"Coffins have no pockets": Constantin Kinský on Czechast
Born in France, Constantin Kinský studied there, and made a successful career in international finance. But when communism fell in Central and Eastern Europe, Constantin Kinský came back. With his late father, he returned to the family's ancestral estate in Žďár nad Sázavou — my very own hometown — and set about reclaiming not just a chateau, but a legacy.
This episode of Czechast is about more than history. It’s about the long shadow communism cast on this country, and what it takes to step out of it — to rebuild trust, creativity, and a sense of purpose.
“For 50 years, we were forbidden to have our own opinions. We need to rebuild our ability to have our own opinions and be creative. So sustainability and creativity.”
Constantin once advised the Czech prime minister during the turbulent 1990s, helping to stabilize and privatize failing banks. But today, his focus is different: managing forests, lakes, and lands in the rolling hills of the Vysočina region, opening the estate for art festivals and the public.
“Because we're romantic idiots. In Czech, we say that coffins do not have pockets. What you do has to have meaning. We can, you know, focus on making money. And then what? Then what? You die. You don't take your money with you. You're dead. You have nothing. The only thing you have is what you've left, what you've given away. Anything that you do not give is lost. That's the truth of life. So that's what we try to live.”
We talked about the future of the country, what needs to change, and how Czechia can find its voice — and its rightful place — again.
“What needs to be done in terms of sustainable management, of promotion, of innovation, restoration, and so forth, to bring this country back to where it belongs historically, which is the heart of Europe.”
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Czechast, Radio Prague International
Czechast is a regular RPI podcast about Czech and Moravian culture, history, and economy.
