<p>To revitalize Kotěr's workers' colony in Louny, the city lacks funds.</p>

Louny - The city lacks funds to revive the heritage-listed Kotěra's workers' colony in Louny. The city has tried to obtain some financial resources from the Ministry of Culture, but so far it has not been successful. The deputy mayor of Louny, Edita Hořejší (ODS), told ČTK today. The architecture of the houses has been damaged in many cases due to alterations by the owners who purchased the properties from the state in the 1960s. Today, the area is mostly inhabited by older people, who, according to Hořejší, do not have the money for repairs.
The heritage-protected houses are included in the book Famous Villas of the Ústí Region. "From the city's perspective, it is one of the most significant landmarks," Hořejší stated. The buildings were constructed according to the plans of architect Jan Kotěra as part of a garden city project. "It was an extraordinary architectural achievement," said Petr Hrubý, director of the regional office of the National Heritage Institute, to ČTK.
The villa houses were intended for railway employees. The garden city plan also included a school, church, shops, and restaurants. However, due to a lack of funds, the original project was only partially realized. Only the upper, so-called villa part of the colony was built. After the war, Kotěra returned to Louny, and according to his designs, the so-called Eight Houses were built. "The project was the very first of its kind in Bohemia, and Kotěra regarded it as one of his most successful efforts," Hořejší mentioned.
The situation in the colony is not favorable according to the deputy mayor. "The site is heritage-protected, which many consider a significant complication for potential reconstruction," Hořejší said. "Before the site received official protection, people made modifications as they wished," she reminded. Currently, owners must consult with heritage conservationists for any renovations.
The state has now sold half of one house with two residential units (2+1) to a private individual for 711,000 koruna. Pavel Hortig, spokesperson for the Office for State Representation in Property Matters, told ČTK today. The property was acquired by the state as an inheritance. The sale included the land of the built-up area, courtyard, and garden with a total area of 395 square meters.
"It is a beautiful place that we are proud of, but the situation there is still sad," concluded the deputy mayor of Louny.
Residential and family colonies also emerged in the last century in other cities across the country. In the Ústí Region, Koldům (collective house) in Litvínov near Most is well-known, for example.