Tschechien schränkt Feuerwerksnutzung ein

Seit dem 1. Dezember kann Feuerwerk in Tschechien nur noch eingeschränkt genutzt werden. Grund sind verschärfte Regeln beim Verkauf, aber auch bei der Nutzung. Seit Anfang Dezember darf Pyrotechnik nicht mehr an Marktständen, in provisorischen Läden, die nur in der Zeit vor Silvester öffnen, aber auch nicht mehr in mobilen Containern verkauft werden. Außerdem darf im 250-Meter-Umkreis von Krankenhäusern, Tageszentren, Förderstätten, Pflege- oder Altenheimen, aber auch Tierheimen und Rettungsstationen sowie Zoos und anderen Einrichtungen, die Tiere halten, geböllert werden. Dazu zählen Zuchtbetriebe genauso wie Standorte von Bienenvölkern. Öffnet man die Karte auf den Internetseiten des tschechischen Landwirtschaftsministeriums, gelten Bienenvölker als häufigste Einschränkung für die Nutzung von Pyrotechnik. Komplett rot gefärbt ist auch der gesamte Nationalpark Böhmische Schweiz, wo bereits vor Dezember ein Verbot zur Nutzung von Pyrotechnik galt.

Leider bildet die Karte noch nicht alle Verbotsflächen ab. Städten und Gemeinden hat das Gesetz nämlich auch die Möglichkeit gegeben, noch mehr Verbotszonen auszuweisen. Einzige Ausnahme ist Jugendfeuerwerk der Kategorie F1 (Knallerbsen, Wunderkerzen usw.) und professionelles Feuerwerk der Kategorie F4. Vorsicht also, wer in der Prager Altstadt auf die Idee kommt, Feuerwerksraketen zu zünden. Die gesamte Altstadt wurde nämlich zur feuerwerksfreien Zone erklärt. Außerdem braucht man auch für Pyrotechnik der Kategorie F3 ab Juli 2026 eine Zulassung. Dabei geht es um komplexe Batterien, die heute noch frei gezündet werden können.

Die Einschränkungen dienen der Verringerung der Lärmbelastung, der Luftverschmutzung und der Gefahr von Verletzungen und Bränden. Damit vollzieht das Nachbarland beinahe eine 180-Grad-Wendung. Denn bisher gilt Tschechien bei Pyrotechnik als recht freizügig, was auch viele Käufer aus Deutschland anzog, und das nicht nur vor Silvester.

Stundentakt zwischen Teplice und Dresden

Der neue Fahrplan im Bezirk Ústí hält im deutsch-tschechischen Grenzgebiet einige Verbesserungen bereit. Aus deutscher Sicht wichtigste Neuerung ist sicherlich der Stundentakt von Montag bis Samstag auf der Buslinie 398 zwischen Dresden Hauptbahnhof und Teplice Hauptbahnhof, der mit dem Fahrplanwechsel am 14. Dezember eintritt. Bisher sind beide Orte nur aller zwei Stunden verbunden. Auch ab Possendorf, Dippoldiswalde oder Altenberg kommt man nun jede Stunde nach Dubí (Eichwald) oder Teplice. Insgesamt sind an sechs Tagen 15 Buspaare unterwegs. Zusätzlich fährt noch ein Bus 21.11 ab Teplice nach Dippoldiswalde, wo später mit dem 360er nach Dresden fortgesetzt werden kann. Ab Dresden fährt der letzte Bus 19.12 ab. Die Fahrtzeit beträgt weiterhin etwas mehr als 90 Minuten. Sonntags gilt weiter der bisherige Takt.

Eine weitere Neuerung ist die Möglichkeit, mit einem Ticket des Verkehrsverbundes des Bezirks Ústí (DÚK) von Rumburk (Rumburg), Šluknov (Schluckenau) oder Mikulášovice (Nixdorf) nach Česká Lípa (Böhmisch Leipa) zu fahren. Česká Lípa liegt bereits im Bezirk Liberec. Bisher war die Fahrt dahin mit DÚK-Tickets nur von Děčín und Litoměřice aus möglich. Diese Neuerung ist auch für sächsische Tagestouristen interessant, weil sich der Geltungsbereich des Elbe/Labe-Tickets auf tschechischer Seite mit dem des DÚK-Netztickets deckt.

