The sale of the Štiřín chateau is halted, the dismissed director is returning

Prague - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has halted the planned sale of the Štiřín Castle, which belongs to the state. It has reinstated Václav Hrubý as director, who was dismissed in spring by former Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg (TOP 09) due to alleged management errors. This was reported today by Czech Television. Hrubý is a well-known opponent of the sale of the castle, and he returns to his position for the third time.
    "I am honored that Minister Jan Kohout personally reinstated me," Hrubý told the television. He added that he is glad that certain accusations regarding his poor management were not proven.
    The Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vladimír Zavázal, told the television that there was no substantive reason for Hrubý's dismissal. According to him, Štiřín is an establishment that should be utilized.
    Hrubý was first dismissed from the management of the castle shortly before the Velvet Revolution in 1989 by the communists. He was dismissed for the second time in 1999 by the then Secretary General of former Foreign Minister Jan Kavan, Karel Srba. According to Hrubý, it was an act of revenge.
    The state wanted to sell the late Baroque castle four times. Negotiations regarding the sale never reached the final phase, and no official tender was ever announced, Czech Television reported today.
    The government of former Prime Minister Petr Nečas decided to sell Štiřín as part of a property consolidation. According to the cabinet, its accounting value was 329 million, but the government believed it could be sold for more than a billion crowns. The complex includes a Baroque castle with several ponds, a park in the English style, and several conference halls.