In the Czech Republic

Lidice

2009-09-13T20:18:00.001-07:00

In May 1942, a high ranking Nazi was killed by two Czech resistance fighters. Hitler declared that any village harboring the resistance fighters be punished by executing all of the men and transporting all of the women to a concentation camp. The children who looked German were "Aryanized" and placed in SS families; the rest were sent to the extermination camp at Chelmno. In all, 340 people from Lidice died: 192 men killed; 60 women died in the camps; and 88 children were gassed. Lidice was chosen arbitrarily. It could have been any town. Click here for more details.
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The few who returned formed a new settlement overlooking the site of the destroyed village. There is a peaceful memorial and museum there. Of the original village, all that remains is the outline of the village church.
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Lidice is a place for contemplation, not picture taking. If you'd like to see more, there are photos that I took during a 2001 visit in my Fotki album.

And so ends the tale of our trip to the Czech Republic in 2009. We hope we can return again in the near future to spend more time with our new relatives and learn more about this beautiful country.

Bezdruzice

2009-09-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

Cousin Martin suggested we stop in Bezdruzice on the way back from Marienske Lazne. His mother recommended a glass exhibition in the Chateau Bezdruzice, the building at the top of the hill. Unfortunately, we arrived too late to gain entrance. The surroundings were interesting. We hope to return one day. The chateau apparently rents out rooms for overnight guests. It would be a lovely place to stay. This is the entrance to the courtyard. Click here to see views of the gallery and interior of the chateau.

Here's Lloyd in the courtyard with some very modern sculpture.

This stonecarving was on the castle grounds.

Nepomuk

2009-09-13T11:49:00.000-07:00

It was a hot Sunday afternoon as we drove from Prachatice to Plzen, so we pulled off the main road into the tiny town of Nepomuk for some ice cream and a cold drink. The tiny town center holds a statue of Saint John Nepomuk, who was born here around 1340. Radio Prague told the interesting story of the Nepomuk area on 9 September 2009; click here to read about Saint John, graves that glow when someone’s about to die, a landscape littered with the petrified cattle of a greedy pagan and the ghost of an evil musketeer who walks the earth with the still-ferocious spectre of his dog.
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Who knew? We spent only a few peaceful moments enjoying cold refreshments on the tiny deck of the café.

Prachatice

2009-09-13T11:14:00.000-07:00

The town of Prachatice dates from the 11th century. Its location on the Golden Path, an important salt trade route beginning in Passau, Bavaria, and a 13th century grant that gave it sole rights to buy and store the salt provided its prosperity initially. Over the years it was ransacked, plundered and burned, and sold from one powerful family to another. Today it is supported by machine engineering, electrotechnical companies, and timber processing. It is the birthplace of John Nepomuk Neumann (1811-1860), the first American bishop to be canonized.

This signpost is in the town square. A building dating to 1649.

This gallery on the square is decorated with faux stone, painted.

The most amazing buildings in the square are decorated in the sgraffito technique. This storefront is a good example of the delicacy of some of the work.

One side of the square houses the old and new city buildings, a combination of warm stone and gray sgraffito.

The building on the left has a painted stucco front and intricate sgraffito on the side. Lloyd likes the dormers; he says they look like sleepy eyes.

This is what's around the corner -- an elephant!

We stayed in the Hotel Koruna (Crown) in Prachatice. Lloyd and George are parking the car to unload our suitcases. The hotel is tucked away on a little side alley off the square.

This is the alley beyond the front door.

The pub in the hotel. Great inspiration for minis.

Tabor

2009-09-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

Although the great Catholic reformer, Jan Hus, was burned at the stake in 1415, he can be considered the spiritual cofounder of Tabor, along with Jan Zizka, who led the Hussite forces and is considered the greatest warrior of Czech history. Zizka Square is surrounded by interesting Bohemian Renaissance style buildings. Here also is the Dean Church of Lord's Conversion on Mount Tabor (a biblical site for which the town is named). The buildings have marvelous facades. The one on the left looks like a wedding cake.

Another side of the square.

The stone blocks on the building in the center back are in a sgraffito technique that decorates many buildings around the square.

I really like the colors and clean design of this building.

