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The Czech Republic Celebrates Václav Havel
On Monday, October 5, Václav Havel would have turned 90. The writer, dissident, and president was commemorated throughout the country. Ústí nad Labem (Aussig) celebrated Havel with an entire 15-day festival featuring concerts, plays, exhibitions, and even a hike past houses in the Bohemian Uplands that were inhabited by members of the opposition before 1989 and were therefore under special surveillance by the State Security Service. The festival was organized by several institutions.
Václav Havel is also being commemorated in Dresden. The nEUROPA Gallery on Bautzner Straße is exhibiting photos by photographer Bohdan Holomíček, a close companion of Havel’s. Holomíček’s photos show Havel above all as a human being—in everyday life, surrounded by his family, or while traveling. Holomíček himself will appear at the closing of the exhibition on November 13 as part of the Czech-German Cultural Days.
Václav Havel was born on October 5, 1936, in Prague and died on December 18, 2011, at his weekend home in the village of Hrádeček near Trutnov (Trautenau). From 1989 to 1992, he served as President of Czechoslovakia, and from 1993 to 2003 as President of the Czech Republic.
Local Elections in the Czech Republic
Polling stations opened in the Czech Republic today at 2 p.m. All eligible voters are called upon to elect new members to their municipal councils by 2 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday. In addition, one-third of the seats in the Senate, the upper house of the Czech Parliament, will be filled.
In the Czech Republic, city and municipal councils are elected for four-year terms. Mayors are not elected directly but are appointed by the municipal council based on coalition agreements. It may therefore take some time before the names of the mayors are finalized. It is already clear that the district capital of Ústí nad Labem (Aussig) will have a new leader, as the incumbent mayor, Petr Nedvědický (ANO), is not running for re-election. Whether the next mayor will also be from ANO remains to be seen. A large multi-party coalition is hoping to win the election. However, Ústí has always been considered a reliable ANO stronghold.
President Petr Pavel made headlines in connection with the elections; he originally announced that he would not vote, but has apparently since changed his mind. Pavel is registered as a resident of the North Bohemian municipality of Černouček. However, he has been living in Prague for 3.5 years, and no new senator is being elected in his district. The president will be in Morocco with fellow motorcyclists until the end of next week. He attributes his inability to participate in the elections to a planning error, for which he apologizes. In the Czech Republic, there is no option for absentee voting in municipal elections.
Most commentators, however, cannot understand this reasoning. First, it is the president who sets the date of the elections, and second, the president serves as a role model. One cannot complain about low voter turnout and then fail to vote oneself. The president’s team reportedly tried to further persuade Pavel to return to the polls after all, and according to the latest reports, this appears to have been successful. Live updates report that he has returned and has already voted this afternoon.
Ghetto Museum in Theresienstadt to Be Modernized
The Ghetto Museum in Terezín (Theresienstadt) will remain open to visitors until November 2. After that, the museum will close for renovations lasting over two years. At the same time, the exhibition will be updated to meet modern standards. The Ghetto Museum is scheduled to reopen in 2029.
The museum will also take on a completely new look thanks to a glass extension. Atelier SKUPINA, led by architect Marcela Steinbachová, emerged as the winner of an architectural competition in which 22 teams participated. She also invited American architect Steven Holl to collaborate on the project. In the winning design, Holl is the architect of the glass tower, called the Tower of Light, whose appearance and name are inspired by the life story of Petr Ginz, who created the painting “Moon Landscape” during his internment in Theresienstadt.
In addition to the expansion and modernization of the museum building, the visitor infrastructure, a completely new exhibition, and the museum’s surroundings will also be redesigned by 2029. Until then, the museum will relocate in stages to the Magdeburg Barracks.
Last year, the memorial complex—which also includes the former Gestapo prison in the Kleine Festung—welcomed 240,000 visitors.
From 1940 to 1945, the Nazis deported 140,000 people—primarily Jews—to the ghetto. 35,000 died under the harsh conditions of imprisonment; most of the others were deported to the extermination camps in what is now Poland.
