Phase 1 Conservation of the Baroque choir stalls at the Abbey Church of Žďár nad Sázavou

February 2106 - Phase 1 Conservation of the Baroque choir stalls at the Abbey Church of Žďár nad Sázavou, a UNESCO-listed site , completed with the help of The Friends of Czech Heritage 

The Friends have supported a number of conservation projects at this important abbey church, which was the work of Jan Blažej Santini Aichel. These have included the confessionals and the altar. The latest project has been the conservation of the Baroque choir stalls, which began in in 2014. The first phase, for which The Friends gave a grant, was completed in the autumn of 2015 and we were pleased to receive photographs of the work in early 2016. The second phase will be complete in the spring of 2016. We received a bequest from the estate of Alastair Gibson, a former member, and we used part of the monies towards the work.

Father Vojtěch Záleský writes from Žďár: "We appreciate the Friends' continuous support and help. It is not unusual to find a helping hand but it is very unusual to find it from such a distance that lies between Žďár and London. It is our common cultural and architectural heritage and our common faith and shared interests that connect us. I would like to thank you personally for your decision to help and for building a friendship across borders. Please extend our thanks and prayers to all the members of The Friends of Czech Heritage."