The fire damaged not only Pernštejn but also the castle in Zahrádky and Libušín

Prague - The fire at Pernštejn Castle in the Brno region, which devastated it 15 years ago on April 15, 2005, was one of the worst fires ever to affect Czech and Moravian monuments. The fire was caused by the spontaneous ignition of painting materials in the historical castle granary, where workers were repairing the floors. The building was serving as a depository at the time, and about 700 historical items were destroyed in it. In addition to the granary, the fourth gate of the castle was affected; both structures were restored by conservationists for 59 million.

Twenty firefighting units worked to extinguish the fire. The intervention was very difficult: firefighters had to transport water from a distance of three kilometers. The fire at the Gothic Pernštejn, where several films were shot, sparked a discussion among experts about how well monuments in the Czech Republic are protected. Many have since started to implement better fire prevention measures.

A selection of cultural monuments in the Czech Republic that have been damaged by fire in recent years:

April 2, 2002 - Flames engulfed the wooden Church of St. Catherine in Ostrava-Hrabová from the 16th century. The fire, which likely resulted from an electrical fault, caused about 20 million crowns in damage. In 2004, the church was restored as a period copy.

January 30, 2003 - The castle in Zahrádky near Česká Lípa burned down. The building from the second half of the 16th century served as a hotel and study center for Charles University. Damages reached up to 150 million crowns, and the fire was extinguished only after more than three days.

August 29, 2003 - A fire in the Church of the Kladruby Monastery in Tachov damaged the baroque altar of St. Benedict, which was being restored at the time. The fire was likely caused by one of the restorers.

April 15, 2005 - A fire destroyed the former granary and the adjacent fourth gate of Pernštejn Castle in the Brno region. In the granary, which served as a depository, the fire destroyed 700 historical items. The tragedy was caused by the spontaneous ignition of painting materials used by workers repairing the floors. The restoration of the castle cost 59 million crowns.

September 7, 2011 - An abandoned building of a former brewery in Jindřichův Hradec, part of a protected castle complex, was damaged by fire. According to police, it was caused by the carelessness of three children. The damage was estimated at over one million crowns.

March 3, 2014 - On Pustevny in the Beskids, the Libušín hut from 1899 designed by Dušan Jurkovič burned down. The restoration of the cultural monument is expected to cost 100 million crowns, and the new Libušín will open to the public this year. The case is being handled by the district court in Vsetín. According to the indictment, it was caused by a man who neglected the repair of the chimney in 2007.

October 11, 2016 - A fire affected the roof of one of the buildings in the castle complex in Plumlov in the Prostějov area, with damages estimated at five million crowns. The castle was originally built as a fortress at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries.

August 2, 2017 - In Třinec-Guty in the Frýdek-Místek region, a wooden church of the Body of Christ from the 16th century burned down. The intentionally set fire caused damage exceeding 20 million crowns, but the historical damage is incalculable. The court in this case sentenced three young men to prison for three and a half, eight, and nine years. A replica of the valuable church is being built in its place.

November 11, 2017 - A fire at a dilapidated castle in Planá in Tachov caused damage of 1.6 million crowns. Its owner was a private individual, and at the time of the fire, an enforcement order had been issued for the property. The castle had been used as a barracks in the second half of the 20th century and fell into disrepair since 1989.

December 20, 2017 - In Krnov in the Bruntál region, a fire engulfed the building of the former textile factory Karnola. The former spinning mill and sample workshop was a cultural monument. Police suspected two fourteen-year-old boys of arson. The case was dismissed due to their age as they were not criminally liable.

July 2, 2018 - In Dolní Studénky near Šumperk, a large fire damaged the former Třemešek Castle. The two-story building is a monument of Renaissance architecture from 1587, which was later reconstructed. It served as accommodation. Reconstruction of the building began in September 2018.

August 19, 2018 - In Horní Maršov in the Trutnov region, a dilapidated baroque castle caught fire. The fire destroyed the roofs, two towers, and the attic. Damage was estimated at around five million crowns. Last November, an investigator proposed indicting six people; in addition to the castle fire, they are also involved in the fire of a car dealership in Humpolec.