A Stale Mug of Czech Lager

Date: 21.9.2007

The uncertainty about the future of the Hrubá Skála Castle in Bohemian Paradise has been going on for 5707 days now. The descendants of the noble family of Aehrental, who were the original owners of the castle, have been dealing with Czech authorities on the possibility of restitution for no less than fifteen years.

Jan Aehrental from Austria applied for the restitution on February 1st 1992, but till today the authorities have virtually been doing nothing but looking for evidence whether or not the heir can rightfully claim the castle. That means, in other words, whether or not his ancestors gained Czechoslovak citizenship after 1945. Not even the inventory of property has been made complete so far. Till 1990, the castle served as a labor union recreation facility. Then it became property of a company that has turned Hrubá Skála into a hotel, belonging to the Orea Hotels chain. The Cimex Company was in court with the state till 2003 and it was successful. However, in 2006 Cimex wanted to invest hundreds of millions crowns into a reconstruction of the slowly decaying hotel, but the project had to be cancelled because of the unfinished restitution trial. What will be the result of the restitution remains unclear to this day.

Do you not agree that seeking the rightful owner for such a long time is intolerable?

Source: Euro