Human Remains Found at Site of Massacre
Construction workers have found human remains in Postoloprty (Postelberg), Czech Republic. The construction work is taking place on the site of a former barracks that, after the end of World War II, became the scene of one of the largest massacres in Europe. According to historians, it was even the largest massacre until Srebrenica.
At the time, the barracks served as headquarters for the 1st Division of the Czechoslovak Army, which was joined by the Revolutionary Guards. Their mission was to “cleanse” Postoloprty, as well as nearby Žatec (Saaz) and the surrounding villages, of the German population. It was primarily men who were rounded up, tortured, and killed at the barracks. Sources confirm at least 763 deaths. However, the number is likely higher; some estimates even put the death toll at over 2,300.
The discovery was made at the site where trenches once stood. Many of those executed without trial were buried in these trenches, while others were buried in mass graves in the surrounding area. In place of the barracks, which were demolished in 2016, single-family homes are to be built.
Rudolfstein will remain closed until the end of October
One of the most popular viewpoints in Bohemian Switzerland, Rudolfův kámen (Rudolfstein), will remain closed until the end of October. The Bohemian Switzerland National Park is having the small hut at the summit of the rock renovated. The lower section of the trail leading up to the summit also needs to be repaired. The stairs in the upper part of the trail were already renovated years ago.
The other two popular viewpoints in the Dittersbach Rocks (Jetřichovické skály) area—Mariina skála and Vilemínina stěna—remain accessible.
Too Many Deaths—Ústí Crematorium Gets Third Facility
The New Crematorium in Ústí-Střekov (Aussig-Schreckenstein) is getting a third cremation unit. The city has published a corresponding call for bids. The reason cited is high utilization. Too many deceased individuals for whom cremation was chosen have caused the crematorium to reach its capacity limits. Currently, demand can only be met by starting work earlier.
The city had already renovated one of the two cremation units. This was also because, in the past, heavy deceased individuals could not be cremated in Ústí. The facility has now been designed to handle bodies weighing up to 300 kilograms. The new facility is intended not only to increase capacity but also to make better use of waste heat.
The New Crematorium in Ústí was built in 1986. It serves not only to cremate the deceased from the district capital, but also from the wider surrounding area, including those from abroad.
(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)
Prague's Industrial Palace Reopens
Prague has regained an important architectural gem. The Industrial Palace on the exhibition grounds in the Bubeneč district has reopened following an extensive renovation.
A fire on October 16, 2008, destroyed the palace’s left wing. Reconstruction did not begin until early 2022. At the same time, the central section and the right wing were renovated. Since there were no plans for the left wing, the east wing served as a model, as it was built with exactly the same proportions as the west wing. The building attracts attention with its glass-enclosed facade in the central section and the clock tower featuring a spiral staircase and four corner towers. When the palace was built in 1891 according to plans by Bedřich Münzberger for the Jubilee Provincial Exhibition, it was the first steel structure in the lands of the Bohemian Crown. The then-bold combination of steel and glass was influenced by the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris.
During the reconstruction, a basement was added to the entire left wing to house utility lines and systems, bringing the entire building up to code for fire safety, security, and state-of-the-art standards.
The Industrial Palace is part of the fairgrounds. For the first few weeks, the operator—the municipal fair company—is offering guided tours. The palace is open to the public only as part of these tours. Otherwise, as it was before the fire, it serves as a venue for trade shows, conventions, corporate events, and even balls.
