CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A new Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa was crowned Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, during the Old World Christmas Market at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library. Isabel Sherman, a sophomore at the University of Iowa, will represent the state in the coming year at Czech festivals and other events. State queens […]
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Czech, Slovak culture celebrated as muse...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library celebrated the belated 25th anniversary of a monumental event with a weekend full of activities. On a chilly day on Oct. 21, 1995, U.S. President Bill Clinton, Czech President Václav Havel and Slovak President Michal Kováč visited Cedar Rapids to dedicate the museum’s […]
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 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, […]
Midwestern native chosen to lead Czech m...
The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, named a new president and CEO today. Cecilia Rokusek will succeed Gail Naughton, who retired earlier this summer after 16 years of leading the renowned museum. Related: Gail Naughton’s Memorial Day remarks See other Czech news in Iowa, here, and learn more […]
Guts & Glory tells forgotten WWI story o
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – A multimedia exhibit that opened Saturday, April 7, 2018, at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library offers a number of unique twists. The background story, itself, is a little-known narrative of 60,000 Czech and Slovak soldiers who seized the Trans-Siberian railroad during World War I and fought their way […]
Czech holiday traditions celebrated in C...
CEDAR RAPIDS – Holiday traditions came to life in Czech Village this weekend, with a Svatý Mikuláš celebration and the Old World Christmas Market. Both are patterned after festivities in the Czech Republic. Related: Photos of CzechFest and Goulash Day The eve of Svatý Mikuláš, known as St. Nicholas in the United States, typically takes […]
Homegrown Czech in Iowa
Last year, I had a blast at the Wilber Czech Days in Nebraska, so I was disappointed to have to miss the festival this past weekend. Still, it wasn’t long before another opportunity for “Czechtivity” came along, as I like to call Czech activities in our area. The Czech Heritage Foundation‘s annual picnic was held […]
Iowa welcomes immigrants in naturalizati...
“The United States has a long history of welcoming immigrants from all parts of the world. America values the contributions of immigrants who continue to enrich this country and preserve its legacy as a land of freedom and opportunity.” — U.S. Department of Homeland Security By Cindy Hadish CEDAR RAPIDS — Their smiles said it […]
Restaurants continue local tradition in ...
By Cindy Hadish/for Edible Iowa River Valley magazine Amana — When the Amana Heritage Society interviewed longtime residents for an oral history project, the communal kitchens that served the seven villages of this Eastern Iowa community echoed as a recurring theme. “Much of it was about their communal kitchen experience because that’s what their daily […]