Mailbox
Topics discussed in this week's Mailbox: The legendary Czech animator Jiri Trnka, writer Karolina Svetla, Czech records in the javelin throw. Listeners quoted: Jean-Claude Bonnard, Colin Law, Aloisie Krasny, and Mogire Omachuki.
Hello and thanks for tuning in to Mailbox, the programme for your views and comments. Let's begin with this query sent in by Jean-Claude Bonnard from France:
"I am looking for the place where Jiri Trnka has been buried: In Praha Vysehrad, or elsewhere? Thanks for your help."
The Czech puppet maker, film animator and director of animated movies, Jiri Trnka, who is considered as one of the founders of Czech animated film, is buried in the Central Cemetery (Ustredni hrbitov) in his native city of Pilsen. He was born in 1912 and died in 1969.
I regrettably made a mistake in last week's Mailbox in describing a photograph our listener Colin Law from New Zealand had attached to his competition answer. Mr Law immediately wrote in to correct it:
"I hasten to make a correction to your recent Mailbox. The photo of the plaque was not mine. I 'took' the photo of the plaque only to the extent that I took it from a website. It does appear on several internet sites, but I can't claim to have been the photographer!"
The incorrect information has been put right on our website and I do apologise for that error.
Aloisie Krasny from Australia sent in an e-mail regarding Czech writer Karolina Svetla who was featured in last week's Czechs in History by Rosie Johnston.
"What a fascinating article on this author who I must confess I have never read. Her life and those of other famous Czech authors seem to have been intertwined. I must admit I had never seen Bozena Nemcova in this light nor Jan Neruda. It's interesting how human nature manipulates situations and in fact this story reminds me of the film 'Dangerous Liaisons' - no one came out as a winner in the end."
From Kenya, Mogire Omachuki writes:
"As a curious fan of Radio Prague as pertains to life in the Czech Republic I was fascinated with the performance of the Czech women javelin throwers in Osaka, Japan. I want to know the secret of the Czech people behind the javelin throw. Does this mean that a Czech is the current record holder in this event?"
As a matter of fact, a Czech athlete is the current world record holder in the men's javelin throw. He is Jan Zelezny with 98.48 metres, a record he set at Jena, Germany 11 years ago. Barbora Spotakova who won gold in Osaka holds the women's national record with 67.07 metres. The Czech Republic, or Czechoslovakia, can boast another outstanding female javelin thrower, Dana Zatopkova, a gold medallist at the 1952 Olympics, a silver medallist at the 1960 Olympics, twice a European champion and repeatedly the record holder in that event.
Thank you very much for your comments and questions and I hope we answered them to your satisfaction. I'm afraid all we have time for now is our monthly competition question in which we ask you to tell us the names of famous or remarkable people born in or otherwise connected with the Czech Republic.
The September mystery Czech was a child actor who was awarded an Academy Juvenile Award in 1948. Who was he?
Please tell us the name of this mystery person and a few facts about him if you like at the usual address, [email protected] or Radio Prague, 12099 Prague. The deadline is September 30th. Until next week, thanks for listening.
