Pardubice are preparing the restoration of the Memorial Zámeček

Pardubice - Pardubice will prepare all the necessary documents this year so that they can start the renovation of the Zámeček Memorial next year. In 2020, the city will open the institution dedicated to the events of 1942 to the public. Jakub Rychtecký (CSSD), the deputy mayor, said this to ČTK today.

At the location of the current memorial, the Germans executed residents of the settlement of Ležáky and other patriots during the Heydrich era. The site is a national cultural monument. The city will transform it significantly for 20 million crowns excluding VAT. The municipal council is expected to approve the investment proposal on Thursday.

This May, the city will apply for grants, followed by the issuance of a zoning decision, and in August, the documentation of the condition and a completed exhibition concept will be prepared. "In September, we will begin the process of selecting a contractor," Rychtecký said.

The new exhibition will be underground, accessible via ramps with the names of the victims on the sides. The above-ground structure is set for demolition. There are planned pathway modifications, tree planting, and the installation of outdoor light carriers with information about the memorial. The granite monument will remain the dominant feature.

"The exhibition will begin with a short film about the transformation of the First Republic into the atmosphere of Nazi terror. It will show the Gestapo apparatus that cost millions of lives, and there will be items from the execution site," Rychtecký said.

An audio recording of the diary of Josef Charypar, an employee of a funeral service who transported executed people, will be presented. Among the exhibits will be photographs from the Geneva Convention, short films with testimonies from eyewitnesses, and about the capture of Nazi criminals. A publication will also be released.

"We have held talks with the Minister of Culture and the Lidice Memorial; I am very pleased that the Memorial has expressed interest in operating our facility. We are currently preparing a concept for future operations," Rychtecký said.

The memorial is located near the premises of Foxconn. The city is negotiating with the company about acquiring land for parking. At the same time, it hopes to negotiate a connection between the Zámeček Memorial and the Larisch Villa, where the Germans interrogated captured individuals.

"Both memorial sites are close to each other, but there is currently no direct path between them. Foxconn has begun to admit that it would allow a connection via a path across its own land. We will continue to negotiate about this," Rychtecký said.