Invalidovna will open for half a year, there will be music and theater in it

Prague - The Prague Invalidovna, an extensive Baroque palace, which has been managed by the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) since last year, will open to the public for half a year starting Tuesday. The Initiative for Invalidovna association has access to the western wing of the building from the heritage authorities, where it will prepare music, theater, and dance performances, as well as lectures, discussions, and workshops. NPÚ spokesperson Jana Hartmanová announced this to ČTK. NPÚ is preparing the restoration of the building at an estimated cost of around one billion crowns.

NPÚ took over the Invalidovna last May from the Office for Representation of the State in Property Matters after the state unsuccessfully attempted to sell the heritage site at auction. The building was offered for approximately 640 million crowns.

The institute plans to establish an information center and a café in the building, with additional spaces designated for NPÚ offices, ministry departments, educational activities, and local community life. Heritage authorities state that the reconstruction should be completed between 2024 and 2025.

The Invalidovna was constructed between 1731 and 1737 according to a project by the prominent architect of Czech Baroque, Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer, as a shelter for war veterans and their families. Due to a lack of finances, only one-ninth of the proposal was realized. The building served for the accommodation of war veterans until 1935. Later, the Military Central Archive operated in the building, which moved to the barracks complex in Prague-Ruzyně. The Ministry of Defense then transferred the Invalidovna to the ÚZSVM based on a government resolution.

In 2017, it was added to the list of national cultural monuments. The Invalidovna complex includes a built-up area and a courtyard of over 12,000 m², as well as gardens covering almost 10,000 m². The area is popular among filmmakers, with scenes from Milos Forman's Amadeus, for example, being filmed there.

On Tuesday, May 7, a cultural program is prepared starting at 2:00 PM, and from 5:00 PM, interested visitors can take guided tours of the Invalidovna. The event will feature Senegalese musician Omar Ka, DJ and multimedia artist Aid Kid, Polish improviser Horsy, and others. Contemporary Czech and foreign visual artists and set designers will present their work through installations – Petr Písařík, Michal Cimala, Jakub Nepraš, Vladimír Turner, Paul Chaney, Dragan Stojčevski, and Mark Paul Divo. There will also be theater performances, children's shows in the garden, and refreshments.