Václav Havel Library threatened with closure

The library dedicated to former Czech President Václav Havel is threatened with closure. Now that Václav Havel's widow, the actress Dagmar Havlová, has withdrawn her support for the library, the continued operation of the institution is in acute danger.

The withdrawal of the 73-year-old presidential widow is the latest low point that the library has had to endure after weeks of disputes. In May, the library team unanimously handed in their notice to quit at the end of June. The sole reason: the chaotic management activities of director Tomáš Sedláček and the associated differing views on the direction of the library. Sedláček argues that he is only fulfilling the vision with which he took office a year ago. The 49-year-old Sedláček is a well-known economist who even worked as an advisor to Václav Havel. He is best known for his book "The Economics of Good and Evil", which has been translated into many languages and was awarded the German Economics Prize in 2012. Previously, four out of five members of the Board of Directors had already resigned after unsuccessfully trying to dismiss Director Sedláček, whom they accused of not fulfilling his duties.

The library is now threatened above all by the resignations and dismissals. One of the library's best-known employees is the successful writer Jáchym Topol, who works as a dramaturge in the library. Topol has been part of Václav Havel's close circle since his youth. The editor Anna Freimannová is also still on the team until the end of June. The 75-year-old was herself in the underground before 1989 and has rendered outstanding services to the publication of Václav Havel's work.

The departure of the members of the Board of Directors is also linked to the end of financial support for the library. This was largely secured by the entrepreneurs Zdeněk Bakala and Karel Komárek. Bakala has already announced that he will no longer give any money. Komárek has not yet made a final statement. Both were members of the Board of Directors.

The library was established in 2004, modeled on the libraries of former American presidents, after Havel left office at the beginning of 2003 after more than 13 years as Czechoslovak or Czech president. The library developed into an important institution during his lifetime, not only preserving Václav Havel's legacy, but also initiating important debates, producing publications and organizing exhibitions, as well as working intensively with young people. For a long time, it was headed by the writer, translator and diplomat Michal Žantovský.

Now the last remaining member of the board of directors, politician David Dušek, has announced that he will continue the library with new sponsors and a new team. However, without the naming rights held by Dagmar Havlová, this is likely to be difficult.

March commemorated the Postelberg massacre

With a march from Postoloprty (Postelberg) to Žatec (Saaz), several hundred people commemorated the victims of the massacre of members of the German minority at the end of May and beginning of June 1945. During the expulsion of the German population from Czechoslovakia, the Czechoslovak army and unspecified armed units rounded up mainly men in the Postoloprty barracks and then tortured and shot them for several days. Sources speak of 800 to 1,200 victims, in some cases even up to 2,000, making it the bloodiest massacre of the post-war period in Europe until the events in Srebrenica.

The victims have been commemorated with the march since 2022. Students from grammar schools in the surrounding area are particularly involved. The Archbishop of Prague, Stanislav Přibyl, also marched. As Bishop of Litoměřice, he had declared this year the Year of Reconciliation with twelve events commemorating the suffering inflicted by Germans on Czechs and Czechs on Germans.

Closure of the porcelain factory in Dubí averted

A proposal to liquidate the porcelain factory in Dubí (Eichwald) was not accepted by the shareholders' meeting. This would have required a two-thirds majority.

The Český porcelán porcelain factory has been producing porcelain since 1864. It is best known for its onion pattern, which it produces under license from the porcelain manufactory in Meissen. However, high energy prices have left their mark on the company. Nevertheless, the company has enough orders and sufficient cash to pay salaries, reports the daily newspaper Mladá fronta Dnes, citing Vladimír Feix, one of the largest shareholders. However, some of the shareholders are allegedly concerned about the lack of dividends. They would earn too little from their share, as the profits are usually reinvested in the company. Feix called the attempt to liquidate the company an unnecessarily planned undertaking. The Hong Kong-based shareholder Renown Trading Limited, which holds 9.8 percent of the shares, is behind the proposal to liquidate the company.

The largest shareholders are the two brothers Vladimír and Radislav Feix. They inherited their shares from their father, Vladimír Feix senior, who had managed the company for over 50 years before his death in 2021. Together, they hold just under 46 percent of the shares. The future of the porcelain factory remains to be seen. The company is not only successful on the domestic market, but also sells its porcelain primarily in Europe and Asia.