Czech Republic Offers Fuel Discount
As of Thursday, a government-subsidized discount on fuel prices at gas stations has been in effect in the Czech Republic. It is composed of various elements. The Czech Ministry of Finance sets a maximum price for diesel and gasoline each day, based on the wholesale indices of leading trading firms and the market prices from the Platts platform. To this, it adds a maximum retail margin of 2.50 korunas per liter (10.4 cents), which it sets itself, as well as sales tax. For October 2, the prices were set at 45.92 korunas (1.91 euros) for gasoline and 48.58 korunas (2.02 euros) for diesel. On the first day the prices took effect, prices had fallen in response to the government’s price cap, though the drop was more pronounced for diesel than for gasoline. While the difference in diesel prices averaged 13 to 17 cents, the difference for gasoline was only 3 to 8 cents. Prices fell the most at highway gas stations.
The larger discount on diesel is also related to another government measure that reduces the excise tax on diesel from 9.95 crowns per liter to 8.011.
On October 2, gas stations also kept gasoline prices closer to the maximum price, while diesel prices fell further below it. For example, the Prim gas station in Děčín near the main train station sold gasoline for 45.90 crowns per liter—effectively at the maximum price—and diesel for 47.90 crowns. The maximum prices apply only to fuels outside the premium segment. The daily price cap will remain in effect for the time being until the end of October. The government had already capped prices in this manner during the spring and summer.
The government also plans to impose an extraordinary tax on refineries retroactively for both last year and this year.
Court Exonerates Cardinal Trochta
The District Court in Litoměřice has exonerated former Cardinal Štěpán Trochta. The case concerned a three-year period from 1950 to 1953, when the then-Bishop of Litoměřice was held under house arrest by the State Security Service (StB) at the bishop’s residence and was, quite literally, monitored around the clock. It is reported that the surveillance even took place while the bishop was asleep.
The court decided to rehabilitate the clergyman based on extensive materials from the Office for the Documentation and Investigation of the Crimes of Communism. The report states that the State Security Service had intensively and persistently violated human rights. During his three years of house arrest, Trochta was constantly surrounded by people who, each in their own way, had been instructed to monitor the bishop. “That must have been stressful and exhausting,” commented prosecutor Jan Jakubec.
The house arrest occurred during the period of the worst persecution by the communist regime, which had violently seized power in Czechoslovakia in 1948. On January 16, 1953, Trochta was arrested while under house arrest, taken to prison, and subsequently sentenced to 25 years in prison. He was released in 1960 under an amnesty and was rehabilitated in 1968 for his time in prison. He was allowed to resume his duties as bishop. Pope Paul VI appointed him a cardinal in 1969. However, after the suppression of the Prague Spring, the pressure intensified once again. On April 6, 1974, Trochta died in Litoměřice after prolonged police interrogations and harassment.
Chairlift to the Mückentürmchen Featured on a Stamp
The chairlift to Komáří vížka (Mosquito Tower) is being honored with its own postage stamp. It will be issued on October 14 in a print run of 300,000 and corresponds to the “B” denomination, which currently costs 31 crowns. Designed by artist Milan Bauer, the stamp features a view from a two-seater chairlift toward the mountain hotel at the summit. The stamp is being issued to mark the major renovation of the cable car system in recent years. The Czech Post is issuing the stamp as part of its “Technical Monuments” series. Collectors will also find the stamp booklet—printed in a run of 10,000 copies—particularly interesting; it features, among other things, the valley station with its drive wheel.
The chairlift is the longest of its kind without an intermediate station in Central Europe. It runs from Bohosudov (Mariaschein), a district of Krupka (Graupen), to the summit of Mückentürmchen and is 2,348 meters long. Its technology has remained unchanged since it began operating in May 1952. In 2013, it was designated a cultural monument of the Czech Republic.
Protest Against Hospital Cuts in Rumburk
Hundreds of people demonstrated on Thursday against the closure of the pediatric ward at the Rumburk Hospital. The hospital’s intensive care unit is also threatened with closure. By Thursday evening, more than 700 people had signed a petition against the closures. The closures would affect 10,000 children. The nearest hospitals with pediatric wards are located in Liberec, Česká Lípa, and Děčín.
