Celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia

As part of this year’s centenary celebrations marking the founding of the Czechoslovak Republic, the town of Příbram organised a cultural programme. In October 2018, a series of events dedicated to this significant anniversary took place.

The town of Příbram, in collaboration with the Jan Drda Library, the Mining Museum and the State District Archives in Příbram, organised an event entitled ‘Příbram in the First Republic’. Part of this event was a guided walk, which took place on 13 October 2018. The walk was attended by members of the general public, who were introduced to topics related to the First Republic period. The walk took in sites linked to the founding of the republic, such as the Anna Mine, Svatá Hora, the building of the former mining directorate and the memorial to the victims of the First World War at Zámeček – Ernestina. The meeting point was in front of the Anna Mine at 1.00 pm. Thanks in part to the favourable weather, there was a large turnout from the general public across all generations. The main guide was Mr Václav Trantina (historian), who provided an expert commentary. Each stop was accompanied by stories from the lives of the people of Příbram at that time, which helped visitors to understand these historical aspects. At 5.00 pm, the event continued at the Sokol Hall in Příbram, where a cultural and social programme took place (a performance by the Příbram Sokol group, which had been presented at the 2018 All-Sokol Rally, a performance by a First Republic-style music group, a period fashion show, a living picture, and more). Staff from the museum, archive and library created an exhibition of period documents and artefacts, which was displayed on the premises of the Sokol Hall. Volunteers from various associations in Příbram were involved in organising the entire event.

The celebrations culminated on 24 October 2018. On this day, the Tree of the 100th Anniversary of the Republic was planted (in the centre of Příbram) in the presence of representatives of the town of Příbram, prominent institutions and associations, pupils from local schools and the general public. In the evening, an organ concert took place in the basilica at Svatá Hora, attended by the public.