Praha 4 wants the city hall to take care of the Dominican Courtyard in Braník

Prague - The Prague 4 City Hall wants the city to take over the management of the Dominican Courtyard in Braník. This was decided today by the representatives of the city district during their meeting. The reason is the lack of funds for the repair of this Baroque monument. If the city takes over the management, a Waldorf center could be established there. The courtyard had been leased by the Zemský pivovar company since 2014. According to the city hall, the company did not fulfill the contract, and therefore the city district terminated the lease.

Councilor Lukáš Zicha (Together for Prague 4) told the representatives that the city hall does not have money in its budget for repairs and operation. The Dominican Courtyard is in poor technical condition. According to Zicha, the city hall management has been in talks with several councilors from the capital city, who agreed with the proposed procedure. He mentioned that a Waldorf school could potentially be located in the courtyard in the future.

According to statements made by Mayor Petr Štěpánek (Greens) in January to the Czech News Agency, the estimated cost of repairs is between 150 million and 250 million crowns. The costs will depend, among other things, on the requirements of the conservationists.

Opposition councilor Zdeněk Kovářík (ODS) criticized the content of the material that the councilors presented to the representatives. "The deputy (mayor) for finance (Pavel Vyhnánek) did not even know on Monday that he had been in talks with you," Kovářík said. Councilor Jaroslav Mith (ODS) emphasized that a written contract with the city must first be concluded. The lack of a contract was also criticized by opposition councilor Michal Hroza (TOP 09).

Deputy Mayor Tibor Vansa (Pirates) stated that he had spoken with the city's councilor for education, Vít Šimral (Pirates). Šimral allegedly promised Vansa that the city would repair the courtyard, and he believes him. According to Vansa, the important factor is not the contract but the political will that the city representatives possess.

The city hall terminated the lease with the Zemský pivovar company in the second half of 2017. The company allegedly did not fulfill the contract and did not prove by the given deadline that it had the funds for the promised repairs. According to the original plans, the company was supposed to build a microbrewery and a hotel in the decaying monument. The company has always rejected the criticisms.

The former Dominican Courtyard dates back to the third quarter of the 17th century. Of the original four wings, three have survived to the present day, including a bell tower from 1761.

Waldorf education offers an alternative approach to education, with components such as dramatic education being a regular part of the curriculum; children also learn manual skills. For example, in natural science, students do not learn the entire scope of the subject, rather the teacher selects a specific interesting issue that they explore in depth with the students. Children are also typically evaluated verbally, rather than with grades.