Police: The fire at the historic mill in Vranov was due to a malfunction

photo: www.znojemsko.cz

Vranov nad Dyjí - The fire at the historic mill in Vranov nad Dyjí in the Znojmo region was caused by a technical fault in the electrical installation. The police, who concluded the investigation, found no evidence of external culpability. Police spokesperson Lenka Drahokoupilová informed ČTK today. The building burned down at the beginning of June, with preliminary damage estimated at around 1.5 million koruna. According to heritage officials, the fire caused irreparable damage to the monument.

The spokesperson previously stated that it was a significant loss and that the cause had not been determined by the firefighters, which is why the police were also involved. An electrical specialist collected and assessed the evidence on site.

Practically the entire mill area, meaning the technological part of the heritage-protected mill, was destroyed in the fire. "From a heritage perspective, this is a tragic and irreversible loss. It’s impossible to predict how the situation with the property will develop further, but the former authentic historical value will never be there again," said Jan Kozdas from the National Heritage Institute, who hails from Vranov, to ČTK earlier.

The complex consists of several construction phases. The oldest is from the first quarter of the 18th century and ends in 1722 when Michal Jan III of Althannu died. Above the entrance to the complex, he has an alliance coat of arms with his wife Maria Josefa Pignatelli, who died 33 years after him. The fire did not damage it, nor did it affect the residential buildings. The next phase of the mill's construction is in the classicist style.

The property changed owners a few months ago, with plans for its reconstruction and commercial use. According to Kozdas, the plan was in sharp conflict with heritage conservation. The mill's owners are now seeking to have it removed from the list of heritage-protected buildings.