Overseas compatriots and admirers of European history and traditions can visit the exhibition of Palacký University Olomouc at the National Czech & Slovak Museum and Library (NCSML) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA until mid-October. The opening of the exhibition on the 450th anniversary of the second oldest university in the Czech lands was attended by distinguished guests. At the end of October, Palacký University will also be presented in Manhattan, as the exhibition on its rich history will be part of a gala evening held at the Czech Centre New York.
“In Cedar Rapids, several thousand visitors will be able to see the exhibition on the history and present of our university during the month, as the museum is one of the three most visited historical sites in Iowa. At the opening, it was obvious that there was great interest in our presentation, as the almost five-hundred-year-long history of our alma mater is something beyond the imagination of most Americans,” noted Jiří Stavovčík, UP Vice-Rector for Internationalisation.
Members of the Board of Trustees of the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library were in attendance, as was Prof James Grove, who has a long association with UP. “One of the nicest moments was when Thomas Feld, President Emeritus of Mount Mercy University, recalled the three visits of our Rector Emeritus and renowned Americanist Josef Jařab to Cedar Rapids and the long conversations they had. It was also nice that one of our students, who is studying physics at Coe Collage in Cedar Rapids, came to the opening,” added Vice-Rector Stavovčík.
The presentation of the university’s jubilee will take place on 22 October at the Bohemian National Hall in New York, where the official guests will include Arnošt Kareš, Consul General of the Czech Republic in New York, and Martin Procházka, UP Rector, alongside Miroslav Konvalina, Director of the New York Czech Center. The evening will include a piano recital by Jan Bartoš, a renowned Czech pianist, talks with Cecilia Rokusek, president of the NCSML, and Bohdan Pomahač, a Czech plastic surgeon working in the USA and a graduate of UP’s medical faculty. The programme will also include a presentation on the Olomouc Region and the City of Olomouc.
More information about the event can be found on the Czech Center New York’s website.