In Havlíčkův Brod, the church offered the city the church of St. Catherine for free

Havlíčkův Brod - The church of Saint Catherine by the river, which is being repaired, has been offered to the Havlíčkův Brod City Hall by the church. The possibility of a gratuitous transfer was discussed by the parish with the Hradec Králové bishopric, said Oldřich Kučera, the dean of the Roman Catholic parish, in a proposal published on the city's website. The city council opened the matter at today's city council meeting without a motion for a resolution. Mayor Zbyněk Stejskal (ODS) justified it by stating that the councilors should have enough time to think before making a decision.

"This essentially Gothic single-nave church from 1319, with Renaissance and pseudo-Romanesque modifications, is inseparably part of the face and character of our city," the dean stated in the written proposal. According to him, the city's takeover would guarantee the church's integration into cultural life.

Deputy Mayor Marie Rothbauerová (ODS) stated today that the proposal would be reviewed in the coming weeks so that the benefits and potential risks of transferring the church to the city could be considered.

Councilor Vladimír Frič from the opposition KSČM noted that the takeover of the church had already been debated in the council 14 years ago. He recalled that the city had contributed to the church's repairs. "I am certainly glad that there will be a consideration of the pros and cons, (whether) to take that cultural monument, so it wouldn't be a gift from the Danai," he stated.

The mayor said that during the next discussion of the proposal, a certain financial analysis should also be part of the materials, which will clarify how much it would cost to complete the church's repairs. "Because that building is in a certain phase of incompleteness," he said.

The church is located behind the bridge by the Sázava River, and has been deteriorating since the 1950s. Repairs began in 2018, which have so far cost 8.4 million crowns according to the information from the deanery. The Ministry of Culture contributed from its emergency program, as well as the city, the region, and the Epigram association, which organizes various events and a public collection to support the rescue of the monument. The parish itself donated 2.7 million crowns towards the church's repairs.

The church was likely founded as a mining church near the then only bridge over the Sázava River. A hospital stood behind the city walls next to the church. Over the centuries, the church has been damaged several times. Detailed history is available on the parish website.