Magistrate heritage protectors will further be headed by Kněžínek

Prague - The monument conservationists of the Prague City Hall will continue to be led by Jan Kněžínek, who is often criticized for some decisions regarding heritage preservation. The city council made this decision today. Kněžínek makes decisions in his role regarding important buildings or the demolition of heritage sites. The council also appointed Ivana Jakoubková as the director of the building department. The press was informed about this by the city hall spokesperson Tereza Krásenská.
     Kněžínek headed the department of culture, heritage preservation, and tourism from 2005 to 2011. After the reorganization of the city hall, this department was abolished, and Kněžínek was then assigned to manage the heritage preservation department. According to Krásenská, 12 candidates applied for the position of director, and three of them were invited for personal interviews. "The committee unanimously recommended Jan Kněžínek for the position," she stated.
     Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda (ODS) and his deputy Karel Březina (ČSSD) told journalists that the council's vote on Kněžínek's appointment was unanimous.
     The councilors also appointed the director of the building department. From three candidates, they chose Jakoubková. According to information from ČTK, she previously served as the head of the building office in Prague 4 and primarily in Prague 8, where the current deputy mayor Josef Nosek (ODS) was the district mayor. She led the office in the eighth district even after the catastrophic flood in August 2002, after which the building department issued several demolition orders for local houses.
     The new city administration called for selection procedures after implementing reorganization changes at the office. Several powerful officials had to leave their positions, such as investment chief Jiří Toman and the director of commercial activities Peter Ďurica.
     There was speculation that Kněžínek would also have to step down from his position. The department led by Kněžínek had been criticized for a number of controversial decisions, such as the favorable opinions on the construction of skyscrapers in Pankrác, the redevelopment of the U Hybernů building into a musical theater, the conversion of barracks into the Palladium shopping center, or the transformation of St. Thomas Monastery in Malá Strana into a five-star hotel.
     The newly appointed directors today were the last ones not yet appointed by the council to their positions. In recent weeks, they have also selected directors for areas such as investment, property management, and audit activities.