Czech Republic experiences worst drought in 65 years

This spring was the driest in the Czech Republic since 1961, according to records from the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute. This year's spring was drier than the previous record set in 1993, with the least rainfall in April and only slightly more in March. Spring was also one of the warmest on record, with the twelve warmest springs all occurring after the year 2000. The average temperature of the three spring months exceeded the long-term normal values by 0.9 degrees Celsius.

Zdislava skull on display for the last time

At the solemn pilgrimage mass last Saturday, the skull of St. Zdislava was shown once again. It lay safely on the altar. However, it was then placed in a secret location. In future, it will no longer be on public display as before, but will be placed with the saint's mortal remains. The reason for this is the theft in which the skull was stolen on May 12. The perpetrator had then cast the skull in concrete and wanted to sink it in the water. However, he was caught by the police just in time. In a 16-hour marathon, two restorers then removed the relic intact from the concrete.

According to Archbishop Stanislav Přibyl, it is now time to place the skull in the tomb of St. Zdislava. He had revived the pilgrimage only a year ago, back then as Bishop of Litoměřice. However, it has only now become known that the skull was broken in the 1970s. The relic, which is over 800 years old, had been reassembled by expert Emanuel Vlček. It is therefore only responsible to protect the skull now. According to the Archbishop of Prague, it will be deposited in the tomb on a small scale. This deposition does not have to be final. It would be different in the event of another theft or any other damage. "That could then be final, and we don't want to risk that," said Přibyl.

Zdislava was beatified in 1907 and canonized in 1995. She is the patron saint of families, but also of the Liberec district, the diocese of Litoměřice and the Czech people. Her skull was displayed in a reliquary on a side altar directly above her grave for almost 120 years.

Dora Kaprálová wins the European Prize for Literature

Berlin-based Czech author Dora Kaprálová has been awarded this year's European Union Prize for Literature for her novel "Maribor Hypnosis". The jury selected her from 14 candidates. The prize was awarded last week at the International Book Fair in Warsaw. The novel deals with Kaprálová's stay in the Slovenian city of Maribor in an unusual way. It is a poetic and playful tale about illusion, imagination and the search for hope in an uncertain world, according to a press release.

This is the second major triumph for Kaprálová, who also performed at the Czech-German Culture Days in Dresden last year. A month ago, she received the highest Czech literary prize "Magnesia Litera" for the "Book of the Year". The German translation was published by the Berlin publishing house mikrotext.

 

(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)

Sudeten Germans hope for a repeat in the Czech Republic

This is already the third newsletter in which the Sudeten German Day in Brno is prominently mentioned. If you are wondering why, because it seems to be of secondary importance for our border region, this is not the case this time. Both the wonderful sign of the invitation of the Sudeten Germans to the Czech Republic, who were often referred to as "our compatriots" in Brno, and the political squabbles surrounding it have had a major impact on German-Czech relations. They triggered an intensive discussion in Czech society, the (hopefully positive) consequences of which we will probably only be able to assess in retrospect in a few years' time. Below you will also find a few personal impressions from on site.

The Sudeten German Day in Brno began on Thursday with a commemorative event at the main railway station at platform 5, from where the transports to concentration camps had departed. It was attended by the son of Sir Nicholas Winton, who saved almost 700 Jewish children from the Nazis in 1939, and two of the so-called Winton children. On Friday, there was a public festival with music and dancing in the center of Brno, which was also attended by many locals.

Saturday and Sunday were the main days with many stands, events and several speeches by Czech and German representatives in an exhibition hall, which, according to personal estimates, was attended by around 2000 people. The Czech writer and resister against the communist regime, Milan Uhde, was awarded the Charlemagne Prize of the Sudeten German Landsmannschaft. The National Socialists had murdered 18 members of Uhde's family, yet he was committed to reconciliation work throughout his life.

In addition, the Brno Reconciliation March Pohořelice (Pohrlitz) to Brno organized by Meeting Brno took place on Saturday, which this time around 1300 people completed in whole or in part. The meeting ended on Monday with an act of remembrance for the victims of National Socialism in front of the Kaunitz dormitory, the former Gestapo headquarters in Brno.