Auf der Buslinie 458 von Ústí nad Labem (Aussig) über Chabařovice (Karbitz) nach Krupka (Graupen) führt der Bezirk Ústí im Berufsverkehr neu einen Viertelstundentakt ein. Zu den übrigen Zeiten verkehren die Busse neu jede halbe Stunde als bisher jede Stunde.

Insgesamt treibt der Bezirk den Umstieg auf emissionsarme und emissionsfreie Verkehrsmittel voran. In Zukunft sollen einige Strecken ohne Elektrifizierung mit Batteriezügen befahren werden.

Rosengarten eröffnet wieder im Frühjahr

Nach zwei Jahren ist die Umgestaltung und Erneuerung des Rosengartens auf Schloss Děčín abgeschlossen. Dabei wurden nicht nur Rosenbeete und der Gartensaal (Sala terrena) erneuert. Ein Großteil der Disposition des beliebten Gartens hat sich verändert. Der Garten sollte wieder so nah wie möglich zu seinem Aussehen vor über 100 Jahren zurückkehren, als das Schloss noch von den Thun-Hohensteins bewohnt wurde. Umgestaltet wurde vor allem der Platz vor der Gloriette, dem erhöhten offenen Pavillon am Ostende des Gartens, der bereits im Vorfeld restauriert worden war. Insgesamt findet sich nun im Garten mehr Wasser in Form von Becken, Brunnen und einem Springbrunnen.

Erstmals können wieder die Terrassen unterhalb des Gartens zur Altstadtseite hin betreten werden, die für Besucher bislang unzugänglich waren. Vor allem aber wurden wieder Rosen angepflanzt, die auch früher hier im Garten blühten, einschließlich historischer Sorten, wenn sie noch aufzutreiben waren.
Für Besucher wiedereröffnet wird der Garten allerdings erst im Frühjahr, dann neu über eine Drehsperre. Ab der neuen Saison wird es auch Konzerte im Gartensaal geben.

Die Sanierung des Rosengartens erfolgte zusammen mit der Erneuerung der Schlosszufahrt, der sogenannten Langen Fahrt. Diese war schon vorher abgeschlossen. Die Gesamtkosten beliefen sich auf rund 120 Millionen Kronen (5 Millionen Euro). Erstmals seit dem Abzug der sowjetischen Streitkräfte Anfang der 1990er Jahre ist das Schloss damit vollumfänglich saniert.

Bald Aus für Personenzüge von Děčín nach Střekov

Voraussichtlich nur noch ein Jahr werden auf der rechten Elbseite zwischen Děčín Hauptbahnhof (Tetschen) und dem Bahnhof Ústí-Střekov (Aussig-Schreckenstein) Personenzüge fahren. Nach dem Willen des Bestellers für den regionalen Eisenbahnverkehr, des Bezirks Ústí, soll der Personenverkehr dann nach 150 Jahren eingestellt werden. Grund ist die geringe Auslastung im Vergleich zu der parallel verlaufenden Buslinie. Laut Bezirk nutzen die Bahnverbindung im morgendlichen Berufsverkehr im Schnitt rund 20 Reisende. Mit den drei Bussen, die morgens auf der Strecke unterwegs sind, reisen im Schnitt 120-150 Passagiere.

Der Bezirk Ústí schlussfolgert daraus eine fehlende Attraktivität der Eisenbahn. Die Bushaltestellen seien sowohl in Děčín und Ústí, als auch in den Orten an der Strecke, besser erreichbar. Das gilt allerdings eher nur für Ústí, wo der Zug in Střekov wenden muss, um auf den Westbahnhof zu kommen, der aber auch nicht so gut gelegen ist wie der Hauptbahnhof. Außerdem würden die Busse in den Orten häufig mehr als eine Haltestelle bieten, was auch für eine bessere Erreichbarkeit sorgt.

Die anstehende Schließung bekommen Bahnreisende auf der Verbindung schon ab 14. Dezember zu spüren. Mit dem Fahrplanwechsel verschwinden die modernen elektrischen Züge von RegioJet und es kehren die alten RegioNova-Triebwagen von České dráhy zurück.

