Shut down in 1950 to serve as a military storage facility, the monastery in Rajhrad was on the verge of ruin when the Benedictine monks regained control in 1990. In addition to taking up their normal activities, the abbey had to begin the long, slow process of restoring their cultural heritage.
-Over the last eleven years we have worked to collect financial support for our work with restoring the buildings and taking care of the library collections. I collect drops, and the contribution from Norway is the largest drop so far, said the head of the monastery, Abbot Ladislav Augustin Gazda.
Restored library
Through Norway Grants, Norway is supporting the monastery with a €300,000 grant. The support will be used to reconstruct parts of the northern wing, which will enable the completion of the library exhibition. The Benedictine Abbey Rajhrad manages one of the oldest library collections in the region, counting 65,000 historical books.
Besides therapeutic and rehabilitation classes, practical training on job performance will be held at a small café in the school and at workshops involving local employers. Examples of activities the students may choose to do in the local community include assisting elderly people, gardening and carpentry works, making souvenirs, washing cars and handling office activities.
Accessible cultural heritage
In spite of the scars wrought by decades of decay, the monastery has already become a must-see place for tourists and has strong support in the local community. The renovation works supported by Norway will give locals and tourist access to the northern wing and the renovated rooms will be used for temporary exhibitions, lectures and other cultural events.