The closure will last from October 2 to 8. The Panenská and Libouchec tunnels will be completely closed and undergo a comprehensive renovation and modernization of the data networks and technologies.

 

Source: https: //www.idnes.cz/usti/zpravy/dalnice-d8-tunely-modernizace-uzavirka-objizdky-policie.A250929_135951_usti-zpravy_grr

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Close race in Czech elections

One week before the parliamentary elections, pollsters are predicting a tight race. The ANO party of former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is still clearly leading the polls. However, according to all polling institutes, ANO is losing ground in the final stages and is now no longer above 30 percent. But the first runner-up, the governing coalition Spolu of Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS), is also losing ground in the polls and, unlike a few weeks ago, is now below 20 percent. In contrast, smaller parties are making gains, particularly the Pirates (almost 12 percent) and the Motorists (around 7 percent), while slight increases in the polls are also reported for the mayoral party STAN (almost 12 percent).

This means that ANO will almost certainly win the parliamentary elections, but will face a difficult time forming a government. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that seven alliances from no fewer than 13 parties now have a real chance of entering parliament. Added to this are the gains made by smaller parties. ANO would therefore have to include at least two, if not three, parties as coalition partners in the government. The right-wing populist party SPD has the best chances. Hopes are also pinned on the alliance Stačilo! (Enough is enough), which is based on the merger of the Communists and Social Democrats, and the Motorists.

Polling stations will open on Friday, October 3, at 2 pm. You can vote until 10 pm. Voting will then continue on the second day, October 4, at 8 am and end at 2 pm. We can therefore expect reliable election results on Saturday evening.

Teachers' salaries and pensions to rise

Teachers and pensioners in the Czech Republic can look forward to more money. From January, teachers' salaries are to rise by 7 percent. This has been agreed between the trade unions and Education Minister Mikuláš Bek. However, the government still has to give its approval. Other professional groups in the public sector can also look forward to higher wages. Salaries for firefighters are set to rise by 5 percent.

Teachers have been covered by a regular statutory pay rise for two years. This stipulates that their salary must be 130 percent of the average gross wage. In the second quarter of this year, this was 49,402 crowns, the equivalent of around 2,033 euros. The teacher's salary would therefore have to be around 2,650 euros by law.

Ferry in Dolní Žleb goes back into operation

After a break of almost a year, the car ferry in Dolní Žleb is back in operation. Passengers and vehicles are to be transported across the Elbe again from October.

The town of Děčín, to which the ferry belongs, had been looking for a new operator for almost a year. The last operator ceased operations in November last year. After two unsuccessful tender procedures, Děčín was successful after all. The new operator has already taken over the ferry.

The reason for the long search was, on the one hand, the strict conditions imposed on ferry operators, which are equivalent to those for skippers of inland cargo vessels. In the meantime, the Czech Republic has succeeded in softening these strict conditions for ferrymen. But one reason was also money. While the last operator was still available for 300,000 crowns a year, the new operator charges 1.5 million crowns (almost 62,000 euros) a year. The contract runs for two years.

The ferry runs daily between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., unless the water level is too high or too low. It is one of the last yaw rope ferries in the Czech Republic and is mainly used by tourists as well as locals. While the village of Dolní Žleb is located on the left bank of the Elbe, the ferry ends on the right bank at highway 62 from Děčín to Hřensko.

New cycle path from Česká Kamenice to Kamenický Šenov

A new cycle path connects the two towns of Česká Kamenice and Kamenický Šenov. The route, which is designed not only for cyclists but also for inline skaters, now ensures greater safety. Until now, cyclists had to use the busy main road. At the same time, the route leads through the charming and protected landscape of the Bohemian Central Mountains. It was built along a railroad line and therefore also has a comfortable gradient.

The new cycle path is a joint project between the two towns, which was also supported by the districts of Ústí nad Labem and Liberec, as it crosses the border between the two districts. However, most of the money came from the state coffers. There is also a connection to another municipality with the branch to Prysk.

In Česká Kamenice, cyclists have a good connection to cycle paths to Stará Oleška or Kunratice and on to Všemily as well as to the Ploučnice cycle path. In Kamenický Šenov, however, the cycle path ends at the train station. However, there are already plans to continue at least as far as the Herrenfelsen (Panská skála) with its typical basalt organ pipes in the near future. Later, the cycle path is to be extended to Česká Lípa.

Fewer eight-year grammar schools

Two districts in the Czech Republic are planning to reduce the number of eight-year grammar schools. While the East Bohemian district of Hradec Králové wants to abolish some classes with eight-year grammar schools for the first time in the coming school year and replace them with four-year grammar schools, the Central Bohemian district has already started this and will continue with the project in the next school year.

