ARCHITECTURAL CONSERVATION IN THE CZECH AND SLOVAK REPUBLICS Symposium Proceedings WORLD MONUMENTS FUND ARCHITECTURAL CONSERVATION IN THE CZECH AND SLOVAK REPUBLICS Proceedings of a Symposium Held at Prague, Olomouc, Banska Stiavnica and Bratislava, May 24 - 30, 1992. WORLD MONUMENTS FUND This symposium was made possible through generous grants from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, SRI International and the Trust for Mutual Understanding. ISBN 0-9627931-2-4 © Copyright 1993 World Monuments Fund Cover. View over Kromeriz with a palace garden, J. van Nypoort, copper engraving, 1694. Contents Foreword and Acknowledgments 7 Introduction: Summary of Formal Presentations 13 Session I: New Building in the Historical Environment 19 The Planner's Perspective New Building in the Historical Environment, Jan Pokorny 21 How to Build in the Historic Environment, Miroslav Masak 25 The User's Perspective Curatorial Management of the Built World, James Marston Fitch 31 Compatibility to History, Peter HruSka 33 Session II: Finance and Tax Incentives 35 Tax Incentives for Historic Preservation Preservation Tax Incentives in the United States, H. Ward Jandl 37 Writing Tax Law for the Czech and Slovak Republics, Jifi Marek 43 Overview of Financial Concerns Questions and Economic Strategies for Preservation, Marc Denhez 45 The Critical Questions, Zdenek Drabek 51 Session III: Preservation Planning Methodology 53 Planning for the Individual Building and Site What Are We Doing for Historic Preservation? Miroslav Base 55 French-sponsored Examples of Historic Preservation, Didier Repellin 59 3 Planning for the Urban Context The Current and Future Prospects for Conseiving the Architectural Heritage of the Czech Republic, Josef Stulc 61 The Getty Grant Program's Support for Historic Preservation, Timothy Whalen 67 Session IV: Engaging the Public 69 Organizing a Public Constituency Public Participation in the CSFR, MikulaS Hulec 71 The American Model, Laurie Beckelman 73 Organizational Structures and Their Support The Need for Historic Preservation Institutions in the CSFR, Eliska Fucikova ... 79 Engaging the Public: The Experience of the National Tmst, Merlin Waterson . 83 Session V: Landscape and Greenways 89 The Parador Concept, Country Houses & Landscape Tourism, Czech Castles and The Parador Concept, Vlasta Stepova 91 The Spanish System of Paradors, Gaudencio Martin Conde 77 Breathing New Life into Empty Houses, Marcus Binney 93 The Man-made Environment and Its Natural Context Greenways: The Hudson River Valley Greenway, David Sampson 97 Outline of Potential Development of the Banska Stiavnica Region, Peter Mudry 99 The Valtice Demonstration Greenway Project, Lubomir Chmelaf 103 Summaries of Workshop Reports and Recommendations 107 Summary Remarks, Roberta Brandes Gratz 123 4 Appendices 129 Historical Development of the City of Olomouc Architecture and Urban Planning in Olomouc: 19th-20th Centuries, David Benda 131 Historical Development of Banska Stiavnica Urban and Historical Development of Banska Stiavnica, Pavel Fabian and Jan Novak 137 Water Reservoirs Around Banska Stiavnica and Changes Due to Mining, Jaroslav Hrnko 145 A Tour Along the "Terezia" Vein, Rastislav Petfik 153 Symposium Agenda and Itinerary 157 Participants 161 5 Foreword and Acknowledgments "Public-Private Partnership for Historic Preservation in the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic"1 was sponsored by the World Monuments Fund and took place the week of May 24, 1992, opening in Prague and concluding in Bratislava. The program was originally proposed by John Stubbs, Program Director of the World Monuments Fund, at the conclusion of the WMF European Monuments Forum convened in Prague in May 1991 in conjunction with the Prince of Wales Business Leaders Forum. Bonnie Burnham, Executive Director of WMF and Dr. Marilyn Perry, Chairman of WMF worked to further shape the idea over the subsequent months. In October 1991, Lubomir Chmelaf, a Czech engineer residing in New York, joined the organizational effort, and assisted greatly in preparing the agenda of the symposium as a technical working session to address current historic preservation issues in the Czech and Slovak Republics and to explore recommendations for future policies. From the onset of planning the program, architect Miroslav Masak, then architectural advisor to President Vaclav Havel and art historian Dr. Eliska Fucikova, of the Office of the President, worked tirelessly from Prague to organize and promote the symposium. To ensure the correspondence of the symposium agenda with current preservation issues in the Czech and Slovak Republic, a planning meeting was held in Prague in April 1992 in concert with the Civic Forum Foundation under the direction of Ms. Dasha Havlova. Architect Anthony Caine, consultant to