Petition for the preservation and repair of the cultural monument of the railway bridge under Vyšehrad

PETITION pursuant to Article 18 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms and Act No. 85/1990 Coll. on the right to petition for the preservation and repair of the cultural monument of the railway bridge under Vyšehrad

Addressees:

• Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic, nábřeží Ludvíka Svobody 1222/12, 110 15 Prague 1
• Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, Maltézské náměstí 1, 118 00 Prague 1
• Railway Administration, state organization, Dlážděná 1003/7, 110 00 Prague 1
• Prague City Council, Prague City Hall, Mariánské nám. 2/2, Prague 1, 110 01

We, the undersigned, request that the Ministry of Transport and the Railway Administration reconsider the intention to demolish the cultural monument of the railway bridge between Smíchov and Výtoní and the subsequent construction of a new bridge and start to seek and work on a solution that will ensure the repair and preservation of the riveted structure of the bridge in its current location as a matter of priority.

The intention to demolish the riveted part of the railway bridge is not only culturally but also technically unjustifiable. We call on the Railway Administration to reflect in its next steps the expert studies and proposals that have demonstrated the repairability of the bridge and shown possible transport solutions.

We consider the intention to demolish the entire riveted structure of the bridge to be unnecessary and barbaric in its consequences. The railway bridge is an important architectural and technical monument with the protected status of an immovable cultural monument, therefore we demand that:

• The Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic to precisely and clearly define the cultural value of the bridge (and the principles of its repair), consisting not only in its basic volume and shape as perceived in panoramic views, but also in the details and proportions of the historic structure,
• that the Ministry of Transport and the Railway Administration provide funds for the repair of the bridge and immediately start preparatory work and the repair itself, which, according to the expert study, can be carried out during single-track operation, possibly with night-time closures,
• that the City of Prague, the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic, Czech Railways and the Railway Administration find a transport solution for the Prague railway junction in which the Vyšehrad railway bridge will be repaired and preserved in its place,
• that all the above-mentioned and other institutions, in a joint dialogue and with representatives of the petitioners, seek a solution that will lead to the preservation and repair of the bridge, as it is not only a monument of European importance, but above all a building that is a symbol of Prague as part of the internal image of the city framed by the Vltava River and the silhouette of Hradčany and Vyšehrad.

For further information, see https://nebourat.cz and https://www.facebook.com/zachranmezeleznicnimost

Petition Committee:

doc. PhDr. Richard Biegel, Ph.D., Heřmanova 41, 170 00 Prague 7

Ing. Mgr. Pavel Štorch, Fráni Šrámka 30, 150 00 Prague 5

Ing. arch. Anna Vinklárková, Národní 365/43, 110 00 Prague 1

MgA. Pavel Karous, Ph.D., V Cibulkách 5, 150 00 Prague 5

Any member of the petition committee is authorised to represent the petition committee in negotiations with state or local authorities.

Pavel Štorch    Contact the author of the petition