In the Czech Republic, elementary school lasts five years. After that, for the first time, there is the option of switching to a so-called eight-year grammar school. A second option is to switch to the eight-year grammar school after seven years. However, most pupils switch to the Gymnasium after nine years, where they take the Abitur within four years. This last option is now to be strengthened in both districts.

The plans are primarily based on the recommendations of education experts. They see the disadvantage of early selection in the eight-year grammar school. In contrast, eight-year grammar schools are very popular with parents. Every year, there is a huge battle for the few places available, which also benefits specialized and not entirely cheap tutoring agencies that prepare the predominantly eleven-year-old primary school pupils for the demanding entrance exams.

North Bohemian winegrowers enjoy a good harvest

Winegrowers in the traditional winegrowing regions on the slopes of the Elbe around Litoměřice and Roudnice are facing an average, if not slightly above-average harvest this fall. Everything now depends on whether the harvest is not affected by too much rain in the last few meters. One way or another, however, this year's problem will not be the same as last year. Back then, a large part of the harvest was destroyed by late frosts in spring, similar to Saxony.

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On October 1, there will be another Czech Film Wednesday at Zentralkino Dresden, this time with the impressive drama "Vyšší princip" (The Higher Principle) from 1960, which is the second most popular Czech film of all time (behind Pelišky).

The film is about the pupils of a small-town grammar school in 1942, shortly before their final exams. After the successful assassination attempt on Reich Protector Heydrich, Nazi terror breaks out and people are executed by the dozen. Three of his classmates are arrested following the denunciation of the son of a well-known collaborator. One of their teachers, who actually prefers to live in the world of the classics and quote Seneca rather than deal with the here and now, is shocked by this and bravely tries to save the three of them.

In a way, the 1960 film is an example of the transition from the largely propagandistic filmmaking of the 1950s to the greater freedom of the 1960s, which led to the Czechoslovak New Wave, among other things. More differentiated characters instead of woodcut-like characters and the depiction of the German occupation in more facets are evidence of this. Nevertheless, the depressed atmosphere of the time can be felt very well.

We have only scheduled one performance at 8 pm this time. So you may have to hurry to get tickets.

More about the movie and tickets

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After 88 years: Masaryk's last words

Almost 90 years after the death of the first President of Czechoslovakia, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, his last words have been published. They were contained in a sealed envelope, which was opened on Friday in the presence of President Petr Pavel and Masaryk's great-great-grandson Tomáš Kotík at the Czech presidential summer palace in Lány. Historian Dagmar Hájková then read excerpts from the five-page letter, which was written in English and translated directly into Czech. In it, Masaryk assumes that he will soon die due to his state of health and describes his ideas about his funeral. He also commented on his compatriots ("Our people are all right if they keep calm."), on the far-right Slovak politician Andrej Hlinka ("He is a blockhead because of his politics with the Hungarians. But we have to forgive him.") and about the strong German minority in the country ("The Germans should stay with us."). He also describes himself as no wiser. On the coexistence of Czechs and Germans, he said: "The Czechs are hard-working, the Germans have a certain honesty, but they certainly steal more." And he encourages people to keep talking: "If people are uneducated and stupid, you can't do anything with them. People like to be stupid. But don't make it easy for them: argue with them!" Masaryk urges.

Masaryk's son, diplomat and later Foreign Minister Jan Masaryk, wrote down the last words. The authenticity of the letter was confirmed on the spot, but it is not yet certain when it was written. It may indeed have been dictated in the last days before Masaryk's death on September 14, 1937, but it may also have been written during an earlier phase of a serious illness in 1934, when Masaryk was still president. At the end of 1935, he had resigned from office prematurely after being re-elected for another seven-year term in 1934 at the age of 84. Historians have also pointed out that Masaryk tended to use simple sentences when dictating due to his state of health.

Jan Masaryk gave the envelope with his father's last words to his secretary Antonín Sum, who managed to send the envelope to Masaryk's former secretary Lumír Soukup in Great Britain after the violent communist takeover in February 1948. Jan Masaryk died in March 1948 of unexplained causes. It can be assumed that he was either thrown out of the window of his official residence on behalf of the new communist rulers or was forced to commit suicide.

Soukup returned to Czechoslovakia in 1991 and handed the last words back to Antonín Sum, who had remained in Czechoslovakia. In 1996, Sum, together with Masaryk's grandchildren, came to the conclusion that it was still too early for publication. A year before Sum's death, he gave the envelope to the National Archives. In the meantime, he had sealed the envelope with the proviso that it would not be opened until 20 years after it was handed over.

