Historic Centre of Český Krumlov

• Revolving theatre located in the castle garden (issue resolved)
• Road tunnel and bridge projects (issue resolved)

N/A

In 2013, the World Heritage Committee adopted Decision 37 COM 7B.103, noting the measures taken by the States Parties concerned to address its previous requests to mitigate the threats on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the World Heritage properties concerned, including ‘Historic Centre of Český Krumlov’, and encouraged the States Parties concerned to pursue their efforts to ensure the conservation of the World Heritage properties. The state of conservation report presented to the Committee at its 37th session in 2013 pointed out that “as previously announced by the national authorities, according to the time schedule for measures aimed at solving the revolving theatre issue, it cannot be expected that a final solution could be implemented before 2015”.

As by 2022, the issue of the revolving theatre remained unresolved, and in the absence of information on when and how the State Party intended to address it, the World Heritage Centre requested a state of conservation report on the property, which was received on 31 January 2023. The report, available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/617/documents/ and focusing on recent developments, mainly since 2020, outlines the following:

• The lease agreement for the operation of the revolving theatre in the castle park was extended for the last time until 31 December 2023, following which the revolving auditorium facilities will be completely dismantled;
• Within the framework of the National Investment Plan of the Czech Republic until 2050, there is a project for the construction of a new theatre wing adjacent to the Baroque castle park in Český Krumlov for the establishment of the summer theatre stage of the South Bohemian Theatre with a revolving auditorium. The project includes the construction of a theatre space behind the park, in accordance with the conclusions of the 2005 ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to the property. According to the information available to the National Heritage Institute, the project for the construction of a new South Bohemian Theatre is not being actively developed;
• Another project planned under the National Investment Plan is the revitalisation of the overall Baroque park. Special attention will be paid to the area in front of Bellaire, where the revolving auditorium is located: the intention is to establish a large-scale circular bed with ornamental formation based on historical documents and available iconography;
• The complete restoration of the Bellaire summer pavilion is currently underway and includes the furnishing of the interiors and halls as well as an exhibition focusing on the historic development of the castle park. After the restoration, the building will be opened to the public as an exhibition space. The new use will exclude the possibility of leasing the building as a backstage facility for any future South Bohemian Theatre;
• The State Party informs that no other conservation issues that could have a negative impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property have been identified and reports on several projects implemented in recent years, such as the revitalisation of the monastery complex, the renovation and adaptation of building No. 232 in the castle grounds, the restoration of the façade of the Mint and the revitalisation of the Eggenberg Brewery. Moreover, in 2017 a new building was completed inside the property – the accommodation facility in Hradební Street, and in 2022 preparation began for the complete restoration of the Church of St. Wenceslas;
• The Management Plan was updated in 2019. The same year, measures to address tourism overload and to limit the number of visitors to the property were introduced and have proven effective.

The issue of the removal of the revolving theatre has been the main concern at this property, as reflected in past decisions of the World Heritage Committee. In this context, the information that the lease agreement for the operation of the revolving theatre in the castle park, will expire on 31 December 2023, is welcomed, as is the commitment of the State Party to subsequently completely dismantle the revolving auditorium facilities.

It is noted that a project to construct a replacement theatre adjacent to the Baroque castle park, as recommended by the 2014 joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Advisory mission, is included in the National Investment Plan of the Czech Republic until 2050, but that currently this project is not being actively developed. Should this project proceed in the future, the State Party should be requested to ensure that the design and setting of the revolving theatre in the buffer zone reflect the mission’s recommendations and to conduct a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA), in line with the Guidance for Impact Assessment in a World Heritage Context, and submit it together with the detailed project documentation to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies. This should be done, as per Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, before making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse.

The proposed renovation of the overall historic park within the framework of the National Investment Plan is to be welcomed, as is the on-going restoration of the Bellaire Pavilion including the re-landscaping of the adjacent site of the revolving theatre, once it is removed.

As requested by the World Heritage Committee in its last decision specifically concerning the state of conservation of the property (Decision 35 COM 7B.88), the State Party developed a draft Retrospective Statement of the OUV of the property, which was adopted by the Committee at its 40th session in 2016 (Decision 40 COM 8E). Furthermore, the State Party completed in 2019 the update of the Management Plan for the property.

However, the State Party does not appear to systematically share information, as per Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, on its intention to undertake or authorise major restorations or new constructions which may affect the OUV of the property, such as the construction of a new building in Hradební Street first notified to the World Heritage Centre in its state of conservation report. In this context, the request already made to the State Party (Decision 35 COM 7B.88) to systematically conduct HIAs for all development projects within and around the property and to submit them to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, should be reiterated.

Overall, the state of conservation of the property does not raise major concerns, provided that the long-standing issue of the revolving theatre is addressed by its removal and its landscape site is fully restored no later than 30 June 2024.