Pardubice will present proposals for the new appearance of the Memorial Zámeček

photo: www.zamecekpardubice.cz

Pardubice - From Tuesday, designs for a new look of the Memorial Zámeček will be on display at the Gallery of the City of Pardubice. The city selected from eight proposals. People have the opportunity to view the sketches until Sunday. CTK was informed about this by the gallery manager Ivana Panochová. During the heyday of the German occupation, the residents of the settlement Ležáky and other patriots were executed at the site where the memorial stands today. The site is a national cultural monument.

The jury decided not to award the first prize due to reservations about the proposals. The highest-rated project was the design by architects Jan Žalský and Vít Podráský, while the third place is shared between MCA atelier and Projektil architects.

The new memorial will be built in two phases. Architects Žalský and Podráský proposed to remove the current structure housing the exhibition.

The new exhibition is proposed to be located underground, accessible via ramps. On either side, the names of 194 victims will be displayed. In the past, the Friends of Pardubice Club opposed the demolition. The memorial is a national cultural monument, making it difficult to advocate for the demolition of the structure.

A granite monument dedicated to the victims will remain at the site as a dominant element. In the second phase, the original access areas are to be removed, and modifications to paths and greenery are planned, along with the installation of illuminated outdoor carriers containing information about the memorial. The city will allow the forest to regenerate, bringing the area closer to its appearance in 1942.

Pardubice also strives to connect the memorial with the Larisch villa, where the Germans interrogated patriots. The city is in negotiations, so far unsuccessfully, with the Foxconn company, which owns the land. There is no direct public path between these two places, even though they are close to each other.

After long negotiations, the Taiwanese company donated the villa known as Zámeček to the Czechoslovak Legionary Community at the end of 2014. This community is gradually trying to repair the dilapidated building with the help of grants from the region, cities, and the Ministry of Culture and to make it accessible to the public.