FORMAL CEREMONY TO LAUNCH RESTORATION OF FUTURE MCL HEAD OFFICE
The formal ceremony to launch the reconstruction of the Museum of Czech Literature’s new head office in the so-called Petschek Villa, Prague 6 took place on Friday, June 23rd, 2017; speeches were delivered by Daniel Herman, the Minister of Culture CR; Zdeněk Freisleben, the MCL Director; Lubor Hoďánek, the Director General of the VUP DECO, a.s.; Jiří Kápl, the Division Director of the Čechy OHL Žs, a.s.. The so-called Third Petschek Villa in ‘V Sadech’ street was built in 1930. The Petschek family had to leave Czechoslovakia in 1938 due to mobilization. The villa housed the Embassy of People’s Republic of China until 1989. The Government decided to transfer the Petschek Villa to the MCL in 2005. Originally, the building should have opened along with the Little Villa in neighbouring Pellé Street by 2009. Unfortunately, the works delayed due to the trial taking place until 2012. The building is scheduled for opening in 2019 and will house a new permanent exhibition and a temporary exhibition. There will be a coffee shop for visitors, and the Study Room for researchers to extend services of the new MCL Central Depository in Litoměřice.
Photo: M. Kuzica. (from the left) L. Hoďánek, Z. Freisleben, D. Herman a J. Kápl.
