The sundial in Český Krumlov will remain, according to Staněk, in the castle garden

Prague - The rotating auditorium will remain in the baroque garden of the Český Krumlov Castle. The commission that is dealing with the future of the auditorium today accepted the proposal of the Minister of Culture Antonín Staněk (ČSSD) to keep the structure in the garden. Martha Häckl, spokesperson for the ministry, said this to ČTK today. The auditorium in the garden has long troubled preservationists, who believe that its continued existence in its original location could threaten Český Krumlov's inscription on the UNESCO list. The mayor of Český Krumlov and the head of the South Bohemian Theatre are surprised by Staněk's decision. The minister is scheduled to meet with representatives of UNESCO in Paris next week and will present today's commission decision to them.

The dispute over whether to keep or relocate the auditorium has been ongoing for years. Just six months ago, Staněk's predecessor Ilja Šmíd (for ANO) considered the option of moving the auditorium from the garden to the site of the former gardening facility. However, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) stated that the auditorium should remain in the garden.

"I am a bit surprised by the minister's decision, because the second to last meeting was about extending part of the garden," said the mayor of Český Krumlov, Dalibor Carda (SNK-Město pro všechny), to ČTK today. "We halted the change in the zoning plan, we started addressing the extension of the garden ... We are prepared to respond to the commission's request if the minister confirms in Paris that this, this, and this is in order," he stated, reminding of further options that were considered due to the auditorium.

"It is a political decision, which I leave uncommented," said Lukáš Průdek, director of the South Bohemian Theatre, to ČTK today. Last year, he repeatedly stated that he preferred the option of moving the auditorium to the so-called theatre wing at the former gardening facility. The castle garden would expand into this currently unused space; this option was also favored by the Czech Chamber of Architects. "It is an option that would permanently resolve the dispute between preservationists and the South Bohemian Theatre," Průdek said in June 2018.

Deputy Governor Pavel Hroch (Jihočeši 2012) stated today that the region and the city of České Budějovice confirmed their stance that the auditorium should be preserved where it is. The working group concluded that the city is committed to further continuation and after the minister's meeting in Paris should start preparatory work for an architectural competition regarding the future shape of the auditorium, he informed ČTK.

"I am very glad that we agreed with the commission on the vision for the future of the unique rotating auditorium. In this spirit, the architectural solution competition will now be commissioned, including facilities for the audience. I believe that this will put an end to all speculations and conjectures," said Staněk.

In the ministerial commission, in addition to representatives of this office, there are also representatives from the cities of České Budějovice and Český Krumlov, the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ), and the South Bohemian Theatre. The commission also recommended that the NPÚ, as the manager of the castle grounds, extend the lease of the land and non-residential premises necessary for theater performances at the rotating auditorium until 2025, based on a request from České Budějovice. Since its inception in 1958, the South Bohemian Theatre, which is established by České Budějovice, has operated the rotating auditorium.

In 1960, the auditorium underwent its first major renovation, during which its capacity was increased to 550 seats, and the previous manpower-driven mechanism was replaced with electric motors. The current configuration of the auditorium was achieved during a renovation from 1989 to 1993, which further increased its capacity to the current 644 seats. Over its existence, the auditorium has welcomed over two million spectators.

Český Krumlov Castle, together with its baroque gardens, has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since the early 90s. However, since the listing, UNESCO has had reservations about the auditorium. At night, it provides audiences with unique theatrical experiences, but during the day, when the large structure is visible, preservationists and some architects argue that it disrupts the historical appearance of the garden. It is often heard that UNESCO threatens to remove Český Krumlov from the World Heritage list if the auditorium is not removed. However, their positions primarily carry the character of recommendations.