Die Personenzüge auf der rechtselbischen Strecke standen schon früher wiederholt zur Disposition. Rettung brachte auch die Übernahme des Betriebs durch RegioJet nicht. Auch jetzt ist die endgültige Entscheidung noch nicht gefallen. Dass der Betrieb auf jeden Fall noch bis Mitte Dezember 2027 läuft liegt vor allem an der Sanierung der Beneš-Brücke in Ústí. Während der Sanierung wollte der Bezirk den Personenverkehr nicht einstellen, da die Verbindung als Alternative zur geschlossenen Brücke dienen könnte.

Die rechtselbische Strecke wird schon heute überwiegend vom Güterverkehr genutzt, der damit der stark befahrenen linkselbischen Strecke durch das Elbtal ausweicht.

Eine Plattform für den Wolfsberg

Der Gipfel des Vlčí hora (Wolfsberg) nahe Krásná Lípa (Schönlinde) bekommt im kommenden Jahr eine Aussichtsplattform. Sie entsteht auf dem Fundament der Baude, die vor fast drei Jahren durch einem Brand zerstört wurde. Bis heute sind noch Teile davon zu erkennen. Die Baude befand sich direkt neben dem Turm, der damals auch teilweise beschädigt und bereits im vergangenen Jahr wieder instandgesetzt wurde. Der Bau der Plattform hat bereits begonnen und soll in der ersten Jahreshälfte 2026 fertig sein. Die Eröffnung ist für Ende Juni geplant.

Der Klub der tschechischen Touristen, der den Aussichtsturm von der Stadt Krásná Lípa angemietet hat, nutzt für die Errichtung der Plattform Spendengelder, die damals zu Instandsetzung des Turm gesammelt wurden. Da die Turminstandsetzung von der Stadt aber anderweitig finanziert werden konnte, können die rund 600.000 Kronen (25.000 Euro) für die Plattform eingesetzt werden. Offen ist noch, wie das ganze Baumaterial auf den Gipfel gelangen soll. Momentan wird die Idee verfolgt, die schweren Säcke im Rahmen eines Sportwettbewerbs nach oben zu befördern. Es gibt sogar schon einen Namen für den Lauf: Iron Man 26.

Der Mann, der Amadeus einkleidete

Der tschechische Maler, bildende Künstler und Kostümbildner Theodor Pištěk ist am Mittwoch im Alter von 93 Jahren in Prag verstorben. Pištěk ist international vor allem mit dem Mozart-Film „Amadeus“ des Regisseurs Miloš Forman verbunden, für dessen Kostümausstattung er 1984 den Oscar gewann. Für die Kostüme in einem weiteren Forman-Film „Valmont“ gewann er 1990 den französischen Filmpreis César.

Geboren am 25. Oktober 1932 in Prag, stammte Pištěk aus einer Familie von Filmschaffenden. Als Maler wurde er durch seine fotorealistische Malerei von Autos, Flugzeugen und Maschinen bekannt. Pištěk nahm auch selbst an Autorennen teil. Bereits seit Ende der 1950er Jahre arbeitete er immer wieder für die Ausstattung von Filmen,  für Filme des Regisseurs František Vláčil (u.a. Markéta Lazarová). Auch für den beliebten Weihnachtsklassiker „Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel“ entwarf er die Kostüme. Später entwarf er auch Kostüme für Theater und Musicals. Václav Havel übertrug ihm den Auftrag, die Uniformen für die Burgwache neu zu gestalten.

German Foreign Office warns of hepatitis in the Czech Republic

The Federal Foreign Office has drawn attention to the increase in hepatitis A infections in the Czech Republic and has recommended that people should only enter the country if they have been vaccinated against the disease. According to the Foreign Office, the capital Prague and the districts of Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad), Central Bohemia and Moravian Silesia are particularly affected. "Pay attention to basic hygiene measures, especially consistent hand hygiene," says the Foreign Office website.

The Czech Republic is currently experiencing the largest hepatitis A epidemic in recent decades. By mid-November, over 2,500 infections had been reported, four times more than a year ago and more than at any time since 1989. The last hepatitis A epidemic dates back to 1979, when over 32,000 people were infected.

