Ke stavu péče o německé kulturní dědictví v českém pohraničí na příkladu Chomutovska

Abstract

On the State of Protection of German Cultural Heritage in the Czech Borderlands: The View from Chomutov

This discussion highlights the unsatisfactory state of care for local German cemeteries in the Czech borderlands, a topic that deserves attention not only in the context of the Czech-German relations, but also in the context of the celebration of 2018 as the European Year of Cultural Heritage. The author served as a director of the Regional Museum in Chomutov (Komotau), a town in north-western Bohemia. Against this background, he reflects on the causes of this dire state, pointing to the insufficient performance of the relevant Czech authorities in the protection of cultural heritage. Furthermore, he presents positive examples of civic engagement towards Czech-German reconciliation.

Keywords: Czech Republic; cultural heritage; cemeteries; Sudeten Germans; Czech-German relations; reconciliation

DOI: 10.14712/23363231.2019.3