Demonstrators also criticized the lack of transparency in the decision-making process. In early August, the daily newspaper *Děčínský deník* was the first to report on the upcoming closure. The regional hospital network *Krajská zdravotní*, to which the hospital in Rumburk belongs, only recently confirmed the information at a meeting of mayors.
Another Record High in Doksany
The North Bohemian town of Doksany near Litoměřice was the second-warmest place in the Czech Republic on Wednesday. Indian summer had also arrived in the Czech Republic. In Doksany, thermometers read 26.1 degrees Celsius. This made Doksany one of only two places in the Czech Republic where the temperature rose above 26 degrees. The warmest location was Husinec-Řež, near Prague, at 26.2 degrees Celsius. Eight other weather stations recorded temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius.
Doksany had already reported high temperatures during the summer heat wave. However, the data from neither Husinec-Řež nor Doksany were sufficient to set a new all-time temperature record. Instead, new records were set at three locations in South Bohemia, where temperatures on those respective days reached new highs.
Summer temperatures are also expected to persist in the Czech Republic until at least the middle of next week.
(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)
Czech Republic's Northernmost Observation Tower Opens
A new observation tower will open on Saturday at the summit of Jitrovník (German: Jüttelsberg). Jitrovník is located west of Šluknov (Schluckenau) near the village of Království (Königswalde) and, at 510 meters, is one of the highest peaks in the Bohemian-Saxon Lusatia region. The 31-meter-high steel structure with wooden cladding, designed by architect Tomáš Beneš, promises sweeping views and new perspectives. This is because there has been no comparable observation tower in this area until now.
Things were different over 120 years ago. Back then, there were even more towers in the Schluckenau region. Until 1903, a viewing tower made primarily of wood stood on Jitrovník. The new viewing tower is therefore the first to be built in the Schluckenauer Zipfel since 1905. The last new tower built at that time was the one on Mount Tanečnice (Tanzplan) near Mikulášovice. However, the tower on Jitrovník is now the northernmost observation tower not only in the Schluckenauer Zipfel region but in all of the Czech Republic.
The cost of the new tower, amounting to 13 million crowns (540,000 euros), was largely covered by EU funds secured through a joint project with the town of Sohland. The tower is located near the border with Saxony and is also easily accessible via marked trails from Ebersbach or Taubenheim. A festive program is planned for the inauguration on Saturday.
Price of Czech Highway Vignette to Remain the Same
Good news for everyone traveling by car in the Czech Republic. The price of highway vignettes will not increase at the beginning of next year. The Czech Parliament passed an amendment to the Land Transportation Act, which previously provided for an annual increase starting in January of the following year. This means that prices in 2027 will remain at the previous year’s level. The annual vignette costs 2,570 korunas (107 euros), the monthly vignette costs 480 korunas (20 euros), the 10-day vignette is still available for 300 korunas (12.50 euros), and consumers pay 230 korunas (9.60 euros) for one day of highway use. The amendment also changes the validity period of the daily vignette. It is now valid for 24 hours from the time of purchase and no longer just until midnight on the day of purchase, as was previously the case.
The previous government had introduced a mechanism that caused the price of vignettes to rise annually. Electric and hydrogen-powered cars do not require vignettes (but must be registered in the Czech Republic). A reduced price applies to cars powered by natural gas or biomethane, as well as to plug-in hybrids. The vignette—which has been available only in digital form in the Czech Republic for years—can be purchased centrally via the government website edalnice.cz.
Václav Havel Library Gets a New Name
The Václav Havel Library has renamed itself the First Presidential Library. This move by the new board of directors came in response to the decision in June by the president’s widow, Dagmar Havlová, to withdraw her consent to the use of Václav Havel’s name. Havlová had also completely withdrawn from the library, which she had co-founded in 2004.
For nearly 20 years, the library had preserved the legacy of the first freely elected president of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic following the Velvet Revolution of 1989. To that end, it organized a packed program featuring an average of four events per week. The library provided a platform for eyewitnesses as well as historians, artists, and politicians. It organized exhibitions, presented publications, and collaborated with schools.