First coal-fired power plants to be closed as early as 2027

The first coal-fired power plants in the Czech Republic will be taken off the grid by the end of next year. Sev.en has announced that it will shut down the Počerady and Chvaletice power plants as well as the power plant in Kladno in December 2026, and by March 2027 at the latest. The reason for this is the difficult market situation. Specifically, this relates to the price of emission allowances and the market prices for electricity and gas. This would mean that the power plants would be shut down well before the government's previous plan. This had assumed a coal phase-out in 2033.

The Počerady power plant is located in northern Bohemia south of Most (Brüx). The power plant in Chvaletice is located on the Elbe in the Pardubice district east of Kolín. Both are among the largest coal-fired power plants in the Czech Republic. Together with the power plant in Kladno, they have an installed capacity of almost 2,400 megawatts. The power plant in Kladno also has an installed thermal capacity of 950 megawatts.

For the second year in a row, Sev.en is making high losses with its power plants. The problem is the high CO2 emissions. Sev.en needs exactly one emissions certificate to produce one megawatt hour. By comparison, the coal-fired power plants of the state-owned energy company ČEZ only need an average of 0.8 certificates. Sev.en's power plants also have a lower level of efficiency, at 32 to 33 percent.

The big question will be what impact the closure of three power plants will have on the grid and the energy supply. The grid company ČEPS must examine this. In an earlier projection, ČEPS had already assumed that the shutdown of several power plants would turn the Czech Republic into an importer of electrical energy. The country has traditionally been an exporter of energy. Should it be economically necessary, the Czech Republic has the instrument of allowing a power plant to continue producing with state aid.

The upcoming change of government also plays an important role. The three parties involved have already announced that they will allow coal-fired power plants to run longer with state support.

An overhead line causes train chaos between Prague and Berlin

Train detour and hours of delays: On November 26 (Wednesday), rail travelers from Prague via Dresden and on to Berlin had to be patient. The cause was an overnight accident on the overhead line on the Prague-Děčín line, according to a breaking news report from Czech Railways České dráhy. Rail traffic was interrupted between the stations of Hrobce and Roudnice nad Labem (Raudnitz). International trains were diverted with considerable delays via the alternative route on the right bank of the Elbe via Lysá nad Labem and Mělník, which then also affected traffic between Dresden and Berlin. The line at the scene of the accident was not open again until 2 p.m., and delays continued into the evening.

However, the railroad did not disclose this: Overhead line damage has occurred for the 16th time in just under nine months, the last time last weekend. And the damage doesn't occur by chance somewhere on the open line, but in the middle of Roudnice nad Labem. In a way, it is damage by design. In Roudnice, the historic Špindler Bridge over the Elbe has been undergoing renovation since March. The steel construction from 1910 was getting on in years. The international railroad line runs directly under the bridge on the town side. When the line was electrified, the bridge was already in place, which is why the overhead line hangs relatively low. In order not to endanger the bridge renovation and, above all, the construction workers, the section under the bridge was taken off the grid. Train drivers have to retract the pantograph for the time being. To be on the safe side, the railroad infrastructure company Správa železnic had safety hooks installed before and after the work. If the pantograph remains up, it is pulled off the hooks as an emergency solution. The overhead line then remains intact, but the train cannot continue with the broken pantograph and blocks the line until a new locomotive is procured.

At the moment, infrastructure companies and train drivers are blaming each other. Some complain about ignorant train drivers. The others feel they have been badly warned. In fact, flashing warning signals have only recently been installed. In addition, train drivers are now being called and reminded to lower the pantograph. Despite this, another accident occurred on Wednesday night. The train drivers also believe that the problem could be solved in a different way and that the pantographs are being destroyed unnecessarily. Správa železnic denies that there is any other technical solution.

It was probably bad news in this context when it was announced in October that the bridge would have to be renovated for much longer than originally planned. The renovation should actually have been completed by now. As both the steel structure and sandstone girders have to be replaced in parts, the renovation will now take until the fall of next year. The Ústí district, which owns the bridge, has announced that it wants to complete the section of bridge under which the railroad line runs as quickly as possible. Until then, there is the threat of hours of delays in the event of another accident.

