From Děčín to Berlin in 2.5 hours

The journey time from North Bohemia to Berlin has been shortened. The new train timetable makes it possible. Since December 14, long-distance trains have been running via the so-called Dresdner Bahn in the south of Berlin. This brings not only Dresden and Prague, but also Ústí nad Labem (Aussig) and Děčín (Tetschen) around ten minutes closer to the German capital. From Ústí, the Railjet train takes just 2 hours and 45 minutes. From Děčín, the scheduled journey to Berlin takes less than 2.5 hours. The chances of this actually happening on schedule improved once again on December 17. Almost at the same time as the new timetable, the 2.5-year construction site at Bad Schandau freight station was completed, which had previously caused delays and closures, especially for S-Bahn services and occasionally also for long-distance trains.

Long-distance trains from Prague still terminate in Berlin. When the renovation of the Berlin-Hamburg line is completed in April next year, long-distance trains will continue to Hamburg and even to Copenhagen. This will give Prague, Ústí and Děčín a direct connection not only to the German capital, but also to the Danish capital. The journey time from Prague to Hamburg will then be significantly reduced by 40 minutes.

New government with many acquaintances

The Czech Republic has a new government. At the beginning of the week, President Petr Pavel appointed the 14 members of the new government at the suggestion of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. The cabinet then convened for its first meeting in the Straka Academy. The building on the Lesser Town on the banks of the Vltava River is the seat of the Prime Minister. Before the first cabinet meeting, outgoing Prime Minister Petr Fiala handed over the building to his successor. Accordingly, all ministers were introduced to their ministries during the course of Monday, where their respective predecessors handed over their offices.

However, the government is not that new. Including Andrej Babiš, six of the 15 members of the government alone were already ministers, most of them in the same function. All six hold office for Babiš's ANO party. Petr Havlíček is once again Minister of Industry and Trade, as he was between 2017 and 2021 in Andrej Babiš's first government, and is now also Deputy Prime Minister. Alena Schillerová is once again Minister of Finance. Robert Plaga is again Minister of Education and Adam Vojtěch Minister of Health. Only Lubomír Metnar moved from the Ministry of Defense to the Ministry of the Interior. Almost all of them are also considered recognized experts in their fields across the coalition.

Jeroným Tejc (for ANO) as Minister of Justice and Boris Šťastný as Minister of Sport (Motorist) are also politicians who have shaped Czech politics as parliamentarians, in some cases for decades, Tejc for the Social Democrats (ČSSD) and Šťastný for the liberal-conservative ODS. A good acquaintance from the North Bohemian perspective is the Minister for Regional Development Zuzana Mrázová (ANO), who married shortly before her appointment, was previously called Zuzana Schwarz Bařtipánová and as such was the esteemed mayor of Bílina for many years.

Mrázová and Schillerová are also the only two women in the cabinet. And it is unlikely that this very unfavorable ratio will improve. At the moment, the Ministry of the Environment is still vacant and is being temporarily led by Foreign Minister Petr Macinka (Motorists). Filip Turek, the candidate originally intended for the post, canceled a meeting with President Pavel in preparation for the appointment due to illness. A new date for the meeting has now been set. However, Pavel has major reservations about his appointment due to Turek's anti-minority and inhumane statements. Either way, the post will be filled by motorists and almost certainly by a man. This party, like the other coalition party, the SPD, is an almost purely male party that has so far only appointed men to key positions.

Czech amateur theaters are a UNESCO World Heritage Site

At its most recent meeting in Delhi, India, UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage declared Czech amateur theaters an Intangible World Heritage Site. "This is an award for a living tradition that is deeply rooted in the Czech Republic," said a delighted Martin Baxa (ODS), the outgoing Czech Minister of Culture, last week. More than 3,500 theater groups throughout the Czech Republic with around 100,000 active members are currently dedicated to the tradition of amateur theater, which has a history of over 200 years in some ensembles. Some ensembles have more than 300 members. The tradition is particularly strong in the regions, even where there is no other cultural life. UNESCO thus recognizes a typically Czech tradition that continues to produce new generations of amateur actors. The dense network of primary art schools in the Czech Republic is also an important factor in the widespread dissemination of this tradition, which is organized purely privately and cultivated in circles of friends.

