Plans for revitalisation of St. Catherine's church turned down
St. Catherine's church - a Baroque building dating back to the 18th century - has long been abandoned, a forgotten landmark hidden away in Prague 2. A civic association calling itself "Prague 2 for Itself" came up with a bold plan to revitalise the whole area - the church and the adjacent garden - and open it to the public. At first, everything went smoothly, but last month the plan to revitalise the area was suddenly turned down by the Prague City Hall. Alena Skodova has more on the story of St. Catherine's church:
St. Catherine's church is surrounded by a huge garden, and is situated near a psychiatric clinic. The whole area is rarely used, and if so, mostly by the clinic's patients getting some fresh air. The church was de-consecrated some 150 years ago and the interior is in a sorry state. The "Prague 2 for Itself" organisation had came up with a plan not only to renovate the church and make the area accessible to the public, but also to use the building for a whole range of cultural and social activities. The organisation's Doctor Pavel Kalina explained:
Prague 2 activists claim the deal was struck without a single thought for the needs of local people, and that the Order of German Knights is an insignificant religious community in the Czech Republic. Dr Kalina says they are not going to give up:
