The castle in Prague's Veleslavín will not be auctioned

According to the statement from ÚZSVM, the state must do everything possible to prevent the value of the entrusted state property from decreasing and must also avoid unnecessary expenses from the state budget for maintenance of the estate, which would be without a tenant. Therefore, the office considers it necessary to issue a transparent tender for lease in the near future. Spokesperson Ležatka added that no state institution has shown interest in the property. Currently, there is a private healthcare facility in the main building of the palace.

According to statements from representatives of the new coalition, the City of Prague would be interested in the property, but due to the change in leadership at the municipality, it would likely not manage to register for the auction and, as a public institution, it would also have little chance of success. Therefore, they criticized the decision of ÚZSVM, as did the leadership of Prague 6. The municipal council called on the office in September to either cancel or suspend the auction until it could supplement the documentation proving Prague's interest in the property.

"I am glad that the persistent pressure and interest of the future leadership of Prague on the state administration helped the Minister make this decision," said future Prague councillor for property Jan Chabr (United Forces for Prague/TOP 09) to ČTK. He added that he has already initiated steps for the main city to acquire the property, ideally through a gratuitous transfer. According to him, the city would like to develop a multifunctional complex focused on social and cultural areas in the estate. ÚZSVM previously stated that Prague does not meet the conditions for a gratuitous transfer due to public interest, as it has other properties for its plans.

The palace with a historical park, which spans three hectares, is estimated to date back to 1725 when it was built according to the plans of Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer for Empress Amalia of Brunswick. The estate was last renovated in 1986. ÚZSVM took over the Baroque palace estate in 2015 from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.