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Dishonest of the last Czech King Blessed Karl I. Museum in Havlíčkův Brod (Town in the Czech Republic).
On October 28, 2018, the Vysočina Museum in Havlíčkův Brod planned a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the republic. Director of this Museum Mgr. Michal Kamp (* 1983), who was only 3 months old at that time, conceived this celebration very badly and undignified. Although I had warned him in advance of this celebration and warned him personally, as well as the museum's founder, that such a celebration was behind the line of decency, yet the undignified and insulting parts of the celebration remained the same, and the celebrations also went on.
What was it about? The museum in Havlíčkův Brod was reminiscent of the destruction of the Austro-Hungarian Empire rather than the formation of Czechoslovakia. Newly, the Austrian-Hungarian symbols were produced from the taxpayers' money, which was re-installed on the houses and once again tore down and destroyed the present-day cheers. However, I find it inappropriate and undignified that even after 100 years, from the head of the museum director, the idea of celebrating the destruction of works of art and monuments emerged. And this, when solemnly again personally on a kind of "pram," dragged at the head of the procession of the Emperor Karl I., once again for the great cheering present on the bridge at the church. Catherine across the river Sázava. Instead of the original material, the bust of Karl I. was made as a cake. On the bridge, however, the head of our last Czech King Karl I. was not thrown into the river, but they made an even worse gesture - the Museum's director cut the head with his knife and ate the present crowd. Apparently it was supposed to be funny and who wouldn't like it for free. Any historical truth, respect for our last Czech king, who the Pope even declared blessed in 2004, does not say anything to the director of the museum? But does it celebrate the 100th anniversary of the destruction of the work of art - the busts of our last king and still with hints of cannibalism?
Even in this deterrent manner, some museum directors can now rely on our nation's history and culture. I cannot believe otherwise that it is based on their incompetence and ignorance of history. After all, it was written on the invitation that: "In the end, a bust of an old monarch will be taken to the Sázava river." If the Vysočina Museum falls to the last Emperor Karl I., whose bust to the river was, and which only had the For 30 years, as an old man, no wonder.
I wrote my protest on 14 October 2018, 14 days before the event, both to the director of the museum in Havlíčkův Brod and to the founder of the museum through the management of the Department of Culture and Conservation of the Vysočina Region and the councilor for the culture of the Vysočina Region. The protest was not successful, but it was not futile; Today's culture is apparently a celebration of the destruction of works of art. Nevertheless, I have listed my protest letter below:
Dear!
With great dismay, I was acquainted with how Havlíčkův Brod intends through the allowance organization Vysočina Region - the Vysočina Museum in Havlíčkův Brod and the contributory organization Vysočina Region - Vysočina Tourism with the support of the ATCZ31 Monuments Live project, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovakia.
In the 21st century, symbols of the Austro-Hungarian Empire are to be destroyed publicly in the celebration, and if I take the program of celebrations literally, portraits of Emperor Karl I. are to be destroyed.
And moreover, a work of art - a bust of Karl I., who was vandalized by barbarians vandalized 100 years ago torn and dragged in the wheelbarrow of Havlíčkův Brod to the bridge over the river to be thrown into the river Sázava, should be again in these "celebrations" , perhaps thrown into Sázava again. Or what should be the surprise with the bust of the emperor on the program after being brought in by a wheelbarrow in disgust with the city on the bridge over Sázava?
As a historian, I must state clearly that the emergence of Czechoslovakia and not the violent and vandal course of the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which is at the expense of our nation's conscience, should be celebrated. Many sculptures and paintings associated with the monarchy were uncontrollably and unnecessarily destroyed throughout the country by the exuberant Czechs, but the statues of saints and crosses in towns, villages, and roads were also fanatically destroyed, although they had nothing to do with the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The destruction of works of art - paintings and sculptures is no heroism, and it is a manifestation of poor primitivism, not national pride, worthy of glorification.
A wise man, when he disagrees with something, thinks the idea, the primitive attacks the representative of that opinion. So if you want to tear and burn the emperor's portraits publicly and throw his bust into the water, it is a blatant misery paid from the money of US taxpayers and totally unrelenting for the now radicalized youth.
Please also note that our last Emperor Karl I. does not deserve any ridicule or humiliation in the name of your visibility.
What does the Catholic Church and believers in Havlíčkův Brod and in the country say about this "celebration" program? After all, the last Austro-Hungarian Emperor Charles I was proclaimed Pope on October 3, 2004 as the Blessed, which is a precursor to the declaration of a saint.
The first Czech ruler, who was elevated to the altar of honor, is Saint Václav, the second and the last to be the Blessed Emperor Karl I.
Karl I., whose paintings you obviously want to destroy and apparently shamefully bust again, is undoubtedly an example of an honest man, always striving for good, and can be an example to today's politicians, but also to husbands and fathers, to every honest man.
Karl I. was indeed a character and decent ruler who had no parallel in modern monarchy history. He lived modestly and in the first place was the welfare of the citizens of the empire. He had to fight in a war he didn't want, but as a front commander he did everything he could to make the war as harsh as possible, forbid poisonous gases, ban the bombing of historic cities in Italy, try to stop the deployment of insidious submarines in the war, forbid surrendering enemies - though there was not enough food or medicine for them. He ordered the same care for his own and enemy wounded soldiers. He advocated the fallen enemies to receive dignified graves and be buried with respect. By doing so, he showed the highest form of love. Love for the enemy. As an emperor, he sincerely sought the conclusion of peace, peace without gains, and tried to ease the poverty of the population, impoverished by war. He also took care of the war orphans. He set up the first Ministry of Health and the First Department of Social Affairs in the world. He had the citizens of Vienna driven from the coal station by his manor carriages. During the war he refused any opulent dining when his nation was starving and lived fundamentally only from the ration of bread, as everyone in the empire. In addition, he distributed his ration of white bread daily to the poor and ate their black bread.
As a soldier he was deployed in the trenches of World War I and recognized the horrors of real war, the problems of the most ordinary soldiers' colleagues. Therefore, abolished the Austrian army cruel punishment (spangle) and let rise to the Austrian honors - Charles's War Cross - who deliberately allowed to honor only and only ordinary soldiers who went through the war (not to get higher ranks or soldiers from the back lines).
The French writer Anantol France wrote about Karl I: “He was the only responsible man in all those years of war, but unfortunately no one was willing to listen to him. He really wanted peace, and therefore he was repudiated before the whole world. ”
That is why I do not understand how these ATCZ31 Monuments Live project can support your celebrations, which is part of the Interreg V-A Austria-Czech Cross-Border Cooperation Program, when you intend to mock the history of Austria and their emperor, which they still have a great deal of respect in Austria. Did they tear, burn and sink paintings or busts of President Masaryk in Austria?
I ask you to reconsider the way and character of the celebrations so that they truly celebrate the creation of Czechoslovakia and not the evil and hatred inflicted by Czechs on defenseless works of art and ridicule and insult the historical personalities who have nothing against us.
With thanks, respect and greeting,
PhDr. Martin Herzán - historian
PHOTO: A crowd of people carry the bust of Karl I on October 29, 1918 to sink in the river Sázava in Havlíčkův Brod (then called Německý Brod)
