Vojtěch Kyncl: Neighbours at War
Vojtěch Kyncl: Neighbours at War Thursday 19 February at 6 p.m. Last year, the town of Třešt' together with historian Vojtěch Kyncl embarked on the project Neighbours at War. The result is an educational trail through the town, a museum and exhibition in the Prison Yard behind the town hall and, above all, a new book. It provides a detailed insight into what it was like to live in a small town where Czech, German and Jewish destinies intertwined for centuries, and where wartime events and ideologies managed to shatter this delicate balance within a few years. It shows how neighbourly relations were transformed under the pressure of the Nazi occupation, how the Jewish community was displaced and liquidated, how they collaborated with the occupying power, and how they resisted at home. It culminates in May 1945, when the town became the scene of a massacre of civilians and subsequent retaliation against the German population. During the evening, not only will the unique project in Třešt' be presented, but the debate will also touch upon the topic of the creation of memorials and their contemporary reception in Czech, and by extension Central European, society, and the search for new personal testimonies and archival sources. Come and discuss the joys and sorrows of the historian's journey of discovery directly with the author of the project, Vojtěch Kyncl, who has accepted our invitation. Admission is voluntary.