Czech and Slovak Club of  Greater Kansas City

The Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences (SVU) Nebraska Chapter, in conjunction with the UNL Komensky Club, is pleased to invite you to the following special lecture as we continue to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the UNL Komensky Club. Please share this with your family and friends.

The Spillville of Antonin Dvorak's Sojourn And Inspirations for the American
Lecture, University of Nebraska Student Union, Lincoln, Nebraska
7:00 p.m., Thursday, September 23, 2004

Spillville, Iowa, is the most important Czech village in America for many reasons. This presentation will help you understand why this is so.
After introducing a checklist of the priceless treasures of Spillville, the presentation focuses on a visual tour of The Spillville of 1893 that Antonin Dvorak, The Great Czech Composer, experienced.
Your historical Spillville Experience will start with the early days, before the Europeans came.
How did this place come to be?
How did it become predominantly Czech? How is it "...They Came To This Place..."?
How is it that the first major European composer to live in, or even visit, America before the 20th Century recharged in this small town in northeast Iowa in 1893?
How and why was he so inspired here that he wrote two major compositions in record time?
How is it, in his own words,... ?
"...months spent in Spillville will remain happy memories for the
rest of our lives."
"...I would never have written these work "just so" if I had not
seen America."
"It was a lovely place,...and all the time I was there I fancied
myself in Bohemia."
You will see what he saw - the place, the people, homes, business, churches, schools, and more.
Take yourself to another time.
Your tour will be visually very rich, using mostly old and original photographs in a PowerPoint presentation, accompanied by author commentary.
"Spillville, Iowa was founded by a German, its principle merchants were Swiss, but the overwhelming majority of its settlers were Czech."
THEY CAME TO THIS PLACE - A history of Spillville, Iowa and Its Czech
Settlers
Cyril M. Klimesh
METHODIUS PRESS, 1983, Revised and Reprinted 1992

* * * * * * ** * * * * *

Michael F. Klimesh
Michael Klimesh was born and raised in Spillville, Iowa. He has extensive formal education and life-long learning. He spent twenty-two years in executive positions in industry before turning to academics full
time in 1989. He has lived and taught on four continents. After years
away from Spillville he returned and makes his home there since 1989. He has been active in numerous community organizations. He was president of the 1993 "Remembering Dvorak" Celebration and the 1994 "Bily Clocks"
Celebration. He is an independent historical researcher focusing on the
Spillville area, and related Czech and Dvorak issues. His genealogy is traced to 1601 in Zverkovice in south central Bohemia on the paternal side, to 1712 on the maternal maternal Czech side and to 1591 on the maternal paternal Swiss side.

This lecture is being funded by a grant received by the SVU Nebraska Chapter from the Czech Foreign Ministry to enhance and enrich the Czech programs offered in our community. We look forward to seeing you at the lecture on Thursday, September 23.

Cathleen M. Oslzly
President, SVU Nebraska Chapter
Department of Psychology, UNL
235 Burnett Hall
Lincoln, NE 68588-0308
402/472-3121
402/472-4637 - fax
Sharon K. Valasek
Project Manager
BV Solutions Group
A Black & Veatch Company
Email: valaseksk@bvsg.com
913.458.7281 (office)
816.213.5847 (mobile)
913.458.8300 (fax)
www.bvsg.com
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