Prague is Repairing Two Historic Paternosters

A story recently posted on expats.cz reports that the disappearing paternoster elevator has yet to see its final demise, thanks to the Czech Republic’s Ministry of Industry and Trade. The government department has agreed to repair two of the lifts that the article describes as “historically significant” in Prague’s Petschkův Palace. The 16-cabin elevators, currently non-functioning, will be repaired at a cost of CZK24.5 million (US$1.1 million). The repairs, said the article, will be undertaken “in a way sympathetic to the history of the structure.” All elements of the lifts will remain original, with replica parts also saved. The system, dating from 1924, is unique partly because of the unusual location of its machine room: the basement of the building. Attempting to keep the design as close as possible to original is expected to complicate the job, with further difficulties arising from inadequate reconstruction work performed earlier. The paternoster, a throwback to the past, has inherit dangers. The doorless cabins follow a circular path as they allow riders to hop on and go either up or down simultaneously. In some countries, such as Germany, paternosters are deemed hazardous and require users to sign forms stating that they are riding at their own risk. Still, the lifts offer a historic element to some of Prague’s listed buildings, and many residents hold a special emotional attachment to the machines.