Future fund promotes restoration of sacred buildings

The Czech-German Future Fund is taking on the restoration of sacred buildings and cultural monuments. At a meeting in Prague, the Board of Directors approved the funding of more than 30 projects in this area with a total of 450,000 euros. The Future Fund was founded in 1997 to contribute to understanding between Germans and Czechs. It is jointly financed by the governments in Berlin and Prague.

Supported projects include renovation work on the roof of a pilgrimage church directly on the border with Saxony - the Maria Hilf Basilica in Filipov, a district of Jirikov. The project is a joint funding application by the Czech side and the neighboring German parish in Leutersdorf. The Future Fund describes the Maria-Hilf-Basilica as a "lively place of German-Czech rapprochement" with regular church services, organ concerts and charity events.

Restoration work will also continue on the old cemetery in Kamenicky Senov, around 30 kilometers southwest of the Saxon border town of Zittau. This time, a 19th century cemetery chapel belonging to the important Zahn family of glass manufacturers is to be restored. Almost a month ago, the cemetery project was awarded the "Patrimonium pro futuro" prize, which is sponsored by the Czech monument protection authority.

At its last meeting of the year, the Board of Directors of the Future Fund also gave the green light for more than 120 projects from other areas, which will be funded with a total of almost one million euros. These include, for example, a bilingual publication on the photographer Gottfried Wurbs (1894-1970). In his photographs, he captured the magic of the landscape around the towns of Liberec and Frydlant.