Liberec will repair the town hall stairs and remove the inconsistency with the step featuring Havel's quote

Liberec - The monumentally protected staircase at the main entrance of the historic town hall building in Liberec is awaiting a complete renovation. This will include the removal of the criticized color and shape discordance created by the modern granite step with Havel's quote. Liberec is now looking for a company to carry out the restoration of the staircase. They will have four months to do it. The maximum price for this contract has been set by the city at 3.3 million crowns excluding VAT, according to data in the public procurement bulletin.

"It is about relocating the staircase in front of the town hall, leveling and adjusting the individual steps, and simultaneously replacing the granite stone with the quote for the Železný Brod granite, from which, allegedly, all other steps are made. So that everything is in color harmony as well," added Deputy Mayor Petr Židek (ODS).

The richly decorated town hall in Liberec is one of the most valuable monuments in the city of one hundred thousand, located in Dr. E. Beneš Square. It was built between 1887 and 1893, with the stone staircase and entrance portal from 1892. The only modern element in it is a step inserted in November 2019, for the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. On the front side of the step is Havel's quote: "Life is a joyful participation in the miracle of being" and on the side a thank you: "To all who stood up to totalitarianism in November 1989". While the other steps are most likely made of Železný Brod granite, this one is made of Liberec granite. It thus differs in color and does not fit into the overall composition of the staircase, which was also criticized by conservationists. This step will be removed from the staircase, and the original will be returned, but newly complemented with Havel's quote.