Czech Republic

LOS - Liberecka Obcanska Spolecnost (The Civil Society of Liberec)

SINCE WHEN?
November 2003

WHY?
For alive Liberec, for alive Euroregion Nisa…
LOS is trying to revitalize Liberec and its surroundings, seeks to improve the quality of cultural, social and civil services by its activity. The organization aims to underline the importance of voluntary activities, exposing taboo topics and stereotypes against minority groups, and (not only) methodological support for youth workers. Finally, LOS aims to strengthen cooperation of NGOs operating in the Liberec Region. The effort is also a revival of Euroregion Nisa, remove barriers and borders which are still exists in the minds of citizens of the Euroregion; access to apparently distant locations and use the civil and cultural potential of the region.

FOR WHOM?
Young people
Youth workers, educators, teachers
Local community of Liberec, Liberec Region and Euroregion Nisa

WHAT?
Trainings, seminars, workshops (both international and local)
Living library
Long term educational projects

Examples of initiatives and projects:
I love nisa – long term project aiming to create a “social glue” in Euroregion Nisa through sharing information and organization of cultural, social, educational activities in Polish – German – Czech crossborder area. (www.ilovenisa.eu)
PolaCzek – in 2012 we organize already 4th edition of Czech – Polish project for students, educators and teachers, which aim to create connection between active multipliers from both side of the border, and give them tools which they can use for breaking stereotypes about their neighbours (methods of intercultural learning). (www.polaczek.cz)
We play for our region (Hrajeme o nas kraj) – young peoples initiative aiming to encourage people to take part in regional elections, and to make conscious political choices. Within this projects we organized discussions with polititians in the tram, on the ship, during the breaks of the street soccer played at the market square etc. (www.hrajemeonaskraj.cz)
Meet your borders – international training for youth workers and youth leaders organized within Youth in Action Programme, aiming to promote the method of living library, which we use to approach social and national stereotypes in Liberec, and in Euroregion Nisa (small towns very close to Czech – Polish – German border). (www.meetyourborders.eu)

BY WHOM?
Our organization was established by group of students of pedagogic, and till now students of pedagogic and teachers are the most represented group in our team.
The team consist of around 10 active members, and around 10 volunteers who work with us within different project.
Nobody in our organization is full time employed in it, and a lot of our work is being done on voluntary basis.

WHY “WORDS CONNECTING GENERATIONS”?
Our experience of working with the topic of oral history is relatively fresh.
Most important milestones are:

Being partner in project Indifference hurts, within which we contributed to development of educational programme based on individual stories of Righteous Among the Nations (people who helped Jewish people during WW2). One of results of the project is publication with workshop scenarios: https://righteous.info/publikacja/content/_index-en.html. This year we organise training for teachers and future teachers from Liberec based on the methodology developed within this project.

In 2010 we joned an initiative of differnet institutions and organisations from Liberec, within which we opened discussion about german history of the city (which was till 1945 inhabited mainly by German). One of the results of those discussions is project: Living memory of Liberec Reichenberg, which starts in November 2012, and which aims to record and share with inhabitants of the city stories from different eras of the XX century: before the war, communism, 1989 revolution through audio guides and educational programme. Project is being organised in cooperation with City Library, City Museum, Municipality, Technical University, and many other organisations and institutions from Liberec, as well as partners from Germany and Poland.

Country: Czech Republic
Region: Liberec Region (Liberecky Kraj)
Town / city: Liberec
Website: www.liberec.cz, https://www.liberecky-kraj.cz/en/
Number Inhabitants: 102 000

Short historical background:
Liberec is located in the valley between the Ještěd Ridge and the Jizera Mountains. Its history goes back to the times of merchant paths leading through this area. As the crossing of the Ještěd Ridge was highly demanding, it was necessary to create a resting place for travelling merchants. Therefore Liberec was gradually established as an open market settlement and it was this fact which determined the character of the town. During the 15th and early 16th centuries this small settlement, first mentioned in 1352, gradually changed into a feudal town, its rights confirmed in writing by Emperor Rudolf II in 1577. The end of the 16th century brought exceptional development to the town.
The beginning of the 19th century saw the growth of the textile industry which brought about the development of industrial architecture. This fact lead to the town acquiring independent status. At that time, many representative edifices were built and lent the town a majesty corresponding to its importance - Liberec used to be, after Prague, the second biggest town in Bohemia. There were three consulates, 50 textile factories, and 60 factories connected with the metal industry.

After the end of World War I Austria-Hungary fell apart. The Czechs of Bohemia joined newly established Czechoslovakia on the 29th of October 1918. Reichenberg (German name of Liberec) became the capital of the Sudeten German province of German-Austria. On the 16th of December 1918 the Czechoslovak Army occupied Reichenberg and the Sudeten German province became part of Czechoslovakia.
During the 1920s and 1930s, Liberec became the unofficial capital of Germans in Czechoslovakia.
The Great Depression devastated the economy of the area with its textile, carpet, glass and other light industry. The high number of unemployed people, hunger, fear of the future and dissatisfaction with the Prague government led to the flash rise of the populist Sudeten German Party (SdP) founded by Konrad Henlein, born in the suburbs of Liberec. Whilst he declared fidelity to the Republic, he secretly negotiated with Adolf Hitler.
The Munich Agreement in 1938 awarded the city to Nazi Germany and it became the capital of the Sudetengau region. Most of the city's Jewish and Czech population fled to the rest of Czechoslovakia or was expelled. The important synagogue was burned down.
After World War II, the town again became a part of Czechoslovakia, and nearly all of the city's German population was expelled, following the Beneš decrees. The region was then resettled with Czechs. The city continues to have an important German minority.

Liberec is sometimes called "the town under Ještěd," whose peak, rising to 1012m, is crowned by a modern tower which has become a dominant feature of the town. The project for this original construction in the shape of a rotating hyperboloid was designed by the architect Karel Hubáček and awarded the prestigious Perret's prize. The building, housing a communications tower and a hotel with a restaurant, was opened on 21. 9. 1973, and has become a symbol of the remarkable town which lays underneath.

Strenghts:

Architecture (beautiful old villas, town hall, city museum)
Mountaines nearby which make it a popular turistic destination
Technical University of Liberec, and private universities giving opportunites for young people
Liberec is the main city of the region: Liberecky Kraj
Long tradition of textile industry, which brought reachness to the region
Level of self employment higher than the avarage in the region

Challanges:

Architecture – in terms of connection between modernity and historical buildings, lack of the concept while reconstructing public spaces
Many not used post industrial spaces
Small support for the cultural activities
Lack of understanding for the public spaces (german heritage)
Difficulty with buidling local identidy (due to the post war change of inhabitants)

Opportunities:

It is the main city of the Euroregion Nisa (czech – german – polish crossborder area), which brings opoortunities both for crossborder cooperation, as well as for the additional european funding for the activities in border areas
Very good connection to Prague by highway: 1 hour by bus

Important partners for projects dealing with oral history, with whom we already cooperate:

City Library (build up in the place, where synagogue was), center for many cultural events, as well as commemoration place for the jewish history of the town
Museum, which works with many topics important for the region
Antikomplex, organisation which works which stimlates dialogue, and reflection on czech german relations, in particular in the Sudety region
Liberec-Reichenberg.net, website run by young architects, which supports better understanding of the architecture of Liberec (in particular in connection to its german past)