The eastern wing of the castle in Český Krumlov has a new roof costing more than seven million CZK.

Moravský Krumlov - The eastern wing of the Moravský Krumlov castle has a new roof worth more than seven million crowns. The turret again carries historical bells, including one from 1594. The city also placed a tube containing information about the roof repair and the castle, along with current coins, into the golden dome, the mayor Tomáš Třetina (TOP 09) stated in a press release.

The eastern wing needed the roof reconstruction because the trusses were already damaged by rot and infested by wood-destroying insects. As a result, the construction was largely replaced with a new one. "At the same time, we had the masonry and cornices repaired, and we created a new turret, which has modern cladding made of titanium-zinc sheet. Its dome was made as a faithful copy of the original and gilded with gold leaf," described Třetina.

The turret now again carries historical bells, which belong to the oldest of their kind in southern Moravia. These are metal instruments that are part of the tower clock and sound with the strike of a hammer at regular time intervals. The second artifact in the tower is a medieval bell, and once again, all components will be part of the clock's striking mechanism.

The historical remnants of the clock mechanism from the 19th century are on display in the castle lapidary, and new sheet metal dials will be installed on the tower, made according to historical documents and fitted with a modern electric clock mechanism.

The city has been gradually repairing the castle for several years; a significant part still needs repairs, but the costs are high. This year, the city was completing a project to repair the western wing, but it is unclear when it will be addressed. Some council members prefer other projects. Třetina would like to repair the western wing and would be fine with preserving it, as the current times favor the repair of monuments and funds can be obtained from various sources. "Such opportunities may not be here in ten years," the mayor told ČTK.

The castle has been deteriorating since the end of World War II, and even after 1989, its condition did not improve. The only exception was a small part where the Slav Epic by Alfons Mucha was exhibited. Larger and more continuous repairs have been recorded since the beginning of the second decade of this century, especially after 2015, when the city became the owner of the castle.