Foreign Ministry hands out Gratias Agit awards for promoting Czechia abroad

The Czech Foreign Ministry presented its annual Gratias Agit Awards to ten individuals and one organization for promoting the good name of the Czech Republic abroad at a ceremony held on Thursday at Prague’s Czernin Palace.

Among this year’s recipients were Josef Elster, a leading figure in Czech polar research, Daryl Bohac, former commander of the Nebraska National Guard, and Jitka and Jiří Pallas, dissidents and longtime promoters of Czech culture in Sweden. The Australian non-profit Sculpture by the Sea was honored for its support of Czech artists through major outdoor exhibitions.

Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský praised the laureates for building bridges between cultures and serving as informal ambassadors of Czech values abroad.

The Gratias Agit Award has been given annually since 1997 to individuals, regardless of nationality, whose long-term efforts have strengthened the Czech Republic’s reputation internationally. About 400 people and organizations have received the award to date.