For the Czech Republic, it is the entry in the UNESCO intangible world cultural heritage with the widest distribution among the population. So far, nine traditions have already been included in the Czech Republic, such as the masks and carnival parades in the Hlinsko region (East Bohemia), the scouts (Sokol), the royal horsemen in the south-east of the Czech Republic and puppetry. The most recent addition to the prestigious list was handcrafted glassmaking two years ago. This year, Czech amateur theater was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage together with Italian cuisine, Icelandic open-air bathing culture and the Polish basket-making tradition.

Lithium extraction still unclear

There has been talk of resuming mining in the Ore Mountains for years. The semi-state-controlled company Geomet wants to mine lithium in the Cínovec (Bohemian Zinnwald) area. The reserves on the Czech side are among the largest in Europe. However, the project is only making slow progress.

During the last meeting of the district parliament in Ústí, it became clear that crucial prerequisites for the project are still lacking. The main issue here is the lack of a feasibility study. This is a prerequisite for an environmental impact assessment. Geomet announced that it would apply for this by the end of the year and also submit the feasibility study. During this week's parliamentary session, however, Geomet was still unable to present a feasibility study, which was criticized by representatives of municipalities such as Dubí and Košťany in particular. According to them, Geomet had promised to submit the study long ago. The mayor of Košťany also expressed doubts as to whether lithium mining was even economically viable due to the drop in raw material prices. The district parliament then removed the topic from the agenda after the debate. The original intention was to vote on a change in spatial planning in favor of lithium mining. This was postponed until further notice.

Geomet, 51% of which is controlled by the coal company Severočeské doly, which in turn belongs to the semi-state-owned energy group ČEZ, has already carried out extensive test drilling in the Cínovec area, where lithium is to be extracted one day. Processing of the raw material is planned at the current power plant site in Prunéřov near Kadaň. The extracted material will be transported there partly by cable car. The Australian company EMH controls 49 percent of Geomet. The state has already pledged up to 8.8 billion crowns (around 370 million euros) in subsidies for the construction of the processing plant.

Money for the preservation of churches, synagogues and cemeteries

At its last meeting, the Board of Directors of the Czech-German Future Fund released money for the preservation and renovation of churches, synagogues and cemeteries. A total of 466,000 euros was made available for this purpose. For example, the dome of the synagogue in Děčín (Tetschen) will be renovated for the funding sum of 600,000 crowns (25,000 euros). Money will also be used to restore gravestones at the cemeteries in Chabařovice (Karbitz) near Ústí nad Labem (Aussig) and Kerhartice (Gersdorf) and Kamenický Šenov (Steinschönau) near Česká Kamenice (Böhmisch Kamnitz). The money from the Future Fund will also be used to continue the renovation of the Chapel of the Cross in Markvartice.

A total of 1.5 million euros in funding was approved. While the construction and maintenance measures are planned for the whole of next year, all other projects relate to the first quarter of 2026. The main focus is on youth and children's encounters, exchanges between children and young people, as well as cooperation between schools and internships on the other side of the border. The Gotické dvojče (Gothic Twins) gallery in Litoměřice (Leitmeritz), which supports the presentation of German and Czech artists, will also receive funding. Funding was also approved for the translation of books such as "Ungleich vereint" by sociologist Steffen Mau into Czech and the Elbe book by Luboš Palata, which he presented at the Czech-German Culture Days, into German. The Future Fund is also supporting the translation of the book about the traces of the Red Mountaineers in Saxon Switzerland and the Eastern Ore Mountains.

The most beautiful Christmas tree in North Bohemia

Benešov nad Ploučnicí (Bensen) has the most beautiful Christmas tree in the Ústí Region this year. This was the result of the annual survey conducted by the daily newspaper "Deník". According to the survey, Benešov won by a hair's breadth over the tree in Štětí and by a large margin over the tree in Žatec. The Christmas tree in Heidenau's twin town was a private donation from Mr. and Mrs. Klemer. It was decorated by Mrs. Michaela Soukupová; the volunteer fire department of the small town provided her with a lifting platform.

