City Hall denies Charles Bridge has been damaged by bad reconstruction

Prague City Hall has rejected a report by the Czech Culture Ministry according to which the reconstruction of Charles Bridge had wrought irreparable damage to Prague’s most famous historical landmark. A team of heritage experts commissioned by the ministry criticized the ongoing reconstruction on several counts, including that stone cutters had failed to meet the hand-craft quality of the original 14th century blocks. Jan Kněžínek, head of the Cultural Heritage Department at Prague City Hall, said on Wednesday that he strongly disagreed with the ministry’s conclusions, saying that the reconstruction of Charles Bridge had been planned in great detail under the supervision of several expert commissions and was being fully adhered to. City Hall says it will post a formal response within 48 hours.

Author: Rosie Johnston