Archive: Czechs abroad | Czechs in the USA Czechs in the USA
Prague school renamed in honour of Chicago’s Czech mayor
An elementary school in Prague now bears the name of the Czech-born former
mayor of Chicago, Antonín Čermák. The renaming ceremony in his honour
took place on Thursday, the 140th anniversary of his birth, and was
attended, among other guests, by Čermák’s grandson. More
Czech Republic to provide aid to devastated Texan town
The Czech Republic will provide aid to the Texan town of West, which has
been devastated by a massive explosion at a local fertiliser plant. The
country’s ambassador to the US has arrived in the town, which has a very
strong Czech heritage, and says the Czech government will help rebuild the
community. More assistance for West should also come from the north
Moravian towns whose inhabitants settled in the town more than a century
ago. More
Many dead as fertiliser explosion devastates ‘Czech’ farming town in Texas
The fire and massive explosion at a fertiliser plant in the small Texas
town of West has flattened dozens of homes and left untold numbers of
people dead – casualty figures haven’t been released as many are still
trapped in the wreckage of their homes. The disaster is being followed
closely here in the Czech Republic – the town was settled by Czech
immigrants in the 19th century, and some three quarters of the population
are of Czech origin. More
Mirko Dolák – A Czech Marine in Vietnam
Today 70 and in retirement in Prague, Mirko Dolák can claim to be one of
the few Czechs to have fought for the US in the Vietnam War. Indeed, his
buddies in the Marines gave him the nickname “Czech”. He later spent
nearly three decades working for the Government Accountability Office,
which uncovers waste and corruption in US federal agencies. More
Olga Hrubá: Supporter of Milada Horáková and campaigner for religious freedom
Olga Hrubá is today a feisty woman of 85. Way back at the turn of the
1950s she campaigned, from exile in the US, to save the life of her friend
Miladá Horáková, a Czechoslovak politician executed by the Communists
after a show trial. For the following four decades Olga Hrubá, along with
her pastor husband, worked – with some success – to protect the rights
of religious believers in Communist states. More
How will Czech-Americans vote in the U.S. presidential elections?
Chicago is home to one of the biggest Czech communities in the United
States. It also houses the headquarters of President Barack Obama’s
campaign for reelection. Where better to get a sense of how Czech-Americans
plan to vote? More
Czech & Slovak Museum in Cedar Rapids: helping people learn the lessons of the past
The Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Cedar Rapids, Iowa recently
experienced the worst period in its 38-year-long history. Devastated by the
2008 floods the museum has fought long and hard to survive and continue to
fulfil its mission –bearing testimony to the two small European
nations’ search for identity, human rights and freedom in the turbulent
times of the 20th century. Thanks to generous donations from institutions
and individuals the museum was able to reopen its doors to the public this
summer. Its head Gail Naughton visited Radio Prague’s studio recently to
talk about what the institution had lost and gained by the 2008 floods and
share her plans for the future. More
Ája Vrzáňová-Steindler: Former ice skating world champion recalls 1950s defection – and much more
Ája Vrzáňová-Steindler is a remarkable woman. Now aged 81, she was
twice crowned world figure skating champion, in 1949 and 1950, while still
in her teens. Immediately after taking her second world title, she won
political asylum in the U.K., before moving to the United States, where she
has spent much of her life. Her mother soon followed her to the West – in
a dramatic escape on one of three civilian planes simultaneously hijacked
by their pilots and flown to an airbase near Munich. Her father, however,
remained in Czechoslovakia. More
Eva Eislerová – Czech designer who reached top of jewellery world in NYC
The Czech artist and designer Eva Eislerová originally wanted to be an
architect. Instead, she became one of the most highly regarded makers of
art jewellery in the world, after emigrating to New York in the 1980s with
her half-Czech, half-English husband, John Eisler. Today Eva Eisler, as she
is known to her collectors, spends most of her time back home in Prague,
where she teaches at the metals department at the Academy of Arts,
Architecture and Design. More
Antonín Čermák: from Czech miner to Chicago mayor
You might not recognise the name straight away, but Antonín Josef Čermák
- a miner’s son from Kladno, Central Bohemia - is one of the most famous
Czech-Americans to have ever lived. Anton (or Tony) Cermak became mayor of
Chicago at the height of prohibition, overhauled Democratic Party politics
in the city, and was then assassinated in the most mysterious of
surroundings. All quite dramatic for someone who started his career selling
firewood… More
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