Prague has announced a tender for 50 million CZK for the reconstruction of the House of Pages in Hradčany

Prague - The Prague City Council has announced a tender with an estimated value of around 50 million crowns excluding VAT for the reconstruction of the House of Pages in Hradčany, where a permanent exhibition of the city-founded Museum of Memory of the 20th Century is to be established. The Czech Press Agency learned this from the Public Procurement Bulletin. The museum was established by Prague in 2019 and is tasked with commemorating the crimes of totalitarian regimes in the Czech lands.

The historic building on Kanovnická Street is expected to undergo a roof repair and floor remediation, and the reconstruction also plans to include a new elevator, heating systems, and new air conditioning. The listed building will feature exhibition spaces, a lecture hall, a library, and a room for recording testimonies from witnesses.

The House of Pages originally dates back to the 16th century, and at the end of the 17th century, it underwent a Baroque reconstruction. It got its name because it was used to accommodate the pages of the lords from Martinic during the reign of Rudolf II. Later, it was used for social purposes, and during the First Republic, it housed a kindergarten. Since the 1970s, it has been the seat of the Chief Architect's Office of the City of Prague. It has been empty since 2008, and the city leadership has been unsuccessfully searching for a new purpose.

The Museum of the Memory of the 20th Century was established on November 17, 2019, to mark the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. According to city information, it has acquired many exhibits for its collections, such as the bronze statue of Soviet Marshal Ivan Stepanovich Konev, which Prague 6 had removed from Interbrigády Square. However, it does not yet have a permanent exhibition and is waiting for the reconstruction of the House of Pages. It is intended to be a temporary location; in the future, the institution could be moved, according to previous statements by city representatives, to the Strahov Stadium.