<Czech_Krumlov> will celebrate the 700th anniversary of its founding this year

Český Krumlov - Český Krumlov is preparing a rich cultural and professional program this year to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the founding of the town. The celebrations will include not only traditional events throughout the year but will also feature a large exhibition on the history of the town and the publication of a book. Students will compete on the theme of Český Krumlov in 2099, in which they will express their visions and wishes for the future of the town. This was stated today by Deputy Mayor Jitka Zikmundová.
    "This is an opportunity to reflect on the amazing history of our town. To realize how time has passed, what the previous generations have left us, and also to look into the future," said the Deputy Mayor. The city council has allocated 800,000 crowns in the budget for the celebrations and intends to raise almost the same amount from other sources. The total costs for all events are estimated at 1.5 million.
    The anniversary is derived from the first written mention in which Český Krumlov is recorded as a town. The record comes from a document by Heinrich I of Rosenberg dated August 2, 1309.
    Among the main events dedicated to this anniversary will be an exhibition at the Regional Museum, which will showcase significant milestones. "The original document by Heinrich I of Rosenberg will also be exhibited," specified Filip Putschögl from the mayor's office.
    Another anniversary, namely 130 years since its establishment, will also be celebrated this year by the city library. In that context, a professional conference for librarians is being prepared.
    A glimpse into the future will be provided by the competition Český Krumlov in 2099, in which children and youth from local schools and interest groups will participate. They will express their visions of the town's appearance in 90 years in various categories, such as literary, artistic, musical, in the form of a logo or model.
    After nearly half a century, a representative book about Český Krumlov will be published, which will provide factual information about its history and development based on historical documents. It will involve archivists and museum professionals, with the second part consisting of a visual documentation of life in the town over the past 109 years, compiled from period and contemporary photographs. "The last century is still not well documented in the town; it is still too alive and also controversial," noted Zikmundová. The last factual publication about Krumlov was published in 1965, authored by the renowned archivist Jiří Záloha.
    The anniversary will also be commemorated through large and traditional events, such as the Five-Petal Rose Festival and St. Wenceslas Celebrations. The center of the town will be adorned in June with a new sculpture Bell Tower for Europe, created by Petr Fidrich and Karel Dvořák. Experts will discuss the uniqueness that has kept Krumlov on the UNESCO list since 1992 at a May conference titled From Residential Town to a World Cultural Heritage Site. A schedule of events can be found at www.ckrumlov.cz/700.
    Český Krumlov has behind it 700 years of significant cultural and economic growth and prosperity under the rule of noble families such as the Rosenbergs, the Eggenbergs, and the Schwarzenbergs. Its fortune has been that it has avoided devastating fires, military invasions, or wars, allowing the historical character of the town to be preserved. It ranks among the most well-preserved collections of urban architecture heritage in Europe.