The counter-protests feared in advance were limited. At the commemorative events and the reconciliation march, there were sometimes a few dozen and sometimes up to 200 protesters. One action that was much discussed in the social media was the erection of a symbolic wall made of cardboard boxes in front of the exhibition grounds. However, visitors to Sudeten German Day did not notice this, as it was located in a hall at the other end of the exhibition grounds. Instead, visitors to an anime festival taking place at the same time were probably irritated. Given their creative outfits, this was probably mutual.

The largest counter-event took place on Sunday in the center of Brno, where around 2,500 people from all over the Czech Republic took part in a rally organized primarily by the Communist Party (KSČM), followed by a demonstration. However, this was far away from the exhibition center. Normally, such counter-protests always try to get within sight and earshot of their opponents, but that was not the case here. It was probably mainly about images for the media and perhaps also about the internal cohesion of a party in decline.

However, the Sudeten Germans are hoping for a repeat performance in the Czech Republic. In 2027, the Sudeten German Day will once again take place in Bavaria, in Nuremberg. But after that, it would be nice to alternate hosting, according to the chairman of the Sudeten German Landsmannschaft, Bernd Posselt, on Bavarian radio. Several cities in the Czech Republic have shown interest in hosting the event.

Schluckenauer Zipfel faces five-month road closure

From June 1, a five-month period of suffering awaits drivers and residents on the edge of the Schluckenauer Zipfels. The reason is the five-month closure of state road 9 between Svor and Nová huť. This is necessary because the Czech Road and Highway Directorate is building a bypass around the village of Svor. The challenging terrain leaves no other option than a large-scale bypass.

The "9" is the main connection for road traffic in and out of the Schluckenau tip with the Czech interior. As a state road, it is also designed for large trucks weighing more than 7.5 tons. Some of these vehicles also use the "9" road for transit to Germany. These trucks now have to be rerouted. The transit trucks in particular are expected to drive around the area from Monday. An increased volume of traffic is to be expected on the detour route. Tourists and day-trippers from Saxony should therefore avoid it. To avoid having to use very small roads, the road from Horní Světlá below the Lausche via Nová huť to Kytlice has been designated as a one-way road in the direction of Kytlice.

In the communities along the detour route, but also elsewhere in the Schluckenau region, the plan to close the road had sparked protests in advance. They only found out about it from the media and still criticize the lack of communication with the road and freeway authorities. Nevertheless, together with the administrations of the Ústí and Liberec districts, they were able to get the duration of the closure reduced from the original 24 weeks to 20 weeks. It was therefore only supposed to last until October 16. However, the competent district office in Liberec did not stipulate a penalty if this deadline was exceeded.

Reopening of the Edmundsklamm gorge in June

Since the winter break, tourists in Bohemian Switzerland have had to forego the popular boat trips in Edmund's Gorge for safety reasons. But now it will soon be time again. The boats are due to return in June.

The reason for the closure was a boulder around 130 meters above the hiking trail to the boat landing stage. The unstable part of the boulder was removed and crushed by a specialist company by Friday. The rest of the boulder was secured and fitted with a net to hold back any stones that might come loose.

"We would like to open at the beginning of June, but we are still waiting for a geological and dendrological report," said the mayor of Hřensko, Kateřina Horáková, on Czech Radio.

Since the reopening after the major forest fire in the summer of 2022, tourists have only been allowed to enter Edmund's Gorge under professional supervision and in groups, as there is still a risk of rockfall. The Bohemian Switzerland National Park regularly checks the stability of the rocks.

However, the municipality of Hřensko has announced that a booking system will soon be put into operation so that entry to the gorge can also be conveniently booked online. The number of admissions is also set to increase slightly, but will remain limited.

The Wilde Klamm, where boats also operate, has been in operation since Good Friday, but can still only be reached from the lower landing stage. Hikers can get there either from Mezná or from Růžová.

Shift project brings Ústí important museum prize

The "Kingdom of Soap Bubbles" project at the District Museum in Ústí nad Labem has been awarded the Czech museum prize "Gloria musealis". It is about the work of the Schicht family of entrepreneurs, who grew up in the Schreckenstein district with the production of cosmetics, drugstore goods and oil. Later, Schicht even merged to form the multinational Unilever Group, which still exists today.

