Ratiboř

Celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the Republic accompany us throughout the year. We also wanted to join this important event. Already in the spring, during the Goulash King festival, the first commemoration of the anniversary took place in the form of a military encampment and a mock-up of a Spitfire aircraft. The day before the 28th of October, the national flag that flew during the liberation in 1945 was installed on the church. Primary school children laid flowers and wreaths at all the memorials in the village, war graves and the graves of head teachers and parish priests in the local cemetery. On the day itself, the national flag was carried into the church by members of the Army of the Czech Republic followed by the municipal and firefighters' flags to the sound of a fanfare. Representatives of the municipality, the church and local associations followed in procession. After the solemn services, which also celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren, the celebration continued in front of the church, where Ratiboř residents who fell in World War I were honoured with flowers and an honour guard. This was followed by the unveiling of the newly installed bust of T. G. Masaryk under the magnolia tree at the new rectory. Our invitation was accepted by Mrs. Mynaříková, who celebrated her 100th birthday this year and had met Táček Masaryk several times in her life. Symbolically, the year 1918 and 2018 were linked by her presence, and the memories of the first president in her rendition were truly captivating. The entire Czechoslovak national anthem was played and Mrs. Mynaříková and our native Mr. Frydrych unveiled the bust of TGM. Subsequently, the Linden of Freedom, which was donated to the village by the Partnership Foundation, was planted near the bust. This organization maps the trees of freedom planted since 1918 all over the country. One of them is now growing in our village. The anniversary continued with a small celebration in Borč near the Ludvík Hynek Museum, where the Linden of the Republic was planted. The culmination of the whole day was a concert of the Morava Chamber String Orchestra. It must be added that the concert was one of the most successful and most professional concerts ever performed in the church in Ratiboř. The whole day ended with a discussion at the dulcimer at the fire station.

Here I would like to thank everyone who contributed financially to the collection for the bust of TGM. A nice sum of 20 430 CZK was collected. I very much appreciate the fact that local associations contributed. Thanks also go to all the employees of the municipality, members of the choir, members of the Czech Army, members of the historical military club Svobodovci, the Vacks and all those who participated in the organization of the event. The celebration of 100 years was truly dignified and the new Freedom Park is a reminder of it. Thanks to T. G. Masaryk and the Liberty Linden, it will be a place reminding of our republic, statehood, basic democratic and human values.