A bet on crystal brought a unique organ. Even the author was skeptical about the project, says Císař

According to the co-founder of the Bohemian Heritage Fund fund, the unique instrument was not without risk. Due to the unusual construction using Czech crystal, the organ-builder himself claimed the construction was impossible. In an interview for iDNES.cz Jaromír Císař, he describes the challenges of the new monumental organ at Pražském hradě, the strong support from the late Cardinal Duka, and what the success of the fundraiser says about Czechs.

You gave St. Vitus Cathedral one of the last missing pieces of the "puzzle." What emotions does it evoke in you when you see the result generations have been waiting for?
I am tremendously moved by this, because it successfully completes a journey that began in 2014 when the decision was made to launch a national fundraiser. The money was collected surprisingly quickly at that time. However, this was followed by a long and complicated effort full of technical and construction challenges, as well as overcoming various regulations. In spite of all that, the project has been successfully brought to completion.

Did this project help repay the debt of previous generations, who were unable to bring the construction of the cathedral to full completion? Conservationists and officials had to fight over every stamp of approval.
Definitely. It was a struggle, but not in a bad way. We all had the same goal – to achieve the highest quality, the best-sounding, and the most aesthetically successful instrument that would be safe and technically reliable. Combining all these criteria naturally meant every expert had their say. But that's as it should be. The experts were not left out and it's natural for each of them to defend their own standpoint. In the end, everything managed to be put together and this unique work was created.

You can find the entire interview on the iDnes website.