A day of a nowadays joy

On Thursday September 14 2006 the Indian summer sun was shining brightly over the Lidice plain and as the sky was blue as well one could easily predict a very pleasant time full of expectations. In a little while the results of the first annual year of the knowledge and literate contest called Lidice for 21st Century will be festively advertised - and where else this could happen than on the fundamentals of the original school on the reverent area.

The contest was prepared by Lidice memorial, an allowance organization of The Ministry of Culture together with The Historical Military Institute Prague. Five hundred and forty-five pupils- 311 girls and 234 boys from both primary and secondary schools, who participated in the fist annual year since March could only say that the contest was already behind them. Also the committee has made their decision about the most successful ones and announced the results. However the following moments are still filled with excitement as always when people gather to share the enjoyment.

And it has to be said that there was quite a crowd to share the joy with. There were around three hundred of visitors that came to Lidice- there were contest finalists, pupils from the neighbouring schools, teachers and parents and many other guests. And all of them are already applauding to Kristina Grenova from a primary school in Kladno, the winner of category I for those who were in the age of eleven up to the age of fourteen. Also there was applause for Roman Hajek from a grammar school in Kladno who won the II category that was for pupils in the age of fifteen up to eighteen. And the crowd is greeting all the other participants who were placed on 2nd and 3rd position as well as those who were awarded by a special committee award or received a special appreciation for a unique essay and whose names were also published in June on our web sites. The glass rose for Kristyna and Roman, a diploma and prices that included some very interesting publications for all of those awarded... And while the actors Alfred Strejcek and Klara Jandova were reading the winner’s essays that were motivated by the tragedy there were emotions of compassion and maybe even resistance to be felt in the air above Lidice.

The dearer was later a walk through the reverent area that was accompanied by the Lidice women and children, whose memories are still alive. The winners of both categories could later on enjoy a very untraditional award- a sightseeing flight from the airport Velka Dobra. Later on the beautiful crowd of people moved into the Lidice gallery garden where all the present people were amazed by the world masters of aerobics from a sport club CASPV Kladno and where there were famous Beatles melodies to be heard performed by musicians from Beatles revival. Who could by surprised that the garden turned into a unique dancing place with hundreds of spontaneous dancers?

And this is the way it should be: a place that was meant to be exterminated by the inhumanity of the worse kind was filled by a sunny day full of nowadays joy. And that is the reason why shall we expect with a hope another annual year of the contest Lidice for 21st Century.