NPÚ again warns against the same continuation of the repair of Charles Bridge

Prague - The National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) reiterates that if the current method of repairs to Charles Bridge does not change, this national cultural monument may be irreparably damaged during the next phases of reconstruction. NPÚ continues to evaluate the work on the restoration of the pavement and parapets critically, although according to experts, there has been some improvement after the criticism from the state heritage inspection. The quality of the work still does not meet the significance of the monument, states NPÚ.
    NPÚ issued a similar statement earlier this May, which served, among other things, as a basis for the magistrate's decision, the higher authority for heritage care and also the owner of the bridge and the commissioning body for its reconstruction. In that, NPÚ suggests, among other specific measures that should be imposed on the monument's owner, to suspend stonemasonry and waterproofing work until an optimal method of work is found. However, the magistrate did not incorporate these suggestions into its decision issued in August.
    The commission for the restoration of Charles Bridge, an advisory body to the director of NPÚ, recently dealt with a critical analysis of this magistrate's decision in a meeting. "This alarming fact can hardly be divorced from the reality that in the restoration of Charles Bridge, the investor and the executive body (the state heritage care) are one and the same institution," states the commission. It has therefore prepared a detailed breakdown of the magistrate's heritage department decision, which can be found at www.npu.cz.
    The upcoming phases of the bridge restoration will affect its most precious preserved parts, such as walls and arches. According to the commission, it is essential to fundamentally change the investor's approach and the entire restoration regime for these parts of repairs. This should ensure timely and thorough preparation of historical building surveys, detailed project documentation, and active participation of an architect and restorer with sufficient experience in monument restoration during the preparation of documentation and throughout the restoration - these aspects have so far been neglected by the owner, according to experts.
    In contrast to the May statement, the management of NPÚ now believes that given the advanced time of year, the construction should not be completely halted at this stage of restoration, as this could mean irreversible damage to the national cultural monument.
    Allegedly serious deficiencies in the current reconstruction of Charles Bridge were identified by an inspection from the Ministry of Culture a year ago. Prague has consistently rejected criticism. NPÚ remained silent on the criticism of the bridge repairs for a long time, and the aforementioned commission was established in March of this year. According to NPÚ's statement, Charles Bridge, one of the most significant monuments in the country, which has become almost its icon, is being repaired in a manner that does not even meet the basic standard procedures used in the repairs of cultural monuments of much lesser significance.
    Although a representative of NPÚ has been involved in the repairs from the beginning, the relevant magistrate department is the higher authority for heritage care; according to critics of the bridge reconstruction, this case is also one of the most striking examples of a poor heritage care system characterized by so-called duality.
    In recent days, based on a criminal complaint from the newly formed Association of Associations for the Protection and Development of Cultural Heritage (ASORKD), the police have begun investigating the bridge repairs. According to its representatives, the owner of the monument, namely the capital city of Prague, bears criminal responsibility. The police are investigating the bridge reconstruction due to suspicions of a crime of neglecting a public official's duties. Perpetrators of such an act can be sentenced to up to three years in prison or banned from certain activities according to the criminal code.