíčkův Brod. The creation of the architectural manual in Czech and English will cost 1.4 million crowns, with a grant from the National Recovery Plan of 1.165 million crowns. In the first phase, the manual will feature 80 detailed entries on objects or sculptures and 20 profiles of significant creators. The project will include architectural walks and activities for schools.