The state will hand over the castle in Kroměříž to the church, with the first buildings on Friday

Prague/Kroměříž - The state will return the castle in Kroměříž and the local Podzámecká Garden to the church as part of a property settlement. The Květná Garden will remain with the state because its historical site is interconnected with new buildings that cannot be separated and cannot be returned under the restitution law. The agreement on the return will be signed next year by the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) with the Archdiocese of Olomouc, NPÚ spokeswoman Simona Juračková said today. The Archdiocese of Olomouc welcomes the step and intends to request a review regarding the Květná Garden.

According to the NPÚ spokesperson, both parties agreed on the will to continue cooperation. Today, representatives of both institutions signed an agreement on the return of the Prince's House and the Mint, which the church will take over on Friday. The Kroměříž Castle, along with the surrounding gardens, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. When making the decision to return the heritage site, the state long examined whether the adjacent Podzámecká and nearby Květná Gardens had historically belonged to the castle.

The Archbishop of Olomouc, Jan Graubner, appreciated the process of returning church property. "I am glad that with today’s signature, the process of returning the historical property of the archdiocese continues," Graubner said in response to a CTK inquiry and also praised that both parties agreed on the will to continue cooperation. "We want to sign the contract for the return of the castle and the Podzámecká Garden simultaneously with the contract for the easement, by which we will hand these properties over to the National Heritage Institute for long-term use. This will be free of charge, but with the obligation to take care of them as a good manager," added the Archbishop of Olomouc.

In the case of the Květná Garden, the archdiocese plans to ask the court for a review of the decision. According to the spokesperson for the archdiocese, Jiří Gračka, based on NPÚ information, the conclusion of an agreement for the return of the Podzámecká Garden and the Kroměříž Castle is expected next year.

The mayor of Kroměříž, Jaroslav Němec (ANO), expected the decision. "For us as a city, the relationships have clarified with whom we need to negotiate about rentals for our events. I met with the Archbishop. He promised that there would be no restrictions on operation," Němec told CTK. Castle steward Martin Krčma was pleased that the date for the conclusion of the agreement is already known. Employees of the castle administration reportedly have no concerns about the future. "If the castle is managed by the NPÚ, we will continue to be employees of NPÚ. If it is otherwise, it will be resolved," Krčma said.

The Bishop's Mint, which is to be returned along with the Prince's House on Friday, was built according to information from the archdiocese by the Olomouc bishop Karl II of Liechtenstein-Castle Korn in the early second half of the 17th century, with the first coins minted here as early as 1666. Coins and medals were minted here until 1759, when the mint was closed by decision of Maria Theresa, and its equipment was taken to Vienna. The building was converted into apartments for castle employees, renovated in the 1990s, and has been open to visitors since 1998.

The Prince's House, which is adjacent to the mint, is first mentioned in 1621, but it stood there much earlier, as evidenced by the Renaissance portal from the late 16th century. Apartments for princely and episcopal officials used to be located there.

The archdiocese requested the return of the castle because it forms a single unit with the inventory that has never stopped belonging to it. The castle's picture gallery is the second most significant in the country after the National Gallery in Prague. The entire collection of more than 500 paintings represents a unique collection even on a European scale. It includes canvases and panels by renowned authors such as Titian, van Dyck, Brueghel, Cranach, and Veronese. The most valuable exhibit is Titian's painting "Apollo and Marsyas."

The NPÚ recorded nearly 50 calls for property returns within the framework of church restitutions. About half of the requests were rejected or returned. Among the most significant returned items is the area of the Church of St. John of Nepomuk at Zelená Hora. However, the NPÚ refused to return Bouzov Castle to the Teutonic Order. The order plans to defend itself against the decision through legal means. Other orders have also turned to the court, mostly regarding unreleased forests and land.