The South Moravian councilors support declaring the Cejl prison a monument

Brno - The councilors of the South Moravian Region support the initiative of the National Heritage Institute and the Confederation of Political Prisoners to declare the former prison in Brno on Cejl as a cultural monument. According to Governor Michal Hašek (CSSD), this would honor the memory of all imprisoned and executed victims of totalitarian regimes. The owner of the property, the city of Brno, opposes the declaration of the monument. They want to create a Creative Center in the prison. According to Brno Mayor Petr Vokřál (ANO), this would complicate the entire situation.

The regional councilors agreed unanimously. "We clearly stand behind the heritage protectors in the currently ongoing dispute about whether the prison should or should not have the status of a cultural monument," said Hašek. The National Heritage Institute submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Culture for the inclusion of the property among monuments in recent days.

Vokřál considers the matter unfortunate. "The city has been trying for several years to prepare a comprehensive reconstruction of the building while maintaining all the respect associated with the site. We wanted to revitalize the building so that every citizen could come to see it. If memorialization occurs, it will be difficult to achieve this purpose," Vokřál stated.

According to him, the problems are money and time. "We will now wait to see how it turns out. Preparatory work will be halted, and there is a risk that we will not be able to obtain the funds in time. Another issue is that the renovation of heritage-protected buildings is often more expensive than the renovation of ordinary structures," Vokřál emphasized. The building is in poor condition, according to him. "The roof trusses are in a deplorable state, water is leaking into the building, and it is devastated. In some places, the roof is at risk of collapse. I fear that declaring it a cultural monument will lead to further damage to the building and its total destruction," Vokřál said.

According to his deputy responsible for culture, Matěj Hollan (Žít Brno), the city will strive to ensure that the property is not declared a monument. "We have mapped the situation abroad and know that a revived prison will help not only the creative industry but also culture. It will also revitalize the Bronx area and provide low-threshold offers of leisure and educational activities. In improving the quality of life in this area, this is one of the fundamental issues," Hollan stated. Cejl is often labeled as an excluded locality. According to Hollan, however, the project cannot be realized without a grant. "Such a monument that no one will invest in and will be permanently inaccessible due to its condition is worthless," Hollan added.

According to Hašek's deputy, Roman Celý (KDU-ČSL), the region is not trying to prevent the reconstruction. "We only have a much greater assurance that the property will be monitored from the position of the National Heritage Institute as a memorial site. There cannot be, as we have verified, any limitation on the influx of funds. On the contrary, it will underscore the significance of this memorial site," Celý added.

The prison was established in the 1770s. It began serving its purpose in 1784. For example, poet Petr Bezruč was imprisoned there, and in 1953, Oskar Judex, the mayor of Brno during the occupation, died there. The prison ceased to serve its purpose in 1956 when it was replaced by a new prison in Bohunice.