North Bohemian cities offer scholarships for returnees

In order to stop the exodus of well-trained specialists in particular, towns in northern Bohemia are offering scholarships. The spa town of Teplice, for example, offers 100,000 crowns every year to all those who return to Teplice after their studies and work or run a business there. The condition is that they stay in Teplice after completing their studies for at least the same amount of time as they received the scholarship. However, interest is limited. Just five have applied. The scholarship amounts to 4,167 euros per year. That doesn't sound like much, but it can help. Unlike before: the city only offered an annual scholarship of 10,000 crowns, i.e. 417 euros. Nobody wanted to commit to their old home for so little money.

There is even less interest in the hop and UNESCO World Heritage city of Žatec (Saaz). No one has applied for an annual scholarship, which is only 50,000 crowns, since it was introduced in 2022. In Žatec, the offer is also limited to future general practitioners, paediatricians and dentists.

The Ústí (Aussig) district also hands out scholarships. You can receive up to 100,000 crowns here. However, the scholarship is now limited to future teachers. As many as ten apply each year. This was different in the past, when the scholarship was available for other subjects without restriction.

The city of Aš in the Saxon-Bavarian-Czech border triangle is also primarily interested in teachers. Students can receive up to 96,000 crowns per year (4,000 euros). In addition, after graduation, there is a one-off starting grant of another 150,000 crowns (6,250 euros). The future teachers can also save on rent in the long term. They are even given preferential allocation of a municipal apartment, which they can use rent-free for a year. After that, they pay the rent themselves, but only half as much as in other municipal apartments.

Good consumer sentiment in the Czech Republic

This should be good news for retailers in the run-up to Christmas: In the Czech Republic, private household confidence in the economy jumped by 4.3 points to 111.7 in November. This is the highest value for six years. Analysts attribute the increased confidence in part to the result of the parliamentary elections in October. "Households are expecting certain economic improvements from the new government," said Petr Javůrek, chief analyst at Provident Financial. The hope relates specifically to the promise of lower energy prices.

However, the increase is also taking place against the backdrop of good economic development. The economy is growing faster than expected and wages have also risen well. All of this together is probably the reason for the positive mood.

The situation is different for companies, however, where confidence in economic development fell by 3.5 points to 99.9. This is slightly below the average. This is a clear indication that the positive economic development in the Czech Republic continues to be driven by private consumption. However, the picture is not uniform in the economy either. While the mood in the industrial and construction sectors is down, it is splendid in the service sector.

Analysts expect economic growth of 2.5 percent in 2025. They do not expect a recovery in industry until the course of next year.

Another nine Saxon-Czech projects approved

Today, the Local Steering Committee approved funding for a further nine small Saxon-Czech projects from the Small Projects Fund in the Elbe/Labe Euroregion. The distribution was very uneven this time: eight Czech projects were matched by only one from Saxony. The projects received a total of 80,469.60 euros in funding.

Overview of the projects

 

(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)

Schluckenauer Zipfel faces months of road closures

People in Schluckenauer Zipfel will have to prepare for restrictions on the most important road link to the south in the coming year. According to plans by the ŘSD State Road and Motorway Directorate, the state road I/9 will be completely closed between Nová huť and Svor from March 1, 2026 until October 31. The reason for this is the construction of a new bypass around the village of Svor to divert traffic away from the village. Until now, the I/9 has run right through the middle. In Svor, the I/9 meets the state road I/13, which has been widened to four lanes there in recent years.

The project to build a bypass around Svor has been planned for some time. However, it has only now become known that the Schluckenauer Zipfel will be deprived of its only state road towards the interior of the country for eight months. The detour is planned over a large area via Chříbská and Česká Kamenice, starting in Jiřetín pod Jedlovou. However, the mayors of the municipalities in the Šluknov region are up in arms against this. The towns of Varnsdorf, Krásná Lípa and Rumburk in particular are showing a lack of understanding. Not only do thousands of people use the I/9 to get to work and training every day, the route is also used by emergency services for trips to the hospital in Česká Lípa. There are also regular bus services to Prague. The detour route, on the other hand, is already well utilized.

The mayors are calling for a different technical solution to allow traffic to continue across the I/9 at least alternately in one lane or in two lanes via a temporary bridge. At the very least, the duration of the closure should be significantly shortened. The Ústí district has also joined the demands. The construction project itself is located in the Liberec district. The investor, the ŘSD State Road and Motorway Directorate, has referred to the difficult profile in the vicinity of the road construction site. A full closure is unavoidable.