The Christmas tree had previously beaten the defending champion of the national poll from Velký Šenov (Groß-Schönau) in the Děčín district poll. The most beautiful Christmas tree in the Czech Republic even stood in Velký Šenov twice in a row. Whether its successor, Benešov, will once again come from the Děčín district will be decided in the national final, which will be held between December 19 and 22. If you would like to vote, you can do so here. The winner will receive prize money of a quarter of a million crowns (around 10,000 euros).

(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)

Jaroslav Rudiš receives the Giant Mountains Prize

The Czech author Jaroslav Rudiš is this year's winner of the Krkonoše Prize for Literature. The award was presented to him at a ceremony in Jelenia Góra (Hirschberg) last Sunday. According to the Sächsische Zeitung, the patron and Prime Minister of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, was also present. The prize is endowed with 3,000 euros and has been awarded every two years since 2019 by the Verein zur Pflege schlesischer Kunst und Kultur. It honors significant literary contributions to the cultural life of Silesia in the spirit of mutual understanding. Rudiš comes from Turnov in northern Bohemia and now lives alternately in Berlin and Lomnice nad Popelkou, which is around 80 kilometers from Jelenia Góra.

The Czech Republic has a new prime minister

Andrej Babiš is the new Prime Minister of the Czech Republic. The 71-year-old was appointed by President Petr Pavel on Tuesday morning. He is returning to office after four years. He does not yet lead the government, as the ministers will only be inaugurated by the President on Monday. Within 30 days of their appointment, the government must be confirmed by parliament with a simple majority.

Prior to his appointment, Babiš announced in a video that he would sell all shares in his agrochemical holding Agrofert. They will be transferred to a trust structure and managed by an independent administrator. In his words, Babiš will no longer take control of Agrofert even after his departure as head of government. His children will only receive Agrofert after his death.

Babiš traveled to Brussels after his appointment and met with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President António Costa.

First Michelin Guide for the Czech Republic

The Michelin restaurant guide is being published for the first time in a separate country edition for the Czech Republic. In addition, nine restaurants were honored with the coveted star, one of which even received two stars. Six restaurants received the star for the first time.

The prerequisite for the publication of a separate Czech Republic guide was the payment of a fee of around 2 million euros by the Czech government. This also secures the publication of the prestigious restaurant guide for five years. As the restaurant tests were not limited to Prague, unlike in previous years, the number of Michelin stars in the Czech Republic increased significantly. Four were awarded outside of Prague alone. To receive a star, the restaurant must meet five strict criteria, which include the quality of the ingredients, harmony of taste, mastery of cooking technique, original cuisine personalized by the chef and consistently high quality.

No Michelin star has been awarded to the North Bohemian border region. But with "Arrigo" in Děčín (Tetschen) and "V Bezovém Údolí" in Kryštofovo údolí (Christofsgrund) near Liberec (Reichenberg), two top restaurants made it into the guide.

Hřensko removes first border market stalls

The border village of Hřensko (Herrnskretschen) is working on its image. Until now, it was not only known for the Edmundsklamm and Wilde Klamm gorges, but also for the many market stalls selling all kinds of goods of dubious quality. Recently, Mayor Kateřina Horáková announced that some of the market stalls would have to disappear. These are the ones that stand on land owned by the municipality. Some stalls take up the entire footpath. As a rule, they stand in front of houses, but some are also separate structures.

New measurements have shown that there are around 20 stalls. The traders also had a permit for this. However, this dated back to 2004 and expired a year ago. Now the municipality has given the traders, who belong to the Vietnamese minority, an ultimatum until the end of the year to remove their stalls. The first stall has already been removed. For the first time in more than 20 years, the sidewalk and the front of the building have been exposed again.

