Its flowering season is fleeting, but catch the scent of a linden tree in mid-June and the rewards are extraordinary. With fragrance akin to a lily, but not as overpowering as some, lindens embody the spirit of the dawning summer in Iowa. The tree — called lípa in Czech — is not only the national […]
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Category: Czech
St. Ludmila volunteers bake thousands of...
By Cindy Hadish CEDAR RAPIDS – Even as kolache sales kick off early this Friday for the St. Ludmila Kolach Festival, Karen Billick can be assured there will be customers waiting even earlier. Drive-up kolache sales run 6-9 a.m. that day, but, “they’ll be here in line at 5 a.m.,” said Billick, who oversees the […]
Old and new: Photographer creates unique...
CEDAR RAPIDS — Slovak photographer Monika Klučiarová has long been passionate about taking photos of newborns, and had always held a fascination with Slovakian folk costumes, called kroje. Combining the two created a unique art form “that merges the innocent beauty of newborns with the treasured works of our ancestors,” Klučiarová said during the opening […]
Czech, Bohemian visionaries honored in C...
CEDAR RAPIDS – Without the efforts of a persistent Czech advocate, the iconic Bridge of Lions that connects Czech Village to New Bohemia might never have been constructed. Family members of the late Edward Kuba Sr., who promoted the idea for the bridge – constructed 30 years ago – accepted one of the 2019 Robert […]
Czech koblihy and other signs of the sea...
March is a busy month for Czechs in Iowa. The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library hosted a potluck for members of the museum and the Czech Heritage Foundation that coincided with Masopust, a carnival celebrated before the beginning of Lent. To help celebrate, museum President/CEO Cecilia Rokusek used a family recipe for koblihy, […]
Immigrants welcomed during naturalizatio...
CEDAR RAPIDS – A museum that celebrates the immigrant experience in America provided the perfect setting Friday, Feb. 22, for 75 people to become U.S. citizens. The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, 1400 Inspiration Place SW, hosted a naturalization ceremony, the formal proceeding that marks the end of the process to become a […]
Time for treasured Czech holiday traditi...
St. Nicholas Day, or Svatý Mikuláš in Czech, is typically celebrated on Dec. 6, but festivities will be early this year in Czech Village in Cedar Rapids. The traditional Czech celebration will take place Friday, Nov. 30, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Aces and Eights, 62 16th Ave. SW. Related: Learn about other Czech events […]
Cedar Rapids Czech School to celebrate 1...
By Cindy Hadish Czech School’s history in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, can be traced to a written program observing Jan Hus Day on July 6, 1870, which referenced Czech School teacher John B. Šuster, a date often cited as the start of the school. California’s Gold Rush of 1848, the failure of potato crops in their […]
The Czech artistry of Marj Nejdl
Marj Nejdl is a Master Czech Folk Artist from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who generously gives of her time and talent. She and a friend, Pat Martin, have collaborated on a book that explores Nejdl’s art, including her batik, or wax resist, Czech egg decorating. Related: Marj Nejdl teaches Czech School students the art of egg […]
Ending nears for Czech odyssey
As the Czech School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, begins to celebrate its 150th year in 2019, a project to document that history is nearing its end. For the past two years, in homes, care centers, at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library and elsewhere, I’ve talked to more than 50 people with Czech […]