The committee is preparing the nomination of Plečnik's buildings for UNESCO

photo: Ester Havlová

Prague - As another monument that could be added to the prestigious UNESCO list (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), the Czech state is considering the Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord in Prague's Vinohrady. It is part of the international nomination of the work of Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik, prepared by a Czech-Slovenian working group. At the end of last week, they met in Prague, and another meeting is scheduled for May. The Czech Republic is also trying to promote other international nominations, such as the cultural landscape of the Ore Mountains or spa towns.

The so-called indicative list, which includes Czech monuments that the state is attempting to add to the UNESCO list, consists of 19 items. The Czech state aims to reverse the stagnation that has accompanied the number of monuments inscribed on the UNESCO list for over a decade. The Czech Republic has 12 entries on this list, but none have been added since 2003. Although the number of Czech monuments is double the average of those countries that have entries, the Czechs wish to continue acquiring them.

The nomination of Plečnik's buildings consists of six monuments in Slovenia and a national cultural monument, which is his Vinohrady church. In Ljubljana, the Church of St. Michael, the promenade along the waterfront, and the bridges over the Ljubljanica River, the Slovenian National and University Library, Žale - a set of chapels at the Ljubljana cemetery, and the Church of St. Francis are being considered. The nomination is titled Timeless Humanist Architecture of Jože Plečnik in Ljubljana and Prague.

The working group, which includes representatives of the Ministry of Culture and the cities of Ljubljana and Prague, met at the end of last week in Prague. "The aim of the meeting was to discuss issues related to the outstanding global value of the series, the development of a Management Plan, the discussion of a comparative analysis, and to outline the next steps. Representatives of Ljubljana and Prague 3 then signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which is a document on future cooperation within the nomination," said the spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture, Simona Cigánková.

They also paid tribute to Plečnik's memory; the famous architect was born on January 23, 1872. Based on his experiences with Art Nouveau and modern expressionism, he created a specific personal style. He arrived in Prague in 1911 and initially worked here as a teacher. Later, he accepted an offer from President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk and became the chief architect of Prague Castle. He also took part in the modifications of the summer presidential residence in Lány. Similarly, he significantly contributed to the Czech metropolis with his church, which forms the dominant feature of upper Vinohrady. It is considered the most important sacred building of the 20th century in the Czech Republic.