President Klaus sees the future of the spa in Kyselka in a bleak light

photo: Lukáš Podhorský

Kyselka (Karlovy Vary) - Dozens of protesters fighting for the rescue of the dilapidated spa awaited President Václav Klaus in Kyselka in the Karlovy Vary region today. However, they found little understanding from him. The petition for the restoration of historical buildings, which was signed by over 14,000 people, was labeled by the president as manipulation. The idea that there could be spas in Kyselka again in the future is unrealistic, the president stated.
    Before his trip to Kyselka, Klaus informed journalists that he was not familiar with the situation on the ground and that he needed to see it in order to draw any conclusions. He also stated that he was not in favor of fundamental solutions and that it would likely be necessary to seek some compromise and try to save what makes sense to save. According to him, the issue is what to do with the remains that are left. He repeated a similar stance in Kyselka and was interested in the existence of a project for the restoration of local monuments. "There were spas there, but it is evident that they probably will never be again," Klaus noted.
    According to him, he considers dreams that Kyselka could be expropriated or nationalized and taken care of by the state to be pointless. "With all due respect to the Kyselka spa, it is not Karlštejn," the president remarked. In Kyselka, Klaus was accompanied by Mayor Petra Hoffmannová (independent), who told him that she could not imagine forcing the owners (C.T.S. Duo and Karlovy Vary Mineral Waters company) on how they should utilize the dilapidated properties. "It will be necessary to choose historically valuable buildings and save them," Hoffmannová stated.
    Klaus also met in Kyselka with a representative of the Association of Organizations for the Protection and Development of Cultural Heritage of the Czech Republic, Pavel Ries. This association, which previously requested that the monumentally protected buildings in the former Kyselka spa be transferred to them free of charge, organized today’s demonstration. Ries argued in his conversation with Klaus that the preservation of the spa as a whole is supported by heritage conservationists, and the petition for restoration was signed by over 14,000 people. However, mentioning the petition did not succeed with Klaus, who questioned this initiative.

photo: Lukáš Podhorský

    Ries called Klaus's stance scandalous, as he questioned all the people who signed the petition. "The president threw in the face of all the people who signed the petition that they are the ones responsible for the state of Kyselka," Ries pointed out. He mentioned that there is a heritage law that clearly states what the owner should do. The owner has brought Kyselka to this hopeless state, wants to demolish most of the buildings except for three, and yet he has the support of the president. "I am saddened by all this, we did not expect it," Ries stated.
    The president's visit to Kyselka was also accompanied by several incidents that occurred between employees of Karlovy Vary Mineral Waters (KMV), about a hundred of whom came, and demonstrators. Mostly it was just verbal altercations, but when the vice president of the association, Martin Kadrman, referred to the general director of KMV, Alessandro Pasquale, as livestock, he received a slap from him. "Mr. Pasquale reacted to a gross insult," said KMV spokesperson Bibiana Beňová.
    KMV plans to present a comprehensive project for the revitalization of some of the former spa buildings next week. Among other things, the complex that is to be restored is to include a museum showcasing the history of the Mattoni brand, a hotel, and a park. According to Beňová, KMV has previously invested money to maintain the properties as requested by heritage conservationists. It was allegedly two million crowns in just the last year. There should also be an apartment building created, and the company intends to use the rest of the properties for its own purposes.
    The project for the partial restoration of the area in Kyselka is considered realistic by Karlovy Vary historian Stanislav Burachovič, who has long been dealing with Kyselka. According to him, the KMV's intention is a successful compromise step forward. It is based on the real and current state of the buildings of the former spa and emphasizes those that are monumentally and historically extraordinarily valuable, Burachovič stated.
    The mayor of Karlovy Vary, Petr Kulhánek (KOA), also described the intention as constructive. He had previously urged everyone who cares about the development of Kyselka to prioritize rational solutions over emotions. "I believe that we will also gain the same support from the executive bodies of monument care, whose consent is a prerequisite for further development," Pasquale added.