Let’s finish the construction of the St. Vitus Cathedral, the symbol of the Czech Republic.
Support the project of purchasing a new St. Vitus organ with a one-time donation. Just scan the QR code in your banking app on your phone. We would like to thank all donors.
Bank account number: 7191292/0800
Děkujeme České televizi za její příspěvek o začátku stavby nových varhan na zrekonstruovaném kůru svatovítské katedrály. Stavět se začnou v březnu příštího roku, po 10 letech usilovných příprav. V současné době se ve Španělsku rozebírají a chystají na přepravu. Příspěvek přináší také zajímavosti o náročné rekonstrukci kůru a technologických postupech. „Bude se stavět celé jaro, až do léta, a dá-li Pán Bůh, vahrany uvidíme na konci školního roku," oznámil divákům Vojtěch Mátl, předseda správní rady Nadačního fondu Svatovítské varhany. Na sv. Víta, 15. 6. 2026, by měly být nové varhany požehnány, doplnila ČT. Televizní záznam je k dispozici zde: https://www.ceskatelevize.cz/porady/1097181328-udalosti/224411000101129/cast/1082398/
Symbolicky v době, kdy si připomínáme 680. výročí položení základního kamene katedrály sv. Víta českým králem Janem Lucemburským a pražským arcibiskupem Arnoštem z Pardubic, s potěšením sdělujeme informaci, že stavba nových varhan se konečně přiblížila k svému završení.
Během slavnostního aktu Celního úřadu pro hlavní město Prahu v Brožíkově síni Staroměstské radnice v Praze, jehož se účastnil Dominik kardinál Duka, byly včera zástupcům pražské celní správy předány symbolická miniatura varhanní píšťaly a certifikát potvrzující, že celní správa adoptovala jednu novou píšťalu svatovítských varhan v hodnotě 20 tisíc korun. Předseda správní rady Nadačního fondu Svatovítské varhany Mgr. Vojtěch Mátl přitom představil projekt obnovy svatovítských varhan a adopce píšťal.
Ve středu 13. 3. 2024 došlo k předání staveniště pro stavební úpravy západní kruchty pro svatovítské varhany. Díky tomu mohou započít přípravné stavební práce předcházející instalaci varhan.
Pro zobrazení fotografií a více informací rozklikněte aktualitu.
It would be difficult to find a structure in our country, which could be the equal of the cathedral of St. Vitus. It is a spiritual institution that shapes our relationship with the Creator. It is the first basilica in the country. Moreover, while it may be seen as a visual textbook of Christianity, at the same time it is at the crossroads of our history, where decisions were made about historical outcomes in our land. It is one of the greatest works of art in our country, which in a minute space, concentrates many artistic stages in many contexts. The cathedral is a visual witness to past events and helped to shape our own identity. It is also, however, a living organism, which evolved over half a millennium and even today is still not complete.
It is hard to imagine Prague today without the silhouette of the cathedral. And yet, this silhouette actually looked quite different until recent times. Half of the building (the nave) was missing and was not completed till 1929. The Metropolitan Church is such monumental work, that it will probably never be absolutely completed. Nevertheless, something very significant is missing to this day because, at the completion of construction, there were insufficient funds to install a new organ in the western choir loft of the cathedral. Several attempts have been made; all have been unsuccessful. Finally, today we have a new opportunity. It is up to us to in a time of peace and freedom to fulfill the legacy of our predecessors, in particular, that of the father of the nation, Charles IV and to ‘complete’ the cathedral.
The organ, because of its magnificence, is called the ‘king of instruments’. But is not the instrument of earthly kings for the organ speaks in the voice of God that sometimes gently whispers and infuses our soul with peaceful joy and at other times roars and thunders, sending shivers up our spine. The beauty of the organ lies in the fact that in spite of its monumentality it fulfills the word of Him who did not come to be served, but to serve. Anyone who listens to the music of the organ, is taught humility. It leads one to the art of listening and of harmonizing one’s relationship with his neighbor through singing and prayer. The organ leads us to a more genuine relationship not only with God, but also with our neighbor. For this reason, we want to work together to contribute to the glory of God, to the renown of St. Vitus Cathedral and to the further evolution of the famous musical traditions of our nation.
Dominik Duka OP, Cardinal Archbishop of Prague
The idea of the building of a new organ never disappeared completely: it repeatedly re-emerged, only to be postponed to more favourable times as a result of adverse society-wide events of the war years and also due to the post-war conditions.
A new instrument may be regarded as a testimony to the capabilities, experience and knowledge of the present generation as well as acting as a legacy to future generations.
The organ building company of Gerhard Grenzing is one of the most experienced companies in this field: it has successfully completed 220 restoration and building projects across continents.
To this day, we’ve successfully raised: 78,836,673 CZK
Thank you!
The St. Vitus Organ Fund was established in accordance with Act No. 227/1997 Sb. by its registration into the fund registry administered by the Municipal Court in Prague, file ref. N 1123, on 19 March 2014.
The registration number of the fund is 02794471.
The bank account of the fund is 2109930876/2700.
Registered office: Hradčanské náměstí 56/16, 119 02 Prague 1 – Hradčany
Purpose of the fund: acquisition of a new representative organ for the St. Vitus Cathedral
Contact:
František Falta
Coordinator of the Organ for the Cathedral project
e-mail: Frantisek.Falta@apha.cz
phone: +420 733 164 063
Members of the Managing Board:
Members of the Supervisory Board:
Media inquiries:
Šimon Slavík
Project press agent
e-mail: slavik@bohemianheritage.cz
telefon: +420 734 335 438
Contact for others parties involved in the Organ for the Cathedral project:
Vojtěch Mátl
Vice-chairman of the Supervisory Board
e-mail: vojtech.matl@apha.cz
telefon: +420 737 215 326
Jakub Skřejpek
Bohemian Heritage Fund
e-mail: skrejpek@bohemianheritage.cz
The law firm Císař, Češka, Smutný joined the nation-wide collection and adopted one of the large pipes of the new St. Vitus organ. The adoption is a gift not only for the firm itself on the occasion of its 25th anniversary, but also for the Czech cultural heritage and the Czech Republic that this year celebrates the 100 years of its existence.
“Our firm has supported the campaign and the nation-wide collection since the very beginning through the Bohemian Heritage Fund. Apart from that, we have twice organised a Christmas fundraising concert for the St. Vitus organ in the Prague Rudolfinum where hundreds of crowns were successfully raised. The adoption of one pipe is the climax of our activity,” says Pavel Smutný, associate of the law firm Císař, Češka, Smutný.
Currently, also thanks to the donation by Císař, Češka, Smutný, 64 million crowns have been raised which constitutes 85% of the necessary amount. Apart from companies, there are also private donors who have the possibility to adopt smaller pipes from 2,000 to 30,000 crowns. All the donors receive a certificate as a keep-sake, a symbolical entry into the St. Vitus organ chronicle that will be placed by the organ, and in case of an adoption of large pipes for 300,000 crowns the donors names are also engraved directly on the pipe.
“It was a wish of many generations that came before us to acquire an organ for the cathedral. However, the turmoil of the war and the after-war situation in Czechoslovakia that lasted up until 1989, didn’t allow for this idea to materialise. Therefore, it is a little miracle with respect to the past that we can finish our own cathedral that already Charles IV. had commenced building,” adds Pavel Smutný.
