Bat Conservation at Historic Sites as an Example of the Conflict Between Public Interests in Environmental Protection and Cultural Heritage Preservation

This thesis focuses on conflicts between heritage preservation and nature conservation, using the example of bats at historic sites in the Czech Republic. The aim of this study is to better document the perspectives of heritage conservation professionals regarding the presence of bats in specific buildings, the possibilities and limitations of their collaboration with conservationists, and their perceptions of the impact of bats on visitors to heritage sites. Czech legislation protects bats; the law provides for the possibility of compensation for restrictions on property rights caused by protected species, but in the case of bats, such compensation is not paid. Respondents generally evaluated cooperation with both conservationists and heritage conservationists positively. Conflicts between bats and humans tend to occur more frequently around single-family homes or cottages. Public attitudes toward bats are gradually improving, and bats at historic sites may even become a tourist attraction