Another building decorated with the sgraffito technique.

Here's a detail of the sgraffito blocks. You can see how the top layer was scratched away, revealing the darker layer below.

Here is more intricate sgraffito patterns on the old city hall.

In one of the narrow side roads, I spotted this wrought iron work. What graceful burglar bars!

Český Krumlov

2009-09-12T20:27:00.000-07:00

Český Krumlov is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. It sits on a double bend in the Vlatava (Moldau) River and boasts a magnificent castle that perches on a high ridge overlooking the town. The castle tower can be seen from all over the valley. It is interesting to note that much of the detail on the tower is painted. As you walk along the ridge, from one part of the castle to another, this view can be seen through a low wall.

We were there on a warm, sunny August weekend, and the Bohemians were having a grand time splashing and boating in the river.

At the highest end of the palace grounds is this beautiful fountain.

Here are more examples of the faux painting found everywhere in this castle. The huge "stones" in the bear's moat (another signature feature of the castle), are not real.

Can you tell what's real and what's painted in this picture of a window?

The sundial is interesting and an accurate timekeeper. But compare the two windows.

This courtyard is entirely faux painted.

The slight difference in color indicates where restoration was recently completed. The camera shows a great difference, but to the eye, it may have been just a trick of lighting.

Kutna Hora - Saint Barbora's Church

2009-09-12T20:05:00.000-07:00

The Church of Saint Barbora [spelled Barbara in English] is one of the most famous Gothic churches in Europe. It is a UNESCO Heritage Site. It was begun in 1388 with a design of epic proportion but was not completed until 1905. Construction was dependent on the prosperity of the local silver mines, which became much less productive. Mining silver and minting coins was the primary source of income. The only non-religious statue in the church is this one of a miner wearing the hooded cloak the miners wore.

Some frescoes depicting the secular life of the medieval mining town have been partially preserved.

The stained glass windows are magnificent. This is just one of more than a dozen in the church, each one a magnificent depiction of a meaningful scene.

I was particularly impressed with the wood carving in the church. The end of each pew had a different design.

I spotted this facade as we walked toward the old mint, where our little band opted not to tour but to sit in the shade and drink a Coke.

International Baptist Theological Seminary

2009-09-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

In the past several years, George spent more than a year doing volunteer work at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague. Part of the reason for the trip was to meet up with old friends, some of whom I had met briefly when I was there in 2001. IBTS occupies a former palace, with some beautiful buildings surrounding a central courtyard. There is a magnificent theological library. The campus is home to numerous conferences as well as academic students.

These buildings face the courtyard. The patio, I think, is new since 2001.

The window is the computer room. One morning when I went there to check email, I noticed the little birdhouse. I'm not sure whether it was put there because birds were nesting there or if it is meant to attract birds. It's in a fairly public area and didn't seem to be occupied at the time.

As with many of the castles in the Czech Republic, it sits on a steep hill -- the better to defend it, eh? The courtyard is on the lower level, the dormitories much higher. This stairway from courtyard to dorm level has about 48 steps.

When not in use for conferences, the facility operates as the Hotel Jeneralka. Our rooms were on the top floor, with wonderful dormer windows overlooking the hillside, which rose behind the building.

One morning I saw movement in the grass and an unfamiliar bird call. It was a ring-necked pheasant! While I was growing up, we had a stuffed pheasant around. I remember stroking its silky feathers. I think my father shot it, but I'm not sure. Anyway, it was a real treat to see one in the wild.

The last photos are architectural details, of interest to me and other miniaturists. My next project will be a Bohemian inn and restaurant, so I was ever alert to details that might apply. This terracotta railing is on one of the terraces.

The next three photos are of roofs typical of the area. The first is red metal, standing seam.The next is also metal. I include it for the snowbirds that hold back the snow in the winter so it doesn't come crashing down on those below. Lloyd grew up in New Orleans. He didn't know about snowbirds.

The last roof is slate with an interesting shingle pattern. I think I'll use this for the inn. Click on the photo to enlarge it for details.

Other architectural details.

