Ombudsman criticises neglected state of Kyselka spa

Brno, Sept 1 (CTK) - The Czech Ombudsman Office has expressed concern over the bad state of the west Bohemian spa Kyselka, which is a part of Czech cultural and architectonic heritage.

Deputy Ombudswoman Jitka Seitlova said she has been dealing with the case for three years.

Seitlova criticised the Kyselka building office and the Karlovy Vary town hall for inactivity. In the past, she called on these offices to take steps to save the historical buildings and check whether their owners do not violate law.

"Promises of the owners are enough for the offices. No work towards reconstruction has been performed so far," Seitlova said.

The Kyselka spa was established by Heinrich Mattoni in the 19th century and a splendid colonnade with a number of spa houses were built then.

Seitlova said the buildings are dilapidated and their state is still worsening. Some of them do not have roofs.

She pointed out that the Czech state should start reconstructing the spa buildings and press on the negligent owner to cover the costs if the state is interested in maintaining the cultural and historical value of the former Mattoni mineral water bottling plant.

The Czech Association for the protection and development of cultural heritage says the Karlovy Vary Mineral Waters (KMV) company that owns some of the buildings in Kyselka is to blame for their bad state. The association claims that the KMV owns practically all the houses and plots in Kyselka, through various firms.

Karlovy Vary town hall ordered the KMV to secure the former Praha hotel in Kyselka before the winter, its heritage protection head Antonin Haidlmaier said earlier this week.

The town hall imposed a fine of 1.8 million crowns on the KMV for not caring for the architectonic heritage at the beginning of the year.

The Karlovy Vary region recently asked the KMV to give the dilapidated buildings to it, but the KMV rejected the proposal.

Czech students and artists recently launched a campaign calling for the reconstruction of Kyselka. Controversial artist Roman Tyc made a video anti-advertisement, blaming KMV chief Alessandro Pasquale for the devastation of Kyselka.

The KMV says it earmarked 60 million crowns for the reconstruction of two buildings.

The Frantiskovy Lazne spa town, west Bohemia, has stopped buying KMV products. Its councillors decided on Wednesday that they would start buying them again only after the KMV starts reconstructing the Kyselka spa.

KMV spokesman Michal Donath said the company considers the step taken by Frantiskovy Lazne a part of the political campaign before the autumn regional election.

($1=19.700 crowns)