Hrádek is a municipality in the Hradecko area with approximately 190 inhabitants.[1] The municipality's annual income is about 4.3 million crowns.[1] The mayor is Hana Ročková (independent).[1]

Referendum on the church

The municipality contains the Church of St. George, whose history reaches back to the middle of the 14th century. The present single-nave early Baroque building dates from the end of the 17th century and stands on the site of a wooden church. It was repaired in 1891 and has been a protected monument since 1958.[1][2]

Concurrently with the municipal elections on 10 October 2026, a binding referendum was held in the municipality on the free transfer of the church from church property to municipal property. The question was whether the church would pass into the ownership of the municipality of Hrádek. 52 voters, i.e. 33.5 percent of those eligible, voted for the transfer, 43 against. Turnout was 64.5 percent of 155 eligible voters. The referendum is valid and its result is binding.[1][2]

The municipal leadership justifies the referendum by the seriousness of a property decision and expects that the municipality will obtain subsidies for repairs and care of the monument more easily than the church. According to the mayor, the church does not have enough capacity to preserve the church building and could continue to hold ceremonies in it. The municipality is considering using it for concerts, exhibitions, Christmas gatherings and weddings. Operating costs, for example for electricity and insurance, would be borne by the municipality after the transfer, an estimated several thousand crowns a year. The municipality already owns the adjacent cemetery.[1]

Chronology

  • — In the municipality of Hrádek in Hradecko, in a binding referendum held concurrently with the municipal elections, 52 voters spoke in favor of the free transfer of the Church of St. George from church property to municipal property, 43 voters were against, with a turnout of 64.5 percent. → Hradecká Drbna Deník: Královéhradecký kraj

Sources

  1. Hradecká Drbna — 10 October 2026
  2. Deník: Královéhradecký kraj