Compact archive May 15, 2007

Prague inhabitants and visitors have another chance to see many museums, galleries and other cultural institutions in Prague for free or for a symbolic price. And this time during one night. Prague Museum Night is scheduled on 16th June 2007, it is a part of the Festival of Museum Nights organized in 87 towns of the Czech Republic.

In Prague you can choose from 21 institutions and 45 buildings that will be open that day mostly from 19:00 to 01:00. Permanent and short-term exhibitions will be accompanied with additional programmes, such as concerts, film presentations, workshops and curiosities that are not normally displayed.

Information brochures about the event will be handed out on 15th and 16th of June in front of the National Museum in Wenceslas Square and in front of the Rudolfinum in Namesti Jana Palacha. Transportation between the institution will be provided by special buses for free. For more information about Prague Museum Night click here (only in Czech).

Prague will host an international conference on “Democracy and Security: Core Values and Sound Policies” attended by leading dissidents, human rights activists, academics and world leaders. Its aim is to discuss the importance of democracy and to find the ways how to promote it in totalitarian regimes.

The conference is an initiative of three people concentrating on human rights and democracy – human right activist and political leader Natan Sharansky, former president of the Czech Republic Vaclav Havel and former Prime Minister of Spain Jose Maria Aznar.

The conference, scheduled for 4th – 6th June 2007 in Prague, is hosted by the Adelson Institute for Strategic Studies at the Jerusalem-based Shalem Center, the Prague Security Studies Institute and the Foundation for Social Analysis and Studies in Madrid. One of the speakers at the conference will be the U.S. President George W. Bush.

Ceske Hrady.cz is a summer cultural festival where you can not only visit four Czech castles in four different regions of the Czech Republic, but also listen to the music of the current Czech pop stars.

The atmosphere of old castles (Tocnik, Kuneticke Hory, Svihov – water castle, Bezdez) lightened by the performances of 18 interprets of Czech music can be senced from the middle of July. Visit Tocnik on 13th – 14th July, Kuneticka Hora on 20th – 21th July, Svihov on 27th – 28th July and Bezdez on 3rd – 4th August 2007.

Tickets (include the free entrance to the castles) for the festival can be bought via Ticketpro. Every visitor can get the accommodation in the nearby camp site for free. The programme of the festival can be found here.

Long bridge in Nusle is known as a bridge of suicides. It is on average 42.5 meters above the ground. In the 1990’s a high fence was built at the sides of the bridge to prevent suicides from jumping. In vain. The fence can be climbed over in 8 seconds. Last year the rescuers were called 63 times, 5 lives were lost.

In the first four months of this year, 31 people tried to commit a suicide from the bridge, three people died. The police do not file the number of people who have jumped since 1973 when the bridge was finished. They estimate the number to be about two or three hundreds.

To improve the situation, a new protection is now being considered. Probably it would be iron-plates or other smooth barriers at the top of the fence. The barriers will cost approximately 7 million CZK, they should be there in three months.

Prague councilmen will discuss the programme of the celebrations of the 650th anniversary of Charles Bridge. The celebrations may cost up to 11 million CZK. The celebration will be held from 6th July until 9th July. People can expect a rich programme in the Old Town Square, Knights of the Cross Square, Prague’s Municipal House and Charles Bridge.

The atmosphere of the celebration will be rather medieval. Visitors can look forward to knight tournaments, army camps or medieval music. Fans of pop music will gather on pontoons under the bridge.

The President of the Czech Republic, the Mayers of Prague and other world’s metropolises will place a Memory Box with their signatures and messages for future generations into the historical Charles bridge.