In Velká Bíteš, a cultural center will be established from the brewery

Velká Bíteš - In Velká Bíteš in the Žďár region, the reconstruction of the former brewery into a cultural center is starting these days. It will house a library, workshops for the public, an information center, a concert and exhibition hall, and a mother center. The project, worth 48.8 million crowns without VAT, has received a promise of 40 million crowns from the Ministry of Culture. Mayor Markéta Lavická (for KDU-ČSL) told ČTK today that the city has also found a use for the historic cellar with the former ice house. They will place a multimedia exhibition there, tentatively titled "The Time of Witches."

The mayor stated that historians brought attention to these events from the history of Velká Bíteš. The exhibition will be produced by the association Studio Práce, known for projects like the Fire Horse and Dragon exhibition located in the historic cellar beneath the New Town Hall in Brno.

The court trials involving women from Velká Bíteš and the surrounding areas labeled as witches date back to the 16th century. "These are completely forgotten witch trials, unlike those in Velké Losiny or the Šumperk region," said Michal Konečný from the association to ČTK. The upcoming exhibition will be based on preserved records of the interrogations of alleged witches. It will include acted and animated sequences. The creators also want to highlight the far-reaching causes of these events into the present day.

The building of the former brewery, with three above-ground floors, stands at the corner of Masaryk Square and Kostelní Street. The brewery was closed in 1942 and then served as a warehouse for the Old Brno Brewery for a time. In the 1950s and 60s, it was converted into a residential building. The apartments have been vacant since 2018.

According to the public procurement bulletin, six interested parties competed for the reconstruction of the building, with the company První KEY - STAV from Frýdek Místek winning the bid. They committed to complete the project by the beginning of this October. The construction cost was reduced by 9.6 million crowns in the bidding process compared to the initial estimate.

The library is expected to be operational in the new premises by the end of this year, the mayor stated. The city is still trying to secure additional grants for some work associated with the reconstruction of this large building in the center.