The Faculty of Civil Engineering at CTU in Prague, the Cistercian Abbey of Vyšší Brod, and the Association of Friends of the Monastery in Vyšší Brod signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on July 18, 2026. The goal of this agreement is to support the rescue, restoration, and further development of the Vyšší Brod Monastery complex — a national cultural monument of extraordinary national and European importance. The monastery attracts approximately 30,000 visitors annually and houses, among other treasures, the Záviš Cross, one of the most valuable sacred relics in Europe.
The memorandum was solemnly signed directly at the monastery by the Dean of the CTU Faculty of Civil Engineering, Prof. Petr Konvalinka, the Conventual Prior of the Abbey, Fr. Justin Jan Berka, and the Chairwoman of the Association of Friends of the Monastery, Prof. Věra Adámková. Part of the cooperation will involve the active participation of students from the CTU Faculty of Civil Engineering, who will have the opportunity to complete hands-on practical training directly on the restoration projects of the monastery complex and base their bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral theses on these topics.
Collaboration with faculty experts and students will focus on professional, technical, and administrative consultations, project preparation, information exchange, procedural coordination, and exploring funding opportunities for future restoration work. “The more hands involved, the greater the success of our work will be. We want the Vyšší Brod Monastery to once again become the jewel of South Bohemia, as it was until 1950,” stated Prior Justin Berka.
Prof. Petr Konvalinka, Dean of the CTU Faculty of Civil Engineering, emphasized that the complex offers students an extraordinary opportunity and expressed his faith in a long-term partnership: “Our aim is to ensure that our students’ work and outputs find genuine real-world application. The Vyšší Brod Monastery complex represents a site of exceptional potential, and I deeply appreciate the opportunity for our students to actively participate in its restoration.”
Vyšší Brod Monastery is the only active male Cistercian monastery in the Czech Republic and remains one of the country’s most significant national cultural monuments. Since its founding by Vok of Rožmberk in 1259, it has preserved the continuity of the Cistercian tradition alongside an exceptionally valuable ensemble of early Gothic architecture, medieval water engineering, and subsequent Baroque and modern architectural modifications. Thanks to its high degree of authenticity, it provides a unique environment for building research, diagnostics of historic structures, and testing modern monument restoration methods. During the 20th century, the monastery endured a turbulent period—it was suppressed by the communist regime in 1950, and its monks were forced to leave. It was restored after 1990, and since then, the Cistercians have been gradually returning both its historical appearance and spiritual life to the complex.
Responsible: prof. Ing. Petr Konvalinka, CSc., FEng.