Park Boheminium

2009-09-12T14:46:00.001-07:00

One day while we were in Plzen, we drove out to the spa towns, not to take the waters but to find Park Boheminium, a beautiful park on a hillside above Marianske Lazne (Marienbad). Inside the park are winding paths populated with 1:25 scale models of historic buildings within the Czech Republic. There are more than three dozen models. I've chosen five to post here, but a small sample of the 105 photos I took in all.

Click on the photo to see the detail and read the fine print. A small explanation of the park is on a billboard just inside the entrance. I was sooooo glad to see that photography is not forbidden!

The church of Saint John of Nepomuk.

Here's a photo with George to give you an idea of scale. If he were to walk up beside the church, I think they would be about the same height.

This mill has a tiny millrace with running water.

The plantings around the buldings are carefully chosen to be in the same scale. Moss is used often for grass. I guess that eliminates the need for teeny tiny lawnmowers or micro-mini sheep.

Karlstejn Castle is the largest model.

I was enchanted with this reproduction of the buildings in Grandmother Valley. I have a copy of the book The Grandmother: a Story of Country Live in Bohemia byBozena Nemec published in 1892 that I have treasured for years and years.

The final selection includes details of the building, a tower in Cesky Budejovice. On my next trip to the Czech Republic, I would dearly love to visit the workrooms at the park to see the process of creating these wonderful models.

Glassblowers in Hluboka nad Vltavou

2009-09-12T14:14:00.000-07:00

As we left Hluboka nad Vlatou, we stopped at a small glassblowers workshop. I've misplaced the brochure so can't give you the name. I'm hoping George or Lloyd made a note of it. While we were there, two apprentices made a freeform serving dish. The photos below show steps in the process. I've edited it to essence. I took more than three dozen shots as they worked. Don't forget to click on the photos to enlarge them for details.

In the last photo, the piece is going into the cooling oven. If it cools too quickly, it will crack.

Castle at Hluboká nad Vltavou

2009-09-12T13:54:00.001-07:00

Hluboka nad Vltavou is a town near Czeske Budejovice in South Bohemia. George had visited on previous trips and said it was one of his favorite of the roughly 2,500 castles in the Czech Republic. Lloyd and I were delighted that we stopped. There has been a castle on this high ground overlooking the Vltava (Moldau) River from the second half of the 13th century, but its present Romantic Neo-Gothic style chateau was built 1841-1871. The archway in front of the castle leads to an inner courtyard. This shot is a bit backward, as we're looking into the garden from inside the courtyard.

The courtyard is decorated with antlers from various hunting trips.

We did not have time to tour the inside of the castle, which is one of the most beautiful in Bohemia. If you want to see some breathtaking photos, click here. The photo below is a model that appeared to have been made from matchsticks. You can see the courtyard. The entryway is to the right.

A Peaceful Scene

2009-09-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

One day the road we were traveling ran across a dam in a peaceful river valley. I don't know where this is. If memory serves, it was on the route between Konstantiovy Lazne and Plzen. I'll have to ask George if he noted the location. But never the less, it provided what I think is my favorite photo of the trip. I'm using it as wallpaper on my computer.
The downstream side of the dam was a model of efficiency.

All in all, a lovely Kodak moment.

Ossuary at Sedlec

2009-09-02T10:14:00.001-07:00

About 45 miles east of Prague is the village of Sedlec, where there is located an amazing chapel decorated with human bones. According to the guide, the bones were exhumed from the surrounding cemetery.

Why, you ask? A Cistercian abbot from there had made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1278 and brought back a container of earth from Golgotha, which he sprinkled over the graveyard, which came to be regarded as sacred land. The desire to be buried there was widespread. By 1318, there had been more than 30,000 burials. The ossuary itself dates from 1511, when a half-blind monk was given the task of removing the bones from existing graves to make way for new burials. They were stacked in All Saints Chapel, built about 1400.

In about 1809, a local wood carver named Frantisek Rindt, an employee of the Duke of Schwartzenberg, was hired to use the then 40,000 sets of bones to create decorations for the chapel. As macbre as the idea may sound, the chapel is a place of peace, a place to reflect upon our limited lifespan on earth and contemplate what is to come.

Bones not used in decorative elements are piled neatly in a half dozen pyramids in the chapel.

