Prague will investigate the possibility of redesigning the clock calendar due to a complaint

Prague - The Prague City Hall will inspect the possibility of redesigning the calendar of the Old Town Astronomical Clock due to a complaint by Milan Patka, a member of the Club for Old Prague. The current design does not correspond to the form created by Josef Mánes in 1866 during the monument's restoration. CTK was informed by Deputy Mayor Adam Scheinherr (Praha Sobě). Spokesman Vít Hofman stated that the department responsible for the restoration is addressing the situation. According to him, however, the work was carried out according to documentation confirmed by heritage experts.

"The reconstruction of the clock was completed in 2018, during the previous political leadership of Prague. The current appearance is indeed trivial. After a basic analysis of the situation, we will demand a review of the possibility of redesigning the work," said the deputy. The complaint submitted by Patka last week was highlighted by Deník N. The subject of the complaint is the fact that some figures on the restored panel differ from Mánes's original, which is stored in the depot of the Museum of the Capital City of Prague.

"We are further addressing and resolving the situation," Hofman stated. He added that the reason for creating a new panel was the condition of the previous one, which was copied by academic painter Otakar Číla after the fire at the Old Town Hall in 1945.

"The extent of partial repairs and repaints had completely devalued the work's impact, and moreover, the previous panel was somewhat smaller than Mánes's original, resulting in constant leakage and dust entering the interior of the clock through the gaps between this previous panel and the stone lining of the circular opening," Hofman further stated. He added that the restoration of the clock was part of the reconstruction of the entire Old Town Hall tower, and the work was carried out according to project documentation that underwent a construction process and in accordance with the binding opinions of the National Heritage Institute and the City Hall's heritage department. "We consulted the final appearance of the clock during the repairs not only with heritage experts but also with other specialized institutions and the professional public," he stated.

Patka is one of the authors of changes to the astrolabe of the Prague clock. The astrolabe is one of the parts of the clock, located below the windows where the figures of the apostles appear. Even lower on the façade is the calendar painted according to Mánes's design. The heritage inspection of the Ministry of Culture focused on the astrolabe after the clock's restoration since some experts protested against its new appearance. However, in 2019, it stated that it is exclusively an astronomical issue. The inspection began to address the form of the calendar only after the current complaint was submitted.

The calendar or moon phase indicator was created by Josef Mánes in 1866 for the newly restored Old Town Astronomical Clock. Since 1882, a copy of the work has been hanging on the clock, while the original was placed in the museum to protect it from weather damage.