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Hop fields in component part 01
Most of the hop fields in the component are managed by the Research Farm of the Hop Research Institute Co., Ltd.(CHI).
The state of preservation of the hop fields in the rural component is stable and due to their continuous use, maintained
annually. Special-purpose agricultural roads lead to the production areas.
All Czech hop varieties are grown here for commercial and research purposes. Newly bred hybrids are grown
as experimental hops. Nutritional and agrotechnical experiments are based in other hop fields. Various types of artificial
irrigation such as micro-spraying and drip irrigation were tested there.
The Hop Research Institute Co., Ltd., closely cooperates with the CHMELAŘSTVÍ, cooperative Žatec. Based on this
professional cooperation, many innovative and inventive means of mechanisation of hop production in the
form of cultivation, harvesting, and post-harvest technology were tested in the hop fields in component part 01.
The connection of the Hop Research Institute Co., Ltd., and CHMELAŘSTVÍ, cooperative Žatec, through the Hop Growers
Union of the Czech Republic, guarantees the continuity of hop cultivation in the Research Farm in Stekník in the future,
as well as the preservation of science, research, and innovation in the field of hop growing.
COMPONENT PART 02 - ŽATEC
Component part as a whole is in good condition. Ongoing repairs can be illustrated by many examples of successful
restorations of architectural heritage, which have an impact not only on the presentation of hop heritage and education
of the general public, but also on raising awareness of local actors about the importance of this cultural heritage and
hop culture. More detailed information on recent repairs of individual buildings according to individual years are
contained in Chapter 4.a of Nomination Dossier.
The most architecturally and urban-wise valuable heritage of the town of Žatec is protected as the Žatec Urban
Heritage Reserve and the Žatec Urban Heritage Zone. The condition of individual buildings and the modification of their
environment have long been paid attention to, and traditional building materials are used to the maximum extent
during repairs. The surface and colour modifications of buildings and public spaces are based on a careful on-site 43
survey and study of documentation. The proposed property is protected in all its components by the Act on National
Heritage Protection No. 20/1987 Coll.
The owners of the estates within the nominated property and the citizens of the town in general know about the
protection of the property over the long term. This is especially true in the course of the years since the inclusion of the
property in the national Tentative List (2007). The hop growing buildings in particular have been actively inspected,
and the most important ones, with respect to authenticity, have been documented in more detail. Based on the
initiatives, a number of buildings and premises have been declared a cultural asset by the Ministry of Culture. With the
aim of consistent protection of the broader environment, the buffer zone was also prepared so that the sky line values
of the urban component part as a whole could be managed.
In addition to legal measures, there are a number of methodological materials produced mainly by the National
Heritage Institute (NHI) including various methodological materials. Most of them are available in the e-shop
(https://www.npu.cz/e-shop) or free for download on its web site. They can be simply found under the key-word
"metodiky" in the filter. The methodological materials are important for transparent dialogue with various owners
and stakeholders and uniform procedure (that they concern windows, doors, roof landscape, paving, new buildings
in historic environment, etc.)
Hop growing buildings and their use – in general
In most of the older hop growing buildings, the current owners carry out regular maintenance, thanks to which the large
majority of them are in good technical condition. Particular care is taken about the maintenance of the state of their
roofs. Some of these specific historical buildings have already been converted for new uses, corresponding to their
bearing capacity. For example, they serve as small retail premises, shops, for accommodation or local crafts. Larger
hall spaces also serve to store various goods associated with the activities of the current owners. For some buildings,
project documentation has already been approved for their functional conversion, which is expected to occur in the
near future.
In the Prague Suburb, the historical business and operation premises and workshops are gradually ceasing to be
suitable for the modern methods of hop growing and the storage of hops. As in other historical properties, it is necessary
to consider the owners’ possible changes in the use of some of the hop growing buildings. The Steering Group of this