Table of Contents Table of Contents............................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction to Fulnek..................................................................................................................... 5 History ........................................................................................................................................................ 6 Culture as Seen in Fulnek................................................................................................................ 9 John Amos Comenius (1592 – 1670)............................................................................................. 11 Other prominent citizens ............................................................................................................... 16 Cultural Institutions in Fulnek ...................................................................................................... 18 Městské kulturní centrum Fulnek (MKCF)................................................................................................ 19 (Cultural Centre of Fulnek) ...................................................................................................................... 19 Comenius Fulnek ...................................................................................................................................... 24 Muzeum Novojičínska (Museum of the Nový Jičín District) ..................................................................... 25 T.O. Touhy ................................................................................................................................................ 26 Moravské Kravařsko................................................................................................................................. 26 Sponsors.................................................................................................................................................... 27 Summary ................................................................................................................................................... 28 Cultural Projects and Events......................................................................................................... 30 Edu&Art.................................................................................................................................................... 30 The Cultural History Trail ........................................................................................................................ 37 Princezna Terezka (Princess Terezka)...................................................................................................... 39 Patchwork Exhibitions .............................................................................................................................. 40 The Days of Czech-Polish Culture............................................................................................................ 40 A ladies’ session - Dámy na slovíčko ........................................................................................................ 41 Contest for the most charming gingerbread cabin.................................................................................... 41 The Town Ball........................................................................................................................................... 42 The Day of the Town ................................................................................................................................. 42 Fulnečka Festival...................................................................................................................................... 43 Exhibitions in MKCF’s non-smoking restaurant....................................................................................... 43 Summary ................................................................................................................................................... 44 Monuments and Sights................................................................................................................... 46 The Castle ................................................................................................................................................. 47 The Capuchin Monastery.......................................................................................................................... 54 The Parish Church of the Holy Trinity...................................................................................................... 57 The Comenius Memorial........................................................................................................................... 59 The Knurr Palace...................................................................................................................................... 65 Vila Loreta ................................................................................................................................................ 67 Summary ................................................................................................................................................... 70 Strong and Weak Points of Fulnek ................................................................................................ 72 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................... 77 Sources .......................................................................................................................................... 80 Printed Sources......................................................................................................................................... 80 1 Online sources .......................................................................................................................................... 81 Interviews.................................................................................................................................................. 82 E-mails and Facebook chat....................................................................................................................... 82 Lecture ...................................................................................................................................................... 82 2 Introduction In my thesis, I would like to evaluate the development of my home town’s cultural policies and the general state of the “cultural life” in the town. The time span for the research will be from 1989 onwards. I have chosen this topic both for personal interest and because the town itself might benefit from my findings – providing my research brings any useful conclusions, of course. Speaking about culture is always complicated for the vague and numerous definitions of the word. My first task will, therefore, be to identify what the leadership in Fulnek perceives as culture, and make a starting point from there. Then I would like to identify the cultural institutions in Fulnek and find out their roles in the cultural life of the town. Subsequently, I want to take a look at where the culture of the town stems from (cultural heritage); what it is based on today (cultural events), evaluating whether the town is doing the maximum it can to benefit from its cultural background. With a similar goal, I will also look into the town’s cooperation with other cities, regions, the state, other countries and the EU. As far as I know, there have been no studies published yet on this particular topic. Books have been written on Fulnek’s architectural heritage and its history, especially related to Jan Amos Komenský (John Amos Comenius), the philosopher who stayed in Fulnek from 1618-1621. A more relevant publication could be the bachelor thesis written in 2010 by the director of Fulnek’s Information Centre, which deals with the marketing opportunities in Fulnek. The author places emphasis on the cultural sphere and provides useful suggestions for changes in the town’s cultural policies. My thesis should offer an insight into the development of cultural policies and cultural life in general in a small town with a rich heritage. According to my findings, it could serve as a positive or a negative example for other similar towns; or it might possibly become a basis for further comparative research. In any case, the main contribution my thesis should bring is offering evaluation of the town’s policies, possibly even suggestions on further actions in the cultural sphere; thus helping the Fulnek’s authorities realize the full potential of the town. My main sources will be e-mail/ verbal communication with the Town Hall, the Cultural Centre of Fulnek (MKCF), the Information Centre (IC), Comenius Fulnek o.s. 3 (dedicated to promoting the philosophy of J. A. Comenius) and the District Museum of Nový Jičín; their reports on activities and budget; the official websites of the town, MKCF, IC and Comenius Fulnek; the monthly town newsletters and the official town hall notice board. Of course, Fulnek is also my primary home, therefore I know a lot about it from my own experience and learning. As far as the structure is concerned, I will start with some introductory