Libus?e's dream : historic preservation in Prague, the Czech Republic

by 1975- Bartos, Ramona Murphy

This study deals with the issue of historic preservation as practiced in Prague, Czech Republic. A developmental history of the city prefaces a discussion of the city’s history of historic preservation practice. Historic preservation in Prague has precedents in medieval law, but formally coalesced in the late nineteenth century, marked by the creation of the Austro- Hungarian governmental agency Central Commission for the Study and Preservation of Built Monuments, and the founding of the Club for Old Prague. This study also analyzes the century of historic preservation legislation in the Czech lands from the Austro-Hungarian empire to the Communist era. Finally, this study examines the legacy of the Communist era and the challenges of post-Communism in regards to historic preservation, and makes recommendations for improvement of both the official and private historic preservation movements in Prague.