New plans for the last lignite shaft

It was the last lignite mine in the Czech Republic. Nine years ago, the "Centrum" shaft near Most was closed. This marked the end of the last chapter of underground lignite mining in the Czech Republic. After nine years, a new era is now beginning for the site. The Ministry of Culture had previously allowed the owner, the mining company Sev.en, to demolish the majority of the buildings. Almost all of the buildings were stripped of their monument status, with the exception of a winding tower and a system that took miners to the depths and back and also transported coal. This installation is to be exhibited at the Most Mining Museum in future.

Demolition work is due to begin this year. The site will then be developed for industrial use. A university laboratory for the production of green hydrogen is also planned. This is being developed in cooperation with the nuclear research center in Řež near Prague and the university in Ústí.

New arrival at Děčín Zoo

A sloth has been bringing joy to Děčín Zoo for a few weeks now. For the first time in its 76-year history, the zoo has managed to get a specimen of this species into its care. The former kangaroo house was converted for this purpose. The one-year-old female sloth came from Jihlava Zoo and, according to the zoo, has already settled in well.

But that is not the end of the story. They are planning to breed her and are still waiting for a suitable male. Until then, the zoo wants to prepare the outdoor enclosure for the sloth.

One year after the flood

One year after the devastating floods in the Czech Republic, the T.G. Masaryk Water Research Institute in Prague has estimated the damage at around 70 billion crowns (around 2.8 billion euros). However, this is not yet a final figure.

The heavy rainfall, particularly in the Moravian-Silesian Region and the Olomouc Region, caused severe flooding. The damage was limited, mainly thanks to the early warning system of the Hydrometeorological Office. However, as there were several heavy downpours, the ground was no longer able to absorb the water after the first ones. It was the last rainfall that caused the most serious damage. Without these, the flooding could have been at the level of a flood that only occurs every 50 years. However, more rain fell overall than during the last severe flood in Moravia in 1997.

The towns of Opava, Jeseník and Krnov were the worst affected, as was Ostrava, where the two major railroad stations (the main station and Svinov) were under water for days. However, the floods also caused serious damage in smaller communities in particular. A total of 400 detached houses and apartment buildings were affected. The greatest damage was caused to roads and water infrastructure. In many places, the damage is still visible today. In one year, only 20 percent of the damage could be repaired, especially in the smaller communities.

The willingness to donate in the country was exemplary. Non-governmental organizations collected almost 1 billion crowns (40 million euros) in donations alone.

Czech children eat too little fruit and vegetables

The Czech State Health Office recommends that children eat five child's-fist-sized portions of fruit and vegetables a day to ensure a healthy diet. However, only four percent of all children and their parents adhere to this recommendation. "Many parents think that two to three portions are enough," according to the latest report from the office. On the contrary, children often eat the wrong foods, preferring sweet drinks and flavored dairy products.

Another deficiency identified by the health authority is the lack of important minerals. Calcium is lacking across all generations. Magnesium deficiency is also visible in society as a whole, especially in women and senior citizens. The lowest levels were found in young women between the ages of 15 and 17. Half of women of childbearing age and half of children between the ages of 7 and 10 suffer from iron deficiency. Sodium, on the other hand, is consumed in abundance. The sodium levels of 91 percent of men between the ages of 15 and 59 were well above the norm.

The monitoring also examined the external influences on health and found negative effects from noise in particular, as well as air and water pollution. There was no information on whether the situation had improved or worsened. The results relate to long-term values.

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A number of items were on the agenda at today's meeting of the Culture/Tourism/Local Recreation specialist group at the Kulturní centrum Řehlovice. But first, the group was warmly welcomed by Lenka Holíková and Veronika Krülle-Kotoučová and given a tour of the cultural center.

Afterwards, Mgr. et Bc. Jan Vondrouš, the new director of the Collegium Bohemicum, presented its work and plans for the future following the change at the top. It was noted with pleasure that the Collegium intends to become more involved in the Czech-German Cultural Days.

Ms Dudová from the company Uneeqly then presented the success of the digitization of the cultural pass of the Elbe/Labe Euroregion. Around 500 new users of the app with the digital pass are added every year.

Following a discussion on the further development of the Czech-German Culture Days, decisions were made on the support of smaller cultural projects from the specialist group's own budget. Three proposals were approved, but one was rejected. The projects supported are the Liquid Sound workshop in the Heymannbaude, the updating of the Elbe/Labe Euroregion museum portal and the translation of the ghetto-theresienstadt.de website into Czech.

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