Prague Old Town Square

2009-09-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

The heart of old Prague is the Old Town Square -- Staroměstské náměstí. It has been the heart since the 10th century and its main market place until the beginning of the 20th century. There are beautiful pastel-coloured buildings in Romanesque or Gothic style. It is where the famous astronomical clock is located. Not all of its wondrous functions are operable, but great crowds come to see it anyway.

This is the city hall tower. The top of the clock can be seen in the lower left corner.

The National Gallery is a grand building facing the square.

A monument honoring Jan Hus, the Czech Hussite reformer, erected in 1915 on the occasion of his 500th birthday, dominates the center of the square. It shows two groups of people, a young mother symbolising national rebirth and the figure of Hus emphasising the moral authority of the man who gave up life rather than his beliefs.

The Gothic Church of Our Lady before Tyn was built in 1365 on the site of an earlier Romanesque church. Its magnificent multiple steeples are 262 feet high and dominate the square. Between the early 15th century and the year of 1620 it was the main Hussite church in Prague. One of the more modern sights was this velocipede built for a half dozen people. All the riders had to pedal, while one of them steered. It was amusing to watch its progress across the square.

Prague Boat Trip on the Vltava

2009-09-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

Part of our tour of Prague included a boat ride on the Vltava River, also known as the Moldau. If I could add music to this page, you'd be listening to Bedrich Smetana's "Vltava", some of my favorite music. We saw the Powder Tower, stands on the site of one of the original 13 gates to the city. Kings passed through here on their way to coronation at Saint Vitus Cathedral. It came by its name when it served as a gunpowder storge space in the 17th century. It was built in 1475 and renovated in the 1990s.

The Národní Divadlo or the National Theatre in Prague is a national monument of Czech history and art. It opened in 1881 but a fire necessitated a major renovation and it opened again in 1883. It was most recently renovated in 1993. Today, this historic and beautiful building, together with the annex of a modern office building which also includes the main box office, represents the main stage of the three artistic ensembles of the National Theatre: the drama, opera and ballet.

Part of the trip included a canal with some beautiful views.

Our guide pointed out one of the oldest boats still working on the river, this gorgeous wooden boat from 1928.

Prague Castle

2009-09-02T08:23:00.000-07:00

We visited Prague Castle in the Hradčany district as part of a tour because our time in Prague was limited. The Gothic cathedral of St. Vitus, St. Wenceslaus, and St. Adalbert is located within Prague Castle and can be seen from many points in the city.
I was particularly fascinated with the patterns on the slate roof.

This photo doesn't begin to capture the beauty of the many leaded glass windows in the cathedral. (Be sure to click on the photo to see a larger version with more detail.)

Within the cathedral is the chapel where Saint Wenceslaus is buried. When I was there eight years ago, it was possible to enter the chapel. Now one can only peer inside.

There are many signs and symbols that decorate the walls of the cathedral.

The Romanesque Basilica of Saint George is also located within the castle and is the second oldest church in Prague. It was founded in 920. Its physical appearance has changed many times through the ages. Today its vibrant colors stand in stark contrast the dark stone of the cathedral.

Although there are no more kings of Bohemia to live in the castle, it still functions as the seat of government. The president has offices and an apartment there. He was in his office on the day of our visit, as signified by his flag flying over the ramparts.

A Log Cabin Summer Home

2009-09-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

One day our cousins Martin and Slavka took us outside of Pilsen, to the mountains of Southern Bohemia, where their family has a log cabin, for a picnic lunch. Martin's father had seen the cabin elsewhere and one day asked the owner if he would sell it. It was dismantled and rebuilt on their land. It began as a barn/storage building, so windows were added, but otherwise it stands as it has for more than 350 years. It is very rare and is under the protection of the Czech state.

Thank you, Martin, for sharing the picture. I was so taken with the place that I neglected to take photos outside. Lloyd didn't take any photos at all! We really enjoyed our visit there.

This is a photo of Martin picking squashes from the garden. George looked right at home at the head of the table. Notice the painted cupboard in the corner. Martin's brother, Jiri (George), painted this and other furniture in the place.