The customers at the stalls and booths come exclusively from Germany or are tourists who are interested in the supposedly cheap goods. For Czech customers, the stalls are completely uninteresting. In the Czech Republic, however, the stalls are one reason for Hřensko's dubious reputation.

A bench commemorates Bohemian refugees

A trek passes by. Wagons full of luggage, pulled by horses, but also just by people. Above it an open book and a chalice. It quickly becomes clear that the book is the Bible. And the refugees are Protestants. On the right is Prague and the year 1621, on the left Dresden, with the Vltava and Elbe rivers in between. The Thirty Years' War was raging at the time. The united Protestant armies suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the imperial troops at the Battle of White Mountain, which was still outside Prague at the time. And even though the war continued for another 27 years, the fate of Bohemia and all those who adhered to the Protestant faith was sealed. Their leaders were killed and their heads and bodies were displayed on the Old Town Square for months as a deterrent. Everyone else either had to return to the bosom of the Catholic Church or flee.

All of this can be found on the wooden backrests of a bench, depicted by the wood sculptor Ivo Švejnoha from Kytlice (Kittlitz) near Nový Bor (Haida) in the Czech Republic. The bench stands in front of the Johanneshaus in Dresden (Haydnstr. 23) and was inaugurated on the morning of the 2nd Advent.

But why is there a bench with motifs of Bohemian exiles in front of a parish hall in Dresden? It is a reminder of the Bohemian traces in Dresden, which have faded and become blurred as a result of the war and several municipal reforms. Bohemian exiles had also settled in Dresden. They founded the Church of the Redeemer, true to their Prague home parish of Salvator, Latin for redeemer. However, the church building in Paul-Gerhardt-Straße was badly damaged during the air raids in February 1945 and demolished in 1962. You can find out more about the history of the parish here.

Today the parish is called Johannes-Kreuz-Lukas. Now the bench not only commemorates the origins of the congregation, but also the old Church of the Redeemer, which is also depicted on the backrests together with the Salvator Church in Prague. And that's not all: two chalices from the Bohemian sisters and brothers in faith have also remained with the congregation. However, they have only recently returned, having been stored away for a long time or were part of the Saxony Bohemia 7000 exhibition in Chemnitz seven years ago. Jana Cejpová from the Salvator parish council was present at the inauguration. Both congregations maintain a close partnership to this day. The production of the bench, whose frame was made of hot-dip galvanized steel by the company Metallgestaltung & Schmiede Andreas Nestler in Freital, was financially supported by the Dresden-Blasewitz district advisory council.

The backrests and seats of the bench are not Ivo Švejnoha's first work in Dresden. There is already one of his works in the open air in Zschonergrund - it is also a bench.

Osek Monastery Library makes a guest appearance in Teplice

The library of the Cistercian monastery of Osek (Ossegg) is not normally open to visitors. But that will change until February. The volumes, some of which are over 500 years old, have been temporarily moved to the Teplice Regional Museum. This is located in the former castle. A room has been created there that is a complete replica of the library in Osek. This gives visitors the feeling that they are actually in the monastery in Osek.

A selection of the predominantly baroque volumes is on display until February 15. The library itself was founded in 1725. Not only books, but also statues of saints such as John Chrysostom, Thomas Aquinas and Bernard of Clairvaux are on display. Small prints are also on display, some of which are unique. A special feature is the painting of Benedikt Littwerig, the founder of the library. The portrait does not come from the library, but from the depot of the regional museum, and was previously known as "Unknown Monk". It was only in preparation for the exhibition that it was established that it was the founder of the library, Littwerig.

The exhibition is open every day except Mondays during the museum's usual opening hours, i.e. from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and at weekends from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

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The Joint Secretariat at the SAB, which manages the Saxon-Czech INTERREG program, currently has two vacancies.

One is a position as a customer advisor (m/f/d) for the implementation of the cooperation program Saxony - Czech Republic 2021-2027. It is available immediately and will initially be filled for a limited period until December 31, 2027.

More information at the SAB

 

On the other hand, we are looking for a working student, also with immediate effect. More information can be found on the flyer.

(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)