The monuments of the year are the granary in Myštice and the garden in Slaný

Prague - The monuments of 2022 have become the granary, which is part of the farmstead in the village of Myštice in the South Bohemian Region, and the restoration of the garden in Slaný in Central Bohemia. The award was presented today by the Association of Historical Sites of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia at the opening of a conference in Prague at Žofín. The prize goes to the owners of monuments among private individuals, towns, churches, and other owners.

This year, 45 objects entered the competition, which do not even have to be declared cultural monuments by the state. The organizers appreciate owners who are aware of the cultural and historical aspects of their properties and care for them accordingly.

The competition has two categories, with the granary in Myštice winning in the Small Restoration category, which covers those that cost up to two million crowns. The object is located in the area of a small village farmstead. The standalone brick granary underwent a comprehensive roof reconstruction last year. The roof is covered with rye straw and the ridge is made of shingles. The owners decided on the restoration despite wanting to continue using the building as a workshop, storage for agricultural machinery and tools, and a drying room for fruits and herbs. The total costs of 543,000 crowns were supplemented by the Ministry of Culture with 405,000 crowns, the rest was paid by the owners.

Second place in this category was awarded to the restoration of the birthplace of famous psychologist Sigmund Freud in Příbor in the Novojičín region, which last year led to the establishment of a new permanent exhibition. Third place among the ten finalists in this category went to the restoration of the organ from the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Mařatice, a part of Uherské Hradiště in the Zlín Region.

In the Large Restoration category, which involves costs over two million crowns, the city of Slaný won with the first phase of the restoration of the historical interwar park Kumpánova zahrada, locally known as Benar. It recalls the history of the villa Ferdinand Přibyl with a spinning mill and is the largest and best-preserved garden established during the interwar period in Slaný. The garden was created in 1939 according to the design of landscape architect Josef Kumpán (1885–1961). Since 2018, the garden with the villa has been a cultural monument and is now owned by the City of Slaný.

"Since 2012 we have been thinking about whether to take over the park as a property of the city. It wasn't until 2018 that we, as councilors, took over the park. We had no idea what awaited us, but I see that we were on the right path,” said Mayor Martin Hrabánek today. The costs for the garden restoration were nearly 28 million crowns.

The city began the restoration of the park in 2020 and had to deal with hazardous waste that needed to be removed. The statue of the Lady after Bath returned to the garden, and the water spout in the form of a lion, which had been buried underground, was restored and renewed. A replica of the original fountain in the shape of a four-leaf clover was created, and trees and flowers were planted in the park.

Second place in this category was awarded to the restoration of the Brass family tomb in the tiny village of Dolní Podluží on the Czech-German border in the Ústí nad Labem Region. Third place in the category with 12 finalists belongs to the rescue of the Church of St. Peter and Paul in Strýčice in South Bohemia. The church is being saved thanks to the cooperation of local residents with the descendants of the expelled original German inhabitants.

The association established the competition to motivate owners of historical objects to protect them; owners of properties that are not cultural monuments can also enter the competition. The title can be pursued not only by a castle, chateau, church, or theater but also by a military or agricultural brownfield or public space. The first awards were presented for the year 2013.