While we were there, Martin phoned his neighbor down the hillside to come visit. He and his family lived in California for several years during the time of unrest, where he worked as a postal carrier. All of the family has now returned to their homeland.

This beehive fireplace and the woodburning oven/cookstove behind Lloyd are used for heating the place in the colder months. The stove burners are on the other side of the oven and the kitchen area is in the back corner.

This is the kitchen area, with a tiny sink in the corner. There is running water in the place, but no toilet. There's a little house outside for necessary business.

A collection of local ceramics decorates one wall. The ones on the top row are antiques; the ones below are modern reproductions. Both are beautiful.

Slavka put out a nice luncheon for us. The cupboard behind her is more of Jiri's artistry.

My favorite item in the cabin was the antique chest. I'd like to duplicate it and several other elements of this lovely cabin in miniature.

This chest is more of Jiri's handiwork.

Plzen Relatives

2009-08-25T05:56:00.001-07:00

Our stay in Plzen was filled with family. They are George's family by blood, mine by marriage on my father's side. No matter what the relationship, it was a real treat to get to know them. George visited and stayed with family members numerous times during time spent in the Czech Republic. Lloyd and I met them for the first time. George hosted a family dinner at a nice restaurant in Starý Plzenec. Here we are after dinner, missing only one person, who was behind the camera.

Inside the restaurant.

George Kalcik, here with his sister, Vera,

was behind the camera in the group photo.

The youngest family members enjoyed the evening, too.

While we are in Starý Plzenec, let me show you the school where Martin is the headmaster. It is just down the street from the restaurant. The school's website is in Czech, but the photos tell a story of a modern, forward-thinking private school.

One day we went to visit Karel and Vera Kalcik at their home. Vera made us a lovely lunch, and we enjoyed the sun on the rooftop deck with its lovely views. After lunch, Vera's mother, the 102-year-old Marie, visited with us. She was happy to see George again, and we were delighted to meet her. She has a lively twinkle in her eye.

After lunch, we gathered ourselves for an afternoon excursion. As we filed out through the kitchen, we were amazed to see Marie doing KP. I surprised her when I snapped this picture.

Two views from the deck. The Kalcik's live on the edge of Plzen,

and although there is a large, industrial city nearby, their

home enjoys a rural beauty.

The afternoon excursion took us to an air park, a lot chock full of old airplanes, tanks, and other items collected by a friend of the family. It was quite interesting. The interior of this plane was much like it was when it flew years ago.

Next stop: A quaint summer house in the South Bohemian mountains.

Ancestral Villages - Holovousy

2009-08-24T13:30:00.001-07:00

From the depressing ruins at Chric, we went on to Holovousy to find House No. 14, where Martin Zetek and his wife, Anna Pazak, lived when they were married. Later they lived in No. 12, which no longer stands.

No. 14 has been out of the family for a number of years, but the gentleman living there very graciously let us walk into the side yard, where it was evident there was a stable, chicken yard, and other farm buildings. He said that the house has been remodeled and many changes made to the yard, so I didn't take many photos. This is the front of the house facing the street.

I have to comment on the warm welcome we received at all of our stops. Cousin Martin is chatting with the mayor of Holovousy, who came out to walk with us to the house and welcome us to the village.

The village had many interesting houses. These were across the way from No. 14.

From here we drove to Kralovice, a larger town nearby, for a refreshing lunch at a pub and a chance to talk about all we'd seen this day. Olga promised to do further research to validate the relationships she'd established informally. She expects to be able to do this in September. I look forward to her report!

Although none of the cousins we met spoke English, and I don't speak Bohemian, I was assured that their children have internet and speak English. We exchanged email addresses. I've sent some photos of the US Zetteks to them and hope they will reciprocate.

Next post: The Plzen Cousins

Ancestral Villages - Slatina & Chric

2009-08-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

After visiting the cemetery in Hedčany and picking up another couple cousins, we caravanned to Slatina. The first written informatio about this town dates to 1368. Slatina, Holovousy, and other area villages were part of the Chric Parish. Katerine Pauby (Pauly) was born in Slatina, House No. 13, in 1746. The house no longer exists. She married Thomas Zetek from Hedčany.

