The monastery in Pivon will be a national cultural monument, it is inaccessible to the public

Pivon – Tens of millions of crowns from subsidies and donations have helped save the monastery in Pivoni in the Domažlice region from destruction and collapse over the past approximately 20 years. Today, the government approved its inclusion on the list of national cultural monuments (NKP). Once a magnificent Augustinian monastery, which became a crumbling ruin mainly due to neglected repairs during the previous regime, is now privately owned and not accessible to the public. In recent years, it was saved by the civic association Aurelius, which wanted to establish a center for hosting children from war-affected countries, a library, and a community center there. However, the association left the monastery several years ago, and work came to a halt; it was later purchased by a private owner, as discovered by ČTK.

Founded in the second half of the thirteenth century, the monastery has been rebuilt several times, and in the 19th century, the building was converted into a chateau. After 1948, it was used by the army and an agricultural cooperative. In 1953, a fire affected the entire complex.

The devastated monastery belonged to the nearby village of Mnichov at the beginning of this millennium. The village, with about 200 inhabitants, did not have the funds to secure or preserve the complex. Therefore, it offered it for a symbolic crown to anyone who could present a plan for utilization. The complex was acquired in 2002 by the association Aurelius, which operated there for about 15 years.

"During that time, we invested tens of millions of crowns into the rescue and securing of the buildings. We managed to save the complex from further devastation and from the collapse of additional parts. Before we arrived, two wings had collapsed over time, and the entire structure was moving. For example, we built a supporting reinforced concrete wall, replaced the trusses, and repaired the roofs," Ladislav Henek from Aurelius told ČTK today. According to estimates at the time, around 300 million crowns would be needed for the overall reconstruction.

However, the association later ran into troubles due to subsidies. "Our health problems added to that, and we simply no longer had the strength to continue fighting all the pitfalls," said Henek. The complex was then unsuccessfully offered for auction by the tax office until it was purchased by a private owner several years ago. After Aurelius left the monastery, it once again became a target for vandals and thieves, who stole copper downspouts, causing water to leak into the church. The leaking water saturated part of the area, causing the ground and cellar to collapse.

"My intention was mainly to give the monastery hope and a chance for the future. In the years since the departure of the Aurelius association, the state reverted many years back," said the current owner, who wished to remain anonymous. He currently has no specific plans for the complex. "It is definitely unrealistic to consider commercial use, like a hotel; I don't even want private housing here. In the future, it would be nice if cultural events were held here, and perhaps children from both sides of the border could meet, but first, a path for the future needs to be found," he said.

The owner has been at the monastery since the summer of 2020. "Everything had to be cleaned out, cut back from encroaching vegetation, drainage had to be done, and some rules had to be established. People even came here despite the entry ban whenever they felt like it. The monastery is now inaccessible, and people can only view or photograph it from public roads," said the owner. According to him, the buildings are structurally secured. However, the costs of reconstruction are high.

In the Plzeň Region, there are currently 25 national cultural monuments, of which 23 are immovable and two movable. Pavel Domanický from the Plzeň office of the National Heritage Institute told ČTK today that only Pivon and the chateau in Týnec near Klatovy are fully owned by private individuals; the other NKP in the region belong to the state, the church, or municipalities. "The Pivon Monastery definitely belongs on the NKP list. It is certainly a significant monument that deserves the highest protection," said Domanický.