A new Czech-German museum is being completed in Plesná in Chebsko. It was created by the reconstruction of a former textile factory in the city center. The expositions will show the transformations of the city, its Czech and German inhabitants and their mutual relations from the beginning of the last century to the fall of the Iron Curtain. The town hall is preparing a public presentation for the end of this year, according to Plesná mayor Petr Schaller (TOP 09).
“We have created exhibitions here on the history of the city and on the topic of displacement, namely the Czech population in 1939 and the German population in 1945. In the second half, the topic will be culture, people took their culture from here after the removal. Plesná then had 3,000 inhabitants, of which 98 percent were Germans,” the mayor described the upcoming exhibitions.
To create the Czech-German museum, the city collaborated with the Cheb and Karlovy Vary museums as well as the Sudeten German Museum in Munich. Even the natives themselves, who were displaced after the war, took part in it. Most of the German population from Plesná was resettled after the war to the German town of Eichenzell near Fulda, more than 300 kilometers away.
“The exhibition is based on the story of the son of the last German mayor in Plesná, who ensured the removal. He tells us the story of his childhood here, how life was here before the war, during it and after the war in Germany, what their beginnings were like there,” said the mayor. Short examples of the film, which the Memory of the Nation organization also worked on, will be shown here.
In addition to history, the museum will also offer exhibitions dedicated to the geological attractions of Plesná and its surroundings. The local phenomenon, the earthquake, will also be described here. The exhibition will also point to local tourist destinations, such as the castle in Skalná, the Franciscan Park or Cheb Square, but also in the German border area, such as the monastery in Waldsassen and others.
An unused building in the city center intended for demolition was purchased by the city of 2,000 years ago for less than five million crowns. The original textile factory was sold off in privatization 30 years ago and has remained empty and dilapidated ever since. The town hall was successful in applying for a cross-border subsidy with the project to create a Czech-German museum. For a total cost of CZK 80 million, it received a subsidy of CZK 50 million, the city took out a loan for the rest.
The city wants to present the new museum to the public this December. It could begin to function fully from the beginning of the next summer season. The intention is to create a community center out of the new building. Discussions for the public and local schools will be held here, and there should also be a cafe here in the future. The library will also find a place here next year. In the future, the city also wants to make available the original chimney in the area, which has been preserved thanks to its good condition.
Source: CTK
Photo: mestoplesna.cz