Municipalities get land at the Milada open-cast mining lake

At one of its last meetings, the current Czech government decided to transfer land at the Milada open-cast mining lake near Ústí nad Labem (Aussig) free of charge. The decision is seen as the first and most important step in the further development of this already popular recreational area. Until now, the land has been owned by the state and managed by the state-owned company Diamo, which looks after former mining areas. In future, the land will be transferred to the Milada Lake Voluntary Association of Municipalities (Dobrovolný svazek obcí Jezero Milada). In addition to Ústí, this includes the municipalities of Chabařovice, Trmice and Řehlovice. A total of 378 plots of land with an area of 8.2 million square meters are involved.

There is only one step left to realize the plans for a recreational area around Lake Milada: the write-off of the lignite reserves under the area around the lake. According to estimates, this amounts to 128 million tons of coal. Although the lake has been open for tourist use for over ten years, the state could theoretically still access the lignite reserves at any time, which would prevent reliable planning. The coal deposits must be written off by the mining authority in consultation with the Ministry of the Environment. This is expected to take place in the course of 2026.

There is already infrastructure for leisure and recreation on the lakeshore. Diamo recently awarded ten-year leases to operators of boat and SUP rentals, snack bars and bars. The long-term contracts will remain valid even after the municipal association takes over the land. With the new ownership structure, however, even more far-reaching projects are possible. These include the "Wild Milada" project (see "Meanwhile in the Czech Republic ... 20/25). The Ústí Zoo, the city of Ústí and the Ústí district are planning a 700-hectare reserve for wild animals from Asia, a bird sanctuary and prehistoric animals such as bison, Przewalski's horses and other offspring in the area of Lake Milada.

North Bohemia's heating industry plans to phase out coal by 2030

The Czech Republic is speeding up its coal phase-out. In North Bohemia, the heart of lignite mining to date, the supply of district heating will no longer be based on lignite by 2030, according to the main heating supplier ČEZ. Coal will be replaced by natural gas and biomass in future. In the long term, the majority state-owned energy company ČEZ is also relying on heat supply from small modular nuclear reactors, hydrogen and waste incineration.

The first steps have already been taken. In June, for example, a new gas boiler went into operation in Prunéřov near Chomutov, which serves as an alternative heat source to the existing coal-fired power plant. In future, it will supply heat to the nearby town of Kadaň, which currently obtains its district heating from the Tušimice coal-fired power plant. To this end, ČEZ is building a 5.7-kilometer-long heat pipeline from Prunéřov to Kadaň. A biomass boiler and other gas boilers are also to be built in Prunéřov. They will supply heat from the 2028/29 heating season.

Prunéřov was once home to the largest coal-fired power plants in the Czech Republic. The Prunéřov I power plant was considered one of the biggest polluters in Europe and was taken off the grid in June 2020.
ČEZ also built five new gas boilers and one kilometer of heating pipeline in Ústí nad Labem in cooperation with the city. This secured district heating for 3,000 households.

ČEZ's other plans on the road to phasing out coal include the construction of a combined heat and power plant in Prunéřov, a small modular reactor in Tušimice and a gas-steam combined cycle power plant in Trmice near Ústí. ČEZ has announced investments of over 4 billion euros in the transformation of the energy industry in the Ústí region alone by 2030.

Czech Republic says goodbye to Cardinal Duka

Last weekend, the Czech Republic bid farewell to the long-serving Archbishop of Prague and 'Cardinal Dominik Duka with a mass in Prague's St. Vitus Cathedral on Hradčany Hill. Duka died on November 4 at the age of 82. He was Archbishop of Prague for more than 12 years until 2022.

The commemoration took place in the presence of the current President Petr Pavel and his two predecessors Václav Klaus and Miloš Zeman. The Requiem in B flat minor by Antonín Dvořák was performed. Dignitaries from other religions and faith communities also paid their last respects to the long-serving archbishop. Duka's body was laid to rest in the crypt of the archbishops in St. Vitus Cathedral. The mortal remains of his predecessors František Tomášek and Miloslav Vlk already rest there.

Duka worked as a priest illegally before 1989 and was imprisoned for two years. He led the Dominican Order in Czechoslovakia from 1986. In 1998, he was appointed Bishop of Hradec Králové (Königgrätz) until he was appointed the new Archbishop of Prague in 2010. He was succeeded in 2022 by the then Bishop of Olomouc, Jan Graubner.