The title of the project is also the title of a documentary film about the Schicht family, which premiered last year after seven years of filming. However, according to Martin Krsek from the museum in Ústí, this is only the glorious conclusion of the project. The main work of the museum staff, including Krsek and others such as Tomáš Okurka, was the almost 20-year effort to re-establish contact with the Schicht family and regain their trust. The family had been expelled after 1945 and had lost their property in Czechoslovakia. The family's relationship to the events of the 1930s and 1940s was not uniform. One part of the family made pacts with the National Socialists, while another openly supported the Czechoslovakian resistance in exile.

Incidentally, the documentary will be shown on November 5 as part of the Czech-German Culture Days 2026 in Dresden.

The spa town of Teplice suffers from the Iran conflict

The war between the USA and Iran is also having an impact on the spa business in Teplice in northern Bohemia. The spa town is traditionally a destination for many guests from Arab countries, especially from the Arabian Peninsula. But these guests are not coming at the moment. "We only have a few clients from the Middle East at the moment. The conflict is having a major impact on whether people can travel to us, i.e. whether there are any flight connections at all," Iveta Slížková from the spa company is quoted as saying. Teplice is now hoping for Czech clients, at least those who would otherwise have traveled to the Middle East. It remains to be seen whether the plan will work out. The umbrella organization is already expecting a weak season.

Taiwanese company plans major investment in North Bohemia

The upcoming opening of ESMC's semiconductor plant in Dresden will also have an impact on northern Bohemia. The Czech Republic has repeatedly offered itself to supplier companies. Now the Taiwanese company i-TRANS Global is planning its European logistics center for semiconductor chemicals in North Bohemia. The company is currently looking for a suitable site measuring almost 17,000 square meters.

The company is being supported by the Ústí district and the state agency CzechInvest, which is helping with the company's relocation. The logistics center is scheduled to go into operation at the beginning of 2028, according to the plan. i-TRANS plans to invest 20 million euros in the center. The aim is to create 60 jobs.
In a second phase, i-TRANS envisions deeper cooperation with Czech chemical manufacturers. In addition to the proximity to Dresden, the focus of industry in the Ústí district on the chemical sector is the second main reason for locating in northern Bohemia.

Personal impression of the Sudeten German Day

As a visitor on site, I would like to add a few personal impressions: The unfortunately still widespread image of the Sudeten German Landsmannschaft (SdL) as a stronghold of those who play off the expulsion against the crimes of National Socialism and want their former property back is (by now) completely wrong. Bernd Posselt in particular, as chairman, has ensured over the last 25 years that the SdL has become a more uncomfortable haven for diehards, revanchists and old Nazis. I was unable to hear anything at the stands, at events or at the beer table that reflected such views.

In all speeches from the German side, without exception, the crimes of the Nazis and the complicity of the Sudeten Germans were named first. The suffering of the expulsion was not concealed, but always placed in this context. In the spirit of the German-Czech Declaration of 1997, it became clear that we do not have to agree on the assessment of the past, but nevertheless want to work towards a common future in good neighborly relations. This does not mean forgetting or drawing a line under the past, but rather a joint, unbiased examination of the past. Bernd Posselt in particular has repeatedly emphasized that it is not about guilt and accusations, but about the lessons that must be learned from the events in order to learn from them for the future. With regard to the Beneš Decrees, for example, it was emphasized that they did not want to revise them, but that their basic approach of collective guilt and collective punishment could in no way be accepted in an enlightened society. However, I fear that both are simply not dead.

The Czech speakers all emphasized the importance of reconciliation, coming to terms and forgiveness, and it was nice to see how every sentence they uttered was eagerly applauded by the audience (even before the translation). I had the impression that the Sudeten Germans present were incredibly grateful for the invitation to the Czech Republic. They are real German-Czech bridge builders, and this was honored.

Rüdiger Kubsch

(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)

At Czech Film Wednesday on June 3, we have a very special specialty: the experimental film "Happy end" from 1967 by director Oldřich Lipský, which runs completely backwards. We think we can say with some certainty: You've never seen a movie like this!

