Sušice was supposed to have a museum in the square, but it doesn't even have a project yet

Sušice – Sušice in the Klatovy region was supposed to open a municipal museum this year in a valuable Renaissance house in the square known as the Old Pharmacy. The city bought it six years ago and over two years ago selected a winning architectural design in a competition. However, due to disputes between the designer and the heritage authorities, the building's reconstruction project is not yet available, said Mayor Petr Mottl (ODS) to ČTK.

The house has been closed for over ten years. Before the city purchased it for nine million crowns, it belonged to an Italian company that wanted to convert it into a hotel, and then it was long sold by a real estate agency. The house has a sgraffito façade and, like the nearby Šumava Museum, has foundations from the 14th century, making both objects cultural monuments. "These are the most beautiful and best-preserved houses," said the director of the Šumava Museum, Zdeňka Řezníčková.

"We are still at the beginning. There are still ongoing discussions between the heritage authorities and the designers about some disputed issues. We do not have a project yet," said Mottl. The competition for the winning design took place in the spring of 2018, and the winner has been known since September. The mayor has long refused it, claiming it would cause significant delays in implementation. However, he stated that he did not expect it to take this long. "If we had chosen a gradual repair of the building, it would already be completed," he noted.

According to Mottl, the designers still do not have feedback from the heritage authorities and cannot work on the project. "And we as investors can't do anything about it," he stated. Therefore, in the budget for next year, Sušice again does not have allocated funds for the reconstruction, only for the project from which the costs will arise. Four years ago, the city estimated them at 50 million crowns.

"There is no danger of the building collapsing. We have taken partial measures there, such as roof repairs, to prevent leaks. It is not the case that the building cannot withstand, but it is a shame that it is unused," Mottl stated.

The town hall originally wanted to set up a municipal museum and tourist information center there. "Unfortunately, after the elections, the council decided that the information center will be at number 10 in the square. It should open after the state of emergency ends," Mottl said.

The Old Pharmacy is supposed to house the Sušice nativity scene and a permanent exhibition about the history of the town. "Sušice deserves a proper presentation as a royal town and the gateway to Šumava. But first, we need to have the project and all the permits," he stated. Mottl did not dare to estimate whether it would succeed next year.