However, at the beginning of the year, a deep rift developed between the then-new director, Tomáš Sedláček, and the staff, resulting in the entire team resigning, including the long-time program director, writer, and co-signatory of Charter 77, Jáchym Topol. Sedláček was later temporarily suspended from duty. But by then, the most important sponsors—and subsequently Dagmar Havlová as well—had already withdrawn their support.
The library now hopes to continue its previous work under a new name and with a new staff. Among the new board members are associates of Václav Havel, such as the musician Michal Kocáb. Sedláček, on the other hand, was permanently dismissed after only two years on the job.
But the question remains whether the library’s work can continue at the same level as before. New sponsors are reportedly on board. But the naming rights are gone for good. Dagmar Havlová transferred them to the Prague City Library earlier this week. However, the library does not have a dedicated Václav Havel section; so far, there have been only a few events planned to mark the upcoming 90th birthday of the writer and president. It also remains unclear what will happen to the archives of the former Václav Havel Library.
Prague Funicular Resumes Operation After Renovation
The Prague funicular to Petřín Hill (Laurenziberg) resumed service on Monday morning after a two-year renovation break. Contrary to expectations, the rush to ride the funicular was limited. According to Prague Public Transport, this was likely due to the early start time of 7 a.m. The funicular is an integral part of the capital’s public transit system and operates daily between 7 a.m. and 10:15 p.m., running every 10 minutes. However, if demand spikes, the intervals may be shortened.
Over the past two years, it wasn’t just the cable car line that was renovated; the slope also had to be stabilized. New cars are now in service. They were designed by Anna Marešová, a graduate of the University of Ústí nad Labem (Aussig), who also designed the new cable car to Ještěd (Jeschken) near Liberec (Reichenberg). The new cable car has larger windows, offering better views. It also has a capacity of 120 passengers. Previously, the limit was 100 passengers. The cable car was built by the Austrian-Swiss consortium Doppelmayr/Garaventa. The acquisition cost was 137.7 million crowns (5.7 million euros).
The cable car will operate on a trial basis until August 2027. Until then, a staff member will be present in the cabins. Although the cable car is remotely controlled from the upper station, in the event of an accident or malfunction, on-site staff can coordinate further action in consultation with the control center.
With the launch of the service, the price of a single ride has increased from 60 to 100 crowns. Those who purchase a ticket via the Prague Public Transport Company app pay only 90 crowns. The cable car can still be used with pass cards or 24- and 72-hour tickets. Children up to age 15 and adults 65 and older ride for free.
The Czech Republic is also delighted with the Vindobona
The historic Vindobona express train has completed its first trip to the Czech Republic. However, the journey wasn’t entirely without incident. The high-speed railcar (SVT), formerly known as the VT 18.16, was forced to take a detour. Due to a coupling failure, the train did not return as planned via Liberec and Hrádek nad Nisou, but instead traveled through the Elbe Valley on the right bank of the Elbe via Štětí, Ústí nad Labem-Střekov, and Děčín. It attracted a great deal of interest along the entire route; videos and photos are flooding the internet, daily newspapers, and social media.
In the Czech Republic, this iconic train—which was formerly used in international passenger service in the GDR and has been painstakingly restored in recent years—is actually known by a different name. Since many trains and locomotives in the Czech Republic are named after animals, the Czech nickname comes as no surprise: Because of its front end, it is called “Dolphin.”
Monday is a national holiday in the Czech Republic
On Monday, the Czech Republic celebrates its national day. The country commemorates its patron saint, Saint Wenceslas. On September 28, the saint—whose equestrian statue stands at the upper end of the large square named after him—was murdered.
In the Czech Republic, this holiday is one of those days when stores remain closed. Exceptions include stores with less than 200 square meters of retail space and gas stations. However, it is likely that even smaller stores will remain closed or at least adjust their hours. Cafés and restaurants will operate on their usual Sunday hours. Museums, castles, zoos, and other recreational facilities, however, will be open.