Thomas's 3rd great granddaughter Anna Slaba (born Zetkova) now lives in Slatina. She very graciously invited us to come to her house to visit. Along the way we picked up a few more cousins. We looked like a small army arriving.

I think the name of the lady in red is Dana, but I'm not sure. I was still pretty befuddled by all of this. George and I are listening to something Olga is saying.

Once inside, we migrated to the room that all Bohemians migrate to when visiting -- the kitchen!

From left: Miloslav, Barbora (the interpreter's daughter), Lloyd, and Anna, our hostess. Olga, the interpreter, is saying something to George.

Lloyd, Miloslav and I are listening intently to something. I wish I could remember what was being said!

Here's a shot of me, taken by cousin Martin Stekl. Can you tell how happy I am to be there and how I'm trying to take it all in?

Another group shot around the kitchen table. I'm not sure who the man in the white shirt is. He's a cousin, maybe Jaroslav, Josef's son. From left: George, Olga, Barbora, Jaroslav?, Miloslav's wife, and Anna.

We gathered for a group photo before we left. From left: Cousin Martin Stekl (on my father's side); husband Lloyd; George Matas from California; Miloslav; me; Jaroslav?; Miloslav's wife; Dana?; Jitka; and Anna.

We left the cousins and drove on to the village of Chric. Like the church at Kozlany, the church at Chric once anchored a parish that served Slatina and other small villages. Saint JanNepomuk is closed, having fallen prey to several burglaries and some vandalism. It was built in the second half of the 18th century by Maria Gabriela, the Countess of Lazany, who lived in a large chateau surrounded by an estate of good size. All now is in ruin. We didn't take any photos.

Next stop: Holovousy

Ancestral Villages - Hedčany

2009-08-24T07:21:00.000-07:00

Hedčany seems to be the ancestral home of many Zeteks. According to Olga Koliskova, it was founded probably in the 11th century by Polish captives of Czech prince Bretislav I from his Polish military campaign in 1039. In the Thirty Years' War the village was totally plundered and destroyed. In the beginning of the 18th century there were only nine farms.

A note: the relationships of the various Zetek/Zettek ancestors is a bit muddled. I will relate the info as I know it, but it may change as Olga does further research into the family. Corrections will be made as necessary.

This old postcard of Hedčany (date unknown), given to me by one of the new cousins, shows the old school, which still stands, although it is now in ruin. There is no sign of the domed building standing today; I don't know what was displayed there. The single story house between the two is House No. 12, which was a Zetek family home at one time. It is likely that Martin Zetek (1787-?) and his father, Thomas Zetek (1749-?) were both born there. Martin is the father of Vaclav I, who is the father of Vaclav II, our common ancestor. House No. 13 is adjacent to House No. 12, behind the school.

This is the school with House No. 12 seen at left. House No. 13 is behind the trees.Below is house No. 12. It has long been sold out of the family.
House No. 12 was passed down from Vaclav I to his son Josef (1882-?) and then to his son Vaclav (1921-1983). The house was sold in 1983 to a Mr. Ditrich, who was kind enough to let us into the yard to take photographs.
Behind House No. 13. The small addition on the right is new (since 1983).
Miloslav was able to point out where the chicken coop stood and some buildings he had built with his father. The red-roofed house is No. 12.
Behind the houses, and surrounding the village, there is rolling farmland. We walked along a dirt track toward the cemetery. Miloslav pointed out that these fields once belonged to the Zetek family.
At the cemetery were numerous well-kept graves. I snapped a few photos of Zetek graves. This one says: "Zetek Family"
This is the grave of the previously unknown sister, Frantiska Zetkova.
This is the grave of Josef Zetek (1926-1968) and his wife, Alzbeta (1933-1995).
The last photo is the tombstone of Karel Zetek (1922-1986) and his wife, Anna (1921-2002). I am assuming Jaroslav (1954-1983) to be their son.

Next post: Slatina, and more cousins.

Ancestral Villages - Kozlany Museum

2009-08-24T06:22:00.001-07:00

After visiting the church, we walked next door to the old school, which is now a museum. There we met the first two new cousins!

