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ArtsSaving the statues of the National Theatre, and a pot-smoking pontiff comes to Prague
In the arts this week, we report on a public drive to raise funds for the
restoration of the statues of the National Theatre. We also take a look at
The Pope Smoked Dope, a retrospective of sixties counter-culture, which is
being held in Prague.
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Current AffairsPassing the legacy of Lidice on to a younger generation
Every year at this time the Czech Republic commemorates one of the most
horrific atrocities committed on Czech territory during World War II. On
10th June 1942, at the height of the German occupation, the quiet village
of Lidice, some 20 kilometres west of Prague, was razed to the ground, all
the men were shot and all but a handful of the children were sent to Poland
where they were gassed. 143 of the women of the village survived in the
Ravensbruck concentration camp and when they came home they found nothing
but an open field where the village had stood. Internationally Lidice
became a symbol of the war crimes committed by Nazi Germany. David Vaughan
attended this year's memorial ceremony on Saturday.
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Current AffairsMemorial to President Benes sparks controversy
A memorial to the second Czechoslovak President Edvard Benes was unveiled
on Monday in front of the Foreign Ministry headquarters near the Prague
Castle. President Benes is not as widely popular today as his predecessor,
Tomas Garigue Masaryk. But he is still very much respected among many
Czechs, who see Edvard Benes as a champion of democracy and fighter
against Nazism. Their view is, however, not shared by the Sudeten Germans
— ethnic Germans expelled after World War II —who blame President Benes
for their plight.
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Current AffairsWorld's biggest Stalin monument would have turned 50 on May Day
It's a beautiful sunny day here in Prague and I'm standing on Prague's
Letna Hill overlooking the Vltava River and the Old Town. Tourists come
here today, not only for the breathtaking view but to see the large
ticking metronome, which was erected here in 1991. But for the local
residents this spot holds a darker memory - little do the tourists around
me know that exactly fifty years ago, at this very site, some six hundred
men and women were working around the clock to create the world's biggest
monument ever to honour the Soviet Communist party chief Josef Stalin.
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Current AffairsGeneral Patton statue becomes a hot potato
Last year in the West Bohemian city of Plzen, the foundation stone was laid
for a large bronze statue of General George Patton, whose 3rd US Army
liberated the city in the spring of 1945. It seemed an apt gesture to
remember one of the war's great generals, and the unveiling was to be one
of the highpoints of this year's 60th anniversary celebrations taking
place next week in Plzen. At the time no-one could have guessed that just
a few months later the stone would be dug up again, and that the city
would not have its statue after all, after city councillors voted for the
commission to be cancelled. David Vaughan looks at the strange story of a
statue that has turned into a hot potato.
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Current AffairsGeneral confusion ensues over municipal sculpture
American General George Smith Patton was a key figure in the Second World
War. His name is bound up especially with the liberation of Western
Czechoslovakia. Between the 5th and the 8th of May 1945, his forces were
responsible for liberating the city of Plzen. To honour the sixtieth
anniversary of this event, the Plzen authorities have commissioned a
statue of the General. But now they are in turmoil, as the sculptor they
have chosen to design it doesn't quite fit the mould. Rosie Johnston has
more...
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MagazineMagazine
President Klaus stars in an advertisement in the role of a homeless man,
Czechs are to get their own Dream Date reality show, and - who is Yana
Gupta? Find out more in Magazine with Daniela Lazarova.
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Current AffairsSaint Wenceslas: A 'tail' of restoration
If you've been to the Prague's Wenceslas Square recently, you might have
noticed that something is missing, namely, the statue of Saint Wenceslas
himself, for whom the square is named. Well don't worry, it hasn't really
disappeared, it is only hidden behind a mass of scaffolding for some time.
The statue is just undergoing a crucial restoration to be able to survive
the wiles of the freaky weather as well as the hustle of the busy square,
in the very core of Prague. More
Current AffairsGrand sculptures take root on Wenceslas Square
Prague's busy Wenceslas Square is now host to the international festival
"Sculpture Grande 2004", which opened this week under the very
loose theme of European integration. Brian Kenety went along to the
vernissage at the Gallery Art Factory and has this report.
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Current AffairsPrague monument to Communist victims damaged in explosion
Police in Prague have launched an investigation after a monument to victims
of the Communist era was damaged in an explosion. No-one was injured in
the blast, which is believed to have occurred early on Sunday morning.
Police are now examining traces of the explosive for clues as to who
carried out the attack.
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