The butcher Bedřich lies under the guillotine at the beginning, headless. But why was he executed? What did he do? Bedřich tells us himself, going back step by step. However, he tells it backwards, i.e. forwards. It takes a few pull-ups to reconcile the image and the narrative. Nevertheless, we follow him on his way back from the terrible deed to the romantic beginning of his marriage, where broken things become whole again, dead people get up again and drowned people become great swimmers again.

With audience favorites such as Vladimír Menšík and Josef Abrhám, some representatives of the first ranks of Czech actors have embarked on the experiment in the "wild 60s" of Czech cinematography.

(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)

Neues zur Schnellbahnstrecke Dresden-Prag

Auf dem Weg zur Realisierung des Erzgebirgsbasistunnels für die Schnellbahnstrecke Dresden-Prag wurde nun ein wichtiger Schritt gemacht: Nach einem positiven Votum des Verkehrsausschusses hat am Donnerstag der Bundestag der von der Bahn vorgelegten Vorplanung für die Neubaustrecke Dresden–Prag zugestimmt. Diese sieht einen Volltunnel ab Heidenau vor. In den ursprünglichen Planungen der Deutschen Bahn sah das noch anders aus, doch die intensive Arbeit der Bürgerinitiative „Basistunnel nach Prag“ hat sich ausgezahlt

Gleichzeitig geht aus dem Bericht, der dem Beschluss zugrunde lag, hervor, dass die Kosten für die Strecke auf deutscher Seite auf bis zu 8 Mrd. Euro steigen können. Vor einigen Jahren war von 1,3 Mrd. Euro die Rede, vor zwei Jahren noch von ca. 2,3 Mrd. Euro. Nun geht man von Kosten in Höhe von 5,6 Mrd. Euro aus, zu denen Puffer für steigende Baukosten und weitere unvorhersehbare Kosten gerechnet werden, die zur Schätzung von 8 Mrd. Euro führen. Darin wäre die Finanzierung von weiteren Forderungen aus der Region wie mehr Lärmschutz oder besserer Ausstattung der Feuerwehren noch gar nicht enthalten. Dennoch schätzt die Bundesregierung das Vorhaben als wirtschaftlich ein. Man hofft auf eine großzügige Förderung durch die EU.

Die Strecke war auch das wichtigste Thema des Treffens von Sachsens Infrastrukturministerin Regina Kraushaar mit dem neuen tschechischen Verkehrsminister Ivan Bednárik. Beide betonten die hohe Bedeutung des Vorhabens und drängen den Bund, den für die weiteren Planungen notwendigen Staatsvertrag abzuschließen sowie die rund 20 Mio. Euro an Planungskosten in den nächsten Haushalt einzustellen. Die Staatsministerin hatte am Donnerstag in einer Rede im Bundestag nochmals für die Zustimmung zu dem Projekt geworben.

Der Tunnel wird einmal ca. 30 Kilometer lang sein, davon 18 km auf deutscher Seite. Die Züge sollen im Tunnel bis zu 200 km/h erreichen, später auf tschechischer Seite Richtung Prag sogar bis zu 320 km/h. Durch das gesamte Vorhaben soll man Prag von Dresden in einer Stunde statt heute 2,5 Stunden erreichen. Die Deutsche Bahn hat bisher das Jahr 2032 für den Baustart avisiert und möchte rund 12 Jahre später fertig sein.

Schädel der heiligen Zdislava gerettet

Vorige Woche wurde der als Reliquie verehrte Schädel der Heiligen Zdislava aus der Basilika des Heiligen Vavřinec (Laurentius) im nordböhmischen Jablonné nad Podještědí (Gabel) gestohlen. Die Polizei fasste den Täter bereits nach zwei Tagen, wie wir letzte Woche vermelden konnten. Er hatte jedoch den Schädel in Beton gegossen, um ihn in einem Fluss zu versenken, weil er mit der Zurschaustellung nicht einverstanden war.

Restauratoren ist es gelungen, den Schädel nahezu unversehrt aus dem Beton zu befreien. Die Dominikaner, zu deren Kloster die Basilika gehört, sprachen daraufhin von einem Wunder. Allerdings waren beim Diebstahl fünf Absplitterungen vom Schädel entstanden, weil der Täter ein zu kleines Loch ins Schutzglas geschlagen hatte. Diese Splitter sollen nun wieder befestigt werden.

