The Hanička Fortress

The Hanička Fortress

By virtue of a resolution adopted by the Ministry of Culture of The Czech Republic on the 1st of February 2002 the Hanička Fortress was included in the list of cultural landmarks. This act happened after 33-year long efforts – the first step was taken as early as in 1973. The then proposal was dealt with by the authorities, however, as the Hanička Fortress was a military property, processing of the matter was very slow and in 1975 it was stopped for good due to the appropriation of the fortress by the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs with a view to converting it to a military workplace. Another step towards a change of the fortress status and its enlisting as a landmark was taken in 1991 by a great promoter of the fortifications in the Rokytnice area Mr Václav Morávek († 1994). Nonetheless, even after the Velvet Revolution the Federal Ministry of the Internal Affairs did not give assent to that proposal, which was justified by the ministry with respect to the high degree of the fortress conversion and despite a great deal of public pressure the ministry still included the fortress in its military plans. After the fortress had been taken over by the Municipality of Rokytnice v Orlických horách in 1995, the whole premises were documented by the National Heritage Institute but the approval procedure concerning the declaration of the fortress as a landmark was not renewed. The negotiations were re-initiated in autumn 2006 when the conservationists again documented the whole fortress and finally concluded the approval procedure. Despite its rather remodelled appearance, the Hanička Fortress still maintains its character of a technical landmark and offers to visitors many experiences. Out of its unique features we may highlight for example the considerable number of preserved armoured turrets of the highest degree of resistance (7 out of original 14). In spite of its modernizing, the artillery traditor ranks among the largest and best preserved artillery buildings of the Czech Republic which are open to the public. These special features are promoted by the museum which introduces the Hanička Fortress “as a memorial to the determined Czechoslovak soldiers to defend their homeland and as a reminder of the Munich Treason”. Annually more than 20 thousand holiday-makers make a visit to the Hanička Fortress” which is undoubtedly one of the first rate places of tourist interest in the Orlické Mountains.

- for more pieces of information on the Hanička Fortress see: www.hanicka.cz