(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)
Prague Displays the Crown Jewels
It’s that time of year again, starting Tuesday. The Crown Jewels are on display in the Vladislav Hall at Prague Castle (Hradčany). Since then, school groups have been able to view the precious artifacts. Starting Saturday and running through September 28, the Crown Jewels will be open to the general public. In addition to the Crown of St. Wenceslas, the Crown Jewels also include the Royal Scepter and the Imperial Orb.
The Crown Jewels are kept locked in the Crown Chamber at St. Vitus Cathedral and have rarely been displayed to the public in the past. President Petr Pavel decided to display the jewels for two weeks every year. To open the chamber, all seven key holders must gather at the same time. These are the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the Presidents of both chambers of Parliament, the Archbishop of Prague, the Mayor of Prague, and the Dean of the Metropolitan Chapter of St. Vitus in Prague.
Visits to this symbol of Czech statehood are available daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The last day of the exhibition, September 28, also marks Czech Statehood Day—the day on which the Duke of Bohemia, Saint Wenceslas, was murdered in 935.
60th Birthday of a Brilliant Czech
Outside the Czech Republic, the name Jára Cimrman will be familiar only to a few insiders. Yet he was a world-class genius who made significant contributions to many well-known inventions.
In reality, Cimrman is a complete fabrication, born from the imagination of screenwriters and radio journalists Jiří Šebánek and Zdeněk Svěrák. The name was first mentioned on September 16, 1966, on Czech Radio. A year later, the Jára Cimrman Theater began its first season, and it remains active to this day. Not only were numerous plays created that Cimrman was said to have written—but which were actually penned by Zdeněk Svěrák and Ladislav Smoljak—but Lectures on research about and by Jára Cimrman have also been—and remain—an integral part of every theatrical performance. A Cimrman scholar is known in the Czech Republic as a “Cimrmanologist.”
The plays and quotes from them are part of general knowledge in the Czech Republic, and many quotes have taken on a life of their own. Jára Cimrman, too, has, in a sense, taken on a life of his own. In polls asking who the most famous Czechs are, the Phantom regularly ranks among the top ten, in good company with figures such as Emperor Charles IV, Saint Wenceslas, Johann Amos Comenius, Jan Hus, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, Václav Havel, Martina Navrátilová, and Karel Gott.
Cimrman is said to have actually lived sometime in the 19th century. Initially known as a steamroller operator and amateur sculptor, he soon became a genius who, among other things, invented yogurt, founded a puppet theater in Paraguay, missed the North Pole by a mere 7 meters, helped Thomas Alva Edison invent the incandescent light bulb, and rented a room to Gustave Eiffel.
He also left his mark near the Saxon-Czech border. It is said that in the rest stop restaurant at the Komáří vížka (Mosquito Tower), the brilliant idea for a seated barrel came to him while he was in the restroom there. The logic was this: If people drink beer while sitting, why shouldn’t beer also mature in barrels while seated?
One of the largest organs in the Czech Republic is playing again
One of the largest organs in the Czech Republic has been playing since early September, very close to Saxony. On September 6, Stanislav Přibyl, Archbishop of Prague and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Litoměřice (Leitmeritz), blessed the organ of the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary at the Osek (Ossegg) monastery during a festive Mass. A festive opening concert took place on the same day. The Czech organist Daniel Knut Pernet performed on the organ.
In fact, it was the first time the organ had been heard in its full glory. When it was built in 1933 by the renowned organ-building firm Rieger Brothers of Krnov (Jägerndorf), only three manuals were completed. Then came the war, followed by the expulsion of the predominantly German population. With the communists’ violent seizure of power in 1948, persecution of the Church and religious orders began, and these were also banned. The Cistercian monastery was turned into an internment camp for nuns and monks. Later, the building’s structure suffered from a lack of use and maintenance. This was also true of the organ.