Hakenkreuze in Cheb

Auf das Gebäude in Cheb (Eger), in dem u.a. der "Bund der Deutschen - Landschaft Egerland" seinen Sitz hat, wurden in der Nacht zum Mittwoch Hakenkreuze gesprüht. Die Polizei ermittelt, und die Stadt Cheb verurteilte die Tat sehr deutlich. Der Bürgermeister erklärte, dass es in Cheb keinerlei Probleme mit den deutschen Landsleuten gebe, ganz im Gegenteil: „Wir verstehen uns gut mit dem Büro des Bundes der Deutschen und stehen in Kontakt; auch deshalb haben wir ihnen einen Platz direkt auf dem Marktplatz zur Verfügung gestellt. Was in der Nacht passiert ist, ist für uns daher inakzeptabel“.

Es ist vermutlich nicht zu weit hergeholt, einen Zusammenhang zwischen dieser Tat und der durch den ablehnenden Beschluss des tschechischen Parlaments zur Ausrichtung des Sudetendeutschen Tages in Brno (wir berichteten) erzeugten Diskussion zu sehen. Richard Neugebauer, Präsident der Landesversammlung der deutschen Vereine in der Tschechischen Republik (LV), äußerte sich diesem Sinne. Und in dieselbe Richtung gehen auch einige Kommentare unter einem entsprechenden Facebook-Beitrag der Stadt Cheb, sowohl dafür als auch dagegen. Sollte sich das bewahrheiten, würde es die letzte Woche hier geäußerte Befürchtung bestätigen, dass das Ausspielen der antideutschen Karte im politischen Wettbewerb nicht ohne Folgen bleiben kann, auch wenn die Initiatoren des Parlamentsbeschlusses das verneinen.

Der Sudetendeutsche Tag begann am Donnerstag mit einer Gedenkveranstaltung an die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus am Bahnhof in Brno. Dagegen protestierten rund 100 Menschen, die ausgerechnet bei dieser Veranstaltung den Vorwurf der Nähe zum Nationalsozialismus auf ihre Plakate schrieben. Wir sind vor Ort und werden nächste Woche an dieser Stelle ein Resümee des gesamten Wochenendes ziehen.

Hinsichtlich der durchaus geteilten Meinung der tschechischen Bevölkerung zur Einladung des Sudetendeutschen Tages nach Brno hat Radio Prag einen sehr aufschlussreichen Artikel verfasst.

 

In June, we can recommend three completely different Czech-German cultural events within just 8 days.

Excursion on the topic of "Food culture past and present" on June 6

Weesenstein Castle invites you to a culinary journey of discovery to Zubrnice and Česká Kamenice on June 6 as part of a German-Czech project. A lot of culinary history and more will be conveyed at both locations.

More information and registration

Reading with Jaroslav Rudiš on the steamer on June 9

Three days later, it's also about culinary delights: Jaroslav Rudiš will read from his book "Gebrauchsanweisung für Bier", but this time on the steamboat "Leipzig" as it glides past the beautiful Dresden backdrop in the evening between Terrassenufer and Pillnitz.

More information and registration

Country & Folk Festival with sporting family competition in Osek on June 13

The Country & Folk Festival "Osecká kytara" (Osek Guitar) will take place for the 33rd time on June 13 in - you guessed it - Osek. In the morning, Czech and German (family) teams can compete in a varied sporting competition. You can register for this on our website.

Around midday, various Czech and German music groups with children and young people will perform, including some from Dippoldiswalde.

Later, the actual Country & Folk program begins with bands and solo artists from the Czech Republic and Saxony. They include Bob a bobci from northern Bohemia, Ina Schirmer from Olbernhau, Sabina Uxová from Kolín, b.country from Thum, Lubomír Stranďa Stráník from the Ore Mountains and the oldest all-female country band Schovanky, which has already performed on stage with Johnny Cash.

The festival is supported by the Ore Mountains/Krušnohoří Euroregion Small Projects Fund.

More information and registration for the competition

 

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(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)