It’s here. The annual celebration for the founding of the Czechoslovak Republic. But this year’s festival will be the biggest yet for the 100th anniversary. The festivities begin on Friday, September 28 (St. Wenceslas Day) and end on Sunday, October 28. This celebration month includes exhibitions, concerts, theatrical performances, concerts and opening days of renovated buildings.
“The main goal of the national celebrations in Prague is to proudly celebrate 100 years of our small country,” said Robin Čumpelík, national 100-year national coordinator in Prague. “We are proud to have established a close and constructive relationship with civil society actors and been able to maintain a completely apolitical style of celebrations that remind us of our common history and call for unity.”
Here is a timeline with insider tips and information of the celebration month (Part I)
- September 28th 9:00 a.m.
- Opening Day of the Clam-Gallas Palace
- Husova 158/20, Prague 1
After being closed for almost a year, the huge opulent Clam-Gallas palace re-opens and kicks off the festivities. Clam-Gallas Palace is one of the most important Baroque palaces in Prague. It is a magnificent example of a monumental aristocratic mansion, situated in a small medieval town. The palace was built in the top Baroque style on the site of an earlier building in the years 1714-18 by M.B. Braun and his team, according to the project of J. Bischer Fischer of Erlach for Jan Vaclav Count Gallas.
- September 28th 5:45 p.m.
- Opening Day of Old Town Hall
- Staroměstské nám. 1/3, Prague 1
The astronomical clock turns 600 years old this year and has been under construction for months. The Old Town Astronomical Clock will unveil its new makeover, along with the restored sculptures of the Apostles and new stained-glass windows. The Apostles have a new finish after the restoration, and the windows from the 1970s have new blue hues. The astrolabe will be back by the twilight, which was previously the case for historical documents.
- October 1 to December 12
- The Memory of the Nation
- Stalin
The underground exhibition involves new technologies and impressive illusions like a simulation of sitting in a Spitfire cockpit in the Battle of Britain as a member of the Czech Republic, or a RAF Fighter Squadron simulation, or standing in the crypt of the St. Cyril and Methodius in June 1942, or in a livestock carriage in route to a concentration camp, or a State Security interrogation room. The exhibit has 100 digital stories around the museum and the park in Letná (for the 100th anniversary) from WWII, the Holocaust, domestic and foreign rebellion, Prague Uprising, communists, people under communist rule and political prisoners.
Author: Meredith Hessel
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