Terezín and Jaroměř will begin the preservation of monuments next year

Terezín - Major repairs on six historic sites in critical condition are planned primarily for next year by the fortress city of Terezín in the Litoměřice region and Jaroměř in the Náchod region, which includes the fortress city of Josefov. However, some work will begin this year. The cities will utilize subsidies from the Ministry for Regional Development, which will announce the first call in June, said Minister Ivan Bartoš (Pirates) today. The emergency program for the preservation of monuments from the Ministry of Culture is already functioning.

In the coming years, funds will also be released by the Ústí nad Labem and Hradec Králové regions, as well as both town halls. It should amount to about 500 million crowns for each city. The Ministry for Regional Development will release 1.2 billion crowns in the next decade, and the Ministry of Culture anticipates an amount of 1.4 billion crowns by 2028.

"It was clear that if more parties did not get involved, whether the cities themselves, the regions, or even more government ministries, we would not get anywhere," stated Bartoš. The monuments are at risk of roof collapses. In Terezín, part of the roof of the Žižkov barracks has already collapsed. According to Bartoš, the monuments could also be damaged by landslides or collapses of underground passages. "It was crucial that we found a scheme that does not always work in the Czech Republic, which is the partnership between the government and its ministries, the region, and the municipality where the monument is located," Bartoš told ČTK. He believes that in the coming years, the state will have the funds for financing repairs. "I think that commitment will hold; these are significant areas," he concluded.

Terezín plans to continue building apartments in the Žižkov barracks, where there should also be shops or offices, according to Mayor Reného Tomáška (RESET). A multicultural facility is planned for the armory. The former military hospital will likely become a seniors' home, and the food warehouse is intended for spaces for entrepreneurs. Jaroměř is already preparing for the work. This year, they want to stabilize the roofs; major repairs will begin next year. The former hospital building is expected to serve as a social healthcare facility, said Mayor Jan Borůvka (ANO). According to him, the square barracks could serve the army. "Negotiations are underway. The figurative ball is in the army's court," added the mayor. Terezín is also planning significant construction modifications for 2025. "Everything should be completed by 2028, which is the deadline for the emergency program," Tomášek added.

The Ústí nad Labem region should provide about 400 million crowns over the next ten years. "We need to bind the council so that they know, just as the government has done, that these amounts will flow here for ten years," added Governor Jan Schiller (ANO).

The fortress cities of Terezín and Josefov were built in the 18th century by Emperor Joseph II as a defense against invasions from Prussia. They consisted of complexes with extensive underground facilities and a complicated above-ground part that served for housing troops and conducting battles. At the time, they represented a top defensive system that was never tested in battle, as enemies avoided them. During World War II, Terezín became a symbol of persecution and genocide when German Nazis established a Gestapo prison and a Jewish ghetto there.