Event in Cedar Rapids draws global Czech and Slovak scholars

CEDAR RAPIDS - The overthrow of Czechoslovakia's communist government more than 20 years ago was a hot topic this weekend during a conference at the Cedar Rapids Marriott sponsored by the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library.

The discussions took place as revolutionary fervor continued to sweep across nations, including Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain and Yemen.

Slovakia and the Czech Republic “are players on the world front, equal to every other free nation. It's a remarkable change in 20 years,” said Gail Naughton, museum president and CEO. “I think there are lots of reasons to look at these issues today.”

Naughton said the current unrest in Africa and the Middle East is “not unlike what happened in 1989” in the former Czechoslovakia.

“There are lessons here. You can take that opportunity and maximize it and make something out of it,” she said.

The current and former Slovakian ambassadors to the United States were at the conference. The roster also included a former U.S. ambassador to Prague and a senior fellow at the Institute for Public Affairs in Slovakia.

The conference was the sixth and final in a series presented by the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library since 1999. The past four conferences have progressed through critical times in the 20th century, leading up to the final installment discussing affairs from 1989 to the present.

The museum and library here has made Cedar Rapids a hub for those interested in Eastern Europe. The museum was flooded in 2008, putting the building out of commission and damaging much of the historical collection.

Later in 2008, the organization opened a temporary location in Cedar Rapids.

Naughton said they're well on their way to reopening a permanent home.

“It's been a long, difficult process, but I think a lot of us feel like we're taking a big step now from the early stages of recovery,” she said. “You can build a building but it's really what's going on inside that counts.”