Much in the media since the Cedar Rapids flood in 2008, Dave and I stopped to see this facility while on our way to a wedding in northeast Iowa.
A short video shows visitors how the building was moved to higher ground in 2012. The brick building weighed 1500 tons and was moved 480 feet to ground 11 feet higher than its original location. Many people sat with their lawn chairs watching the process. Stories to tell grandchildren!
In a main hallway is a photograph exhibit and in the theater we watched a longer video, both about the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968.
We saw Madeleine Albright’s amazing collection of pins. The exhibit “Read My Pins” is open May 11 through October 27, 2013 and is very worth visiting. Her intelligence and negotiating skills were evident. She didn’t like slithering snakes. The former Secretary of State visited the library the previous week and several of the staff enjoyed telling us about their encounters with her. It was certainly a day they will always remember. Wouldn’t we all!
In another room is an extensive and fascinating display of heritage clothing. “Kroje—Dress for the Dance of Life!” features detailed embroidery and lace. I particularly enjoyed seeing the bobbins and pattern showing how the lace is made.
The museum is pursuing an oral history project to capture and preserve the stories of Czechs and Slovaks who left their homeland during the Cold War and since.
Also located on the grounds is the Immigrant Home, which we did not visit because we ran out of time. Tours are available and I suspect that it would also be an informative place to visit.
Another exhibit “Faces of Freedom: The Czech and Slovak Journey” is scheduled to open June 15.
One of my goals was to visit the library. I wanted to see what kind of genealogy research a visitor could do here. The librarian on duty was very helpful. I introduced myself and showed her an example of the kind of article I’m preparing to write. She took me to the section where I could find appropriate materials and she answered all of my questions. I found approximately 50 family genealogies on the shelf and several books that could be helpful to a researcher, specifically:
Armstrong, Mary Helen, “The Cechs[sic] in Cedar Rapids,” typed manuscript in compliance for Bachelor’s Degree, Cornell College, Mount Vernon, Iowa, January 1950.
Griffith, Martha E., “Czech Settlement in Cedar Rapids, Iowa,” typed manuscript Thesis for Master’s Degree, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, 1942.
Klimesh, Cyril M., “They Came to this Place, A History of Spillville, Iowa, and its Czech Settlers,” Sebastopol, CA: Methodius Press, 1983
Merkle, Donna, ed., “The History of Czechs in Cedar Rapids, Volume I 1852 – 1942 & Volume II 1942 – 1982,” Cedar Rapids, Iowa: Czech Heritage Foundation, rev. 2012.
Murray, Janette Stevenson, “They Came to North Tama, A Historical Account of North Tama, Iowa,” Lake Mills, Iowa: Graphic Publishing Co., Inc., 1953 & 1973.
Protivin Historical Preservation Group, “The Protivin Community, Past and Present,” Decorah, Iowa: Anundsen Publishing Company, 2005.
Pults, Marcella Podhajsky, “20th Century Czechs in Central Tama County, Iowa 1900 – 2000 AD, Denver, Colorado: Copy Cat Press, 2000.
To learn more about the museum and library visit http://www.NCSML.org. The librarian gave me the business card for the Library Director, David Muhlena. She also told me about the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International, St. Paul, Minnesota, http://www.cgsi.org.
Since it was raining and only 50 degrees the late May day of our visit, we appreciated the large underground parking availability in the large building.
Visiting such a nice facility with very helpful staff, it was embarrassing to say that neither of us has any Czech or Slovak ancestry.
Since I’m a visual learner, I love how you use photos to illustrate your story. And I love your appreciation for other cultures even though neither you or your husband are Czech or Slovak. As the song goes, “It’s a small world.”