According to the information provided by Olga from conversations with local Zeteks (they spell it with one T), Josef Zetek had three sons: Vaclav (1921-1983), Karel (1922-1986), and Josef (1926-1968).

Two of Vaclav's children came to Kozlany to meet us. On the left is Jitka Zemanova (born Zetkova), who lives in Rakovnik, not far from Kozlany. Next is her brother, Miloslav Zetek, who lives in Plzen with his wife, whose name I unfortunately didn't get. That's me on the right.

Miloslav brought a copy of his wedding photo and one of his family on a recent vacation. I've asked to have the people identified. I think the man on the right is his brother Karel.
Inside the museum, we signed the guest book. That's Jitka, George, and me again. I have cousin Martin to thank for many of the photos in this blog entry. I was too stunned by meeting two new cousins that the camera wasn't a priority.

One of the exhibits highlighted Kozlany's main industry: ceramics. This room showed a local potter at work with some of his products on the shelves. This wax dummy was so realistic that it was almost creepy. The guide told us it was made from castings of the real town potter. Neverthless, it was a nice exhibit of local craftsmanship.
Here is Lloyd with another display of finished pottery showing some of the styles turned out by the ceramics factory. Lloyd teaches ceramics at Missouri Valley College, so he was particularly interested in visiting ceramics studios.

An old schoolroom is one of the museum displays.
Most of the museum space is devoted to a national hero, Edvard Beneš, the second Czech president. He was born in Kozlany in 1884. He was one of the founders of the independent Czechoslovakia in 1918 and a foreign minister in the first government of president Thomas Masaryk. He succeeded Masaryk as president in 1935 and served until 1948, when the Communists took control of the country. More information about him can be found on Wikipedia.
A few Beneš mementos on display:
A large photo of Beneš and his wife (and Lloyd)
A life-sized statue of Beneš on display in the small town square in Kozlany.
Next entry: Hedčany, the birthplace of many Zeteks.

Ancestral Villages - Kozlany Church

2009-08-24T05:21:00.000-07:00

I think the best way to begin tracking our ancestors is the parish Church of Saint Vavrinec (Lawrence) in Kozlany. People from Hedcany and Kozlany were baptized, married, and buried from here. The original church was built in Gothic style in the 13th century, rebuilt in 1563, and in 1769 in baroque style. The church is now used only once a week. Mass is held by a priest who travels a circuit of several small churches. (Click on the photos to see a larger image.) Here we have our little party with genealogist & interpreter Olga Koliskova. She was uncertain her English would be strong enough, so she brought her daughter, Barbora, whose English is extremely fluent. Both were charming, gracious, well-educated, and with a lot of information for us. From left, the three travelers: me, husband Lloyd, cousin George from California; Olga and Barbora.

The interior of the church is beautifully painted in delicate colors. The main altar is decorated by a baroque painting of Saint Vavrinec.

The side altar exhibits more of the lovely painting.

The baptismal font.

We three travelers with Martin Stekl, a cousin on my father's side of the family. He is headmaster of a private school who just happened to have the week of our visit free--lucky us! He showed us around Plzen and accompanied us on the ancestral tour.

Next entry: Kozlany Museum and two new cousins!

The Adventure Begins

2009-08-21T07:12:00.000-07:00

Late in June 2009, my 85-year-old cousin sent us an email asking if we'd be interested in visiting the Czech Republic, my ancestral homeland, for a couple of weeks. Cousin George had been there several times, including one stay of a full year. I'd been there once, eight years ago, for three weeks. (The photos from that trip are posted on Fotki if you'd care to see them.) My husband, Lloyd, had never been there.

Lloyd, and I said yes almost immediately. I'd been to the ancestral villages, but without an interpreter, I couldn't do much more than take photos of what I thought were the ancestral homes. A genealogist had done some preliminary investigating for me. I'd wanted to go back with an interpreter . I didn't think there were any relatives there but thought perhaps someone might recall the family. We made arrangments, including contacting a genealogist/interpreter who could accompany us to the ancestral villages, and a little over a month later we landed in Prague.

Blogs are usually done in real time, but this one will be more of a memoir. Armed with a lot of photos and even more wonderful memories, I'll share our adventure with you.