Following the comprehensive renovation of the monastery church between 2018 and 2021, restoration of the organ began in 2021. This work was once again entrusted to a company from Krnov. The Ponča company won the bidding process. As part of the restoration, the originally planned fourth manual was also installed. This manual is positioned above the church choir and is played remotely from the organ loft. As a result, the organ now has 6,003 pipes, more than the new organ at St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague, which has 5,755 pipes. However, the organ in Prague has 121 stops, while the expanded organ in Osek has 83.
The restoration and expansion of the organ cost 24 million crowns (about 1 million euros). The renovation of the monastery church had previously cost 130 million crowns (5.4 million euros).
Controversy Over War Memorial in Dubí
A monument commemorating those who fell in World War I is currently at the center of a major controversy in Dubí (Eichwald). The city had decided to restore the monument and reinstall it at its former location in a small grove above Goethe Park. The memorial has a turbulent history: After the expulsion of the German population following World War II, it was torn down and buried in the ground. In the early 1990s, Lubomír Koudelka and a friend dug it up and placed it in his garden. It consisted of a rectangular block inscribed in German with the names of the fallen from Dubí. On top of the block stood the torso of a soldier. The soldier now stands a few meters away from the monument. Instead, the new monument features a rusty helmet on its pedestal.
The city has already reached an agreement with the owner, Lubomír Koudelka, regarding the donation of the monument, and an agreement is also imminent with the landowner where the monument is to be re-erected.
However, it remains unclear whether the monument will be re-erected at all, as the Czech legionnaires from Teplice have spoken out against the restoration in an open letter. They claim it was created in an atmosphere already inflamed by fascism, although no evidence of this has been found. During World War I, the legionnaires were Czech fighters who did not serve in the Austro-Hungarian army but fought on the side of the Entente—that is, Great Britain, Russia, and France. After World War I, they formed the core of the army of the new state of Czechoslovakia. Later, they were also active in the anti-fascist resistance.
However, the open letter from the Legionnaires appears to stem more from a local political dispute. The Legionnaires are led by Petr Pípal, the former long-time mayor of Dubí, who hopes to return to City Hall in the October elections. The current mayor, Jiří Kašpar, had initiated the monument’s restoration. He argued that the monument is part of history and commemorates citizens of the town who lost their lives—and that these were not only Germans. Furthermore, it is a war memorial registered in the Ministry of Defense’s database, which is why the city has a duty to take care of it. Funds from the ministry are also available to finance the reinstallation.
Historian Jan Grisa points out the unusual behavior of the Legionnaires. Throughout the Czech Republic, war memorials are being re-erected or restored, often with the consent of the local population and not infrequently with the involvement of the Legionnaires—even in areas that were once settled by Germans.
Mourning Architect Ivan Nosek
StArchitect Ivan Nosek died at the age of 85. He was the designer of St. Wenceslas Chapel in the village of Bílka pod Milešovkou at the foot of Milešovka (Milleschauer) in the Bohemian Uplands. The artistic design of the chapel’s interior was the work of his artist friend Jan Koblasa. Both were active in Germany after their emigration. Nosek also worked for a time for the City of Cologne. After 1989, he returned to the Czech Republic from time to time and spent his summers at his family’s weekend home in Bílka. His father, also an architect, was forced to move with his family to Northern Bohemia in 1948. Nosek therefore grew up in Teplice, graduated from the Secondary School of Industry in Děčín, and went on to study in Prague.
During his time in exile, the historic chapel in Bílka had fallen into disrepair. In the 1990s, he began planning a new chapel. The modern building stands almost exactly where its predecessor once stood. Together with Koblasa, he also made significant contributions to the “Friendship Trail.” This trail winds around the village of Bílka and features a total of 14 works of art by Czech and German artists.
Nosek and his family also established the tradition of the Wenceslas Festival, which is traditionally held around the feast day of St. Wenceslas. He died just a few days before the traditional festival, which takes place this year on September 26.
(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)
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