the chief architect of the City of Prague, and Canadian barrister Marc Denhez, an expert on comparative legislation, provided technical assistance. Invited international specialists in historic preservation and an equal number of Czech and Slovak professionals participated in the program and discussed current historic preservation issues for the purpose of developing policy recommendations. This 'The election that led to the dissolution of the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic was held shortly after WMF's symposium. On January 1, 1993 the independent Czech Republic and Repubhc of Slovakia were legally established. For the purposes of this report, the now independent countries are called the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic (or, collectively, the Czech and Slovak Republics). Where the speaker has referred specifically to Czechoslovakia, that name is retained. 7 symposium expanded upon issues identified at the previous Forum, and encouraged a productive public-private partnership in protecting and developing the extraordinarily rich architectural and cultural heritage of these two republics. The symposium comprised five general working sessions. Each was led by two moderators and was structured with at least four principal speakers, who were "paired" to represent the points of view of both Czech/Slovak and visiting experts. The symposium provided the foreign participants with a comprehensive orientation to the issues confronting Czech and Slovak preservationists through ongoing discussion and first-hand exposure to urban and rural architecture as seen on a one-week journey within both countries. To implement comprehensive programs to preserve and utilize historic buildings throughout the Czech and Slovak Republics, preservation professionals in the countries seek to adopt successful methods employed in Western Europe and the United States, with some modifications as required to respond to local conditions. The symposium explored these methodologies and their potential applications to the preservation of the Czech and Slovak cultural heritage. Architect Masak saw to it that the symposium, which took place at different locations in the Czech and Slovak Republics, proceeded smoothly. A reception in the Royal Garden at Prague Castle on May 24 opened the program, and welcoming remarks were delivered by H.R.H. Prince Schwarzenberg, Chancellor of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic; Miroslav Masak, architectural advisor to President Vaclav Havel; and John Stubbs, Program Director of WMF. The 40 participants traveled from Prague to Olomouc, the site of the major portion of the symposium proceedings over the course of three days. In Olomouc, Dr. Marek Perfitka and his colleagues organized the meeting logistics, meals, cultural activities and excursions to Brno, Kritiny and Stirin. The honorable Mr. Hofinek, Mayor of Olomouc and Dr. Jafab, Chancellor of the Palacky University provided assistance and a warm welcome. The symposium then moved on May 25 to the historic Slovak mining town of Banska Stiavnica, where Ms. Beth Jendkova of the Slovak Institute for the Care of Monuments had organized meeting facilities and accommodations for WMF's group. Presentations were made on the history of the town and region, and tours were provided of the 8 picturesque town and its natural environs. The group was received by the mayor, Ing. Marian Lichner. Following the formal sessions of the symposium, participants formed five workshops, each of which prepared conclusions and recommendations on the individual conference topics, citing goals for further consideration and in some cases specific plans for implementing priority items. These reports appear at the conclusion of this document. On May 30, the group traveled to Bratislava. At the farewell lunch, New York preservationist Roberta Gratz presented a summary of the week's proceedings. On return to Prague, the participants stopped at Tele for a tour and dinner with the mayor, Vciclav Jehlidka. In Prague, Anthony Caine consolidated the symposium proceedings and arranged for translation and transcription. John Stubbs and Rebecca Anderson, WMF Program Administrator, executed the final editing and production. Roberta Gratz, Beth JenCkova and Jan Pokorny provided invaluable assistance in preparing the manuscript for publication. WMF thanks all the individuals and organizations noted above, and all symposium participants, for their contribution toward this special and productive event. New York City, May 1993 9 CZECH REPUBLIC •Prague •Olomouc •**---. v~"'Tef*\ •Brno SLOVAK REPUBLIC Banska Stiavnicai --. X TOUR ROUTE MAY 24-30 1992 Introduction: Summary of Formal Presentations Summaries of the key presentations at the symposium follow, listed in the order of their occurrence. The