Old Vítkovice will be among the European Heritage Sites

Ostrava - The former industrial complex of Lower Vítkovice, nicknamed the Ostrava Hradčany, has become the first of four Czech monuments to be placed on the emerging list of European cultural heritage. The engineering company Vítkovice today received the prestigious European Heritage label from the Minister of Culture Václav Jehlička. Other selected monuments in the Czech Republic include the center of Zlín, the Kynžvart Castle, and Vysoká near Příbram. The planned European heritage project is expected to be approved by the European Union during the next year.
    The EU aims to create a set of European cultural monuments modeled after UNESCO, which includes monuments from around the world on its list. However, according to Jehlička, the new EU project is not intended to compete with world cultural heritage. "Unlike UNESCO, the European project does not concern itself as meticulously with the protection of monuments. It focuses more on their development and significance for Europe," added the minister.
    Ostrava is, according to Jehlička, the capital of industrial heritage in the Czech Republic. "In the past, we understood monuments only as castles, chateaus, and historic towns. Unlike Europe, we have neglected industrial heritage. Therefore, we decided that the old Vítkovice should also belong to the most significant European monuments," said Jehlička.
    The Lower Vítkovice area, including the blast furnaces, gasometer, and the VI. energy center, was selected by the Ministry of Culture as European monuments also because the Vítkovice company has prepared a project for the restoration of the entire old Vítkovice complex, said the minister.
    A cultural and community center with scientific workplaces, a university campus, and a public sports facility is to be established on 253 hectares near the center of Ostrava. The project, named New Vítkovice, is expected to cost up to 60 billion crowns. The company aims to obtain 560 million CZK from the Ministry of Culture for the restoration of heritage-protected buildings in the lower area. The first revitalized object is expected to be the VI. energy center, where an educational center called the World of Technology will be created.
    The European cultural heritage will include, for example, the French abbey of Cluny, student dormitories in Madrid, Wawel Castle in the Polish city of Krakow, or the birthplaces of Puccini, Verdi, and Rossini in Italy.
    In November, culture ministers from EU member countries gave the green light to the European cultural heritage project. It will now be addressed by the European Commission, which is expected to institutionalize the entire project, added the minister. The final approval of the project is likely to await the union in the second half of 2009 during Sweden's presidency.