After the death of his predecessor Miloslav Vlk, hopes rested on Duka to continue Vlk's course of opening up. However, these were disappointed time and time again. Duka acted as a conservative guardian of Catholic tradition. One of the highlights of his time in office was the re-erection and consecration of the Marian Column on Old Town Square.

Sudeten German Day 2026 in the Czech Republic for the first time

Next year, the Sudeten German Landsmannschaft will be holding its Sudeten German Day in its old homeland of the Czech Republic for the first time. It traditionally takes place at Whitsun, next year from May 22 to 25, this time in the Moravian metropolis of Brno (Brünn). It is no coincidence that Brno was chosen. Years ago, the second largest city in the Czech Republic was the first to officially commemorate the victims of the expulsion of the German population. For ten years, the most important symbol has been the March of Reconciliation, which always takes place in June in the opposite direction and commemorates the 1945 death march from the Austrian border to Brno.

The decision to choose Brno follows an invitation from the "Meeting Brno" association, which organizes the Reconciliation March, which was extended at the last Sudeten German Day in Regensburg this year.

Premiere for steamboat trips during Advent

For the first time this year, there will be Advent steamboat trips on the Elbe between Bad Schandau and Roudnice nad Labem (Raudnitz). From November 27, the Labská plavební společnost shipping company will be setting off on regular river trips on its historic paddle steamer "Labe" (Elbe) on behalf of the Ústí district. The steamboat trips take place every Thursday to Sunday. The last trip is on December 21.

As the trips are ordered by the Ústí Region, a discounted ticket from the Doprava Ústeckého kraje transport company is valid on all routes and can be purchased via the "DÚKapka" app, which is also available in German. According to the schedule, the steamer runs between Ústí nad Labem and Litoměřice (Leitmeritz) on Thursdays and Fridays, from Ústí to Bad Schandau and back on Saturdays and from Ústí nad Roudnice nad Labem on Sundays.

The Ústí district offers the rental of saloons to retirement homes and school classes. At the same time, with this first-time offer, the district would also like to compensate for the many days on which no steamboat trips were possible this year due to low water levels, according to a press release. The district estimates the cost of the steamboat trips at 1.8 million crowns (75,000 euros).

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(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)

Parliament elects right-winger as president

The Czech parliament has elected Tomio Okamura as its president at its first session. The leader of the far-right party Svoboda a přímá Demokrace (Freedom and Direct Democracy) was elected with the votes of the future governing parties ANO and Autofahrer as well as his own party. Okamura, who is of Japanese descent, regularly rails against foreigners, minorities and political opponents. His choice of words is often racist and xenophobic, and he calls for the Czech Republic to leave the EU and NATO in the long term.

His election is a deal between the future governing parties. Okamura deliberately did not want a ministerial post where he would have to take on responsibility, but was aiming for the prestigious post of Speaker of Parliament. Okamura had deliberately trampled on parliamentary conventions in the past. His party had even lost significant support in the elections. However, as it is needed for the government, the deal was made. In addition, both the likely future Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Okamura are threatened with legal proceedings. In order to ensure that their immunity as MPs is not revoked, both are dependent on cooperation.

As one of his first official acts, Okamura had the Ukrainian flag removed from parliament. The President of Parliament is nominally the third highest office in the Czech state after the President of the Republic and the President of the Senate.

Czech government resigns

The government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala has submitted its resignation to President Petr Pavel and received its resignation papers. However, the ministers will remain in office on a temporary basis until the new government is formed. The future government consisting of ANO, motorists and SPD adopted its government program this week.

New memorial plaque for Karl May

The writer and spiritual father of Winnetou and Old Shatterhand, Karl May, has been honored with a memorial plaque in Chomutov. The plaque was unveiled at the former Hotel Scherber in Chelčický Street. May was visiting friends here in 1897. He came from his home town of Hohenstein-Ernstthal on the other side of the Ore Mountains. Karl May was and still is very popular in the Czech Republic. There has long been a May street in Ústí nad Labem, near a hotel where he stayed for a while and found inspiration for his works near the Schreckenstein.

 

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(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)