Mailbox
Today in Mailbox: Response to Czech History, Radio Prague prize - lost and found, Radio Prague's monthly quiz. Listeners/readers quoted: Jaroslav Tusek, Vladimir Gudzenko, Colin Law, Gregory Lagat, Hans Verner Lollike, Hamad Kiani, Bibi Z. Shah, Mary Lou Krenek, Juan Carlos Gil Mongio.
“There were at least three major waves of ‘adventurers against their will’ in the last seven decades who decided to start new lives in different countries around the world. Besides the WWII wave there was the 1948 communist takeover wave and the 1968 Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia wave. In the process hundreds of thousands of some of the most courageous and resourceful people have left the country. The consequences are still clearly discernible in both today's Czech and Slovak Republics. By the way, the WWII wave started around the 1938 so one could imply than in 50 years of the 20th century the country experienced significant losses of inhabitants not only because of major killings of Czech and Slovak populations that took place during WWI, the Nazi and the Communist eras but also because of the three major emigration waves and the loss of the Ruthenia to the USSR.”
This letter came from Russia, from Vladimir Gudzenko, who is originally from Ukraine and used to listen to Radio Prague on shortwave there for many years:
“First of all, thank you for your attention to my notes and comments. I’d like to refer to your news report from September 3, about two Czech men reportedly killed in Ukraine, while fighting for the pro-Russian forces. Your report says that around 30 Czech citizens joined the pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine.
“Yes, they are the orthodox Communists, but for me it’s hard to imagine that the citizens of a free European nation can join the neo-Soviet forces, organized by Russia’s secret services – the FGB and the GRU. Do the Czechs really not remember the Gottwald Stalinist repressions and terror, and 1968 Soviet tanks in Prague?
“Rather these disappointed people believed the Russians’ money promises. I heard that the Putinists promised USD 1,000 per day for all mercenaries. But it’s a deception; the occupants can get only death in this undeclared war.”
We were happy to hear from our faithful listener Colin Law from New Zealand, the winner of our June quiz whose prize went missing:
The post seems to move in mysterious ways these days so it was a relief to hear from last month’s winner, Gregory Lagat from Kenya:
“Greetings, just to let you know that I received my prize over the weekend. That was quick, I am grateful. I hope the summer holidays were enjoyable in Česká republika, Happy listening to all your audience.”
And these messages bring us smoothly to our monthly quiz.
Hans Verner Lollike from Denmark, is always among the first to write in:
“This month you are looking for the founder of a coffee firm in Vienna. The name is: Julius Meinl. He was born into a baker’s family in the small town of Kraslice in 1824 close to the border with Germany. He was an apprentice in a paint shop in Prague, and opened his first shop selling roasted coffee in Vienna in 1862, went bankrupt, but finally he succeeded and could hand over his company to his son with the same name, before he died in 1914.”
Hamad Kiani from Pakistan wrote:
Bibi Z. Shah also from Pakistan writes:
“The Meinl story begins in 1862 when Julius Meinl opened his first grocery store, selling spices and green coffee in the center of Vienna. Julius Meinl is a manufacturer and retailer of coffee, gourmet foods and other grocery products.”
This answer is from Mary Lou Krenek from the United States:
“Julius Meinl founded his coffee roasting enterprise in Vienna, Austria in 1862. Since then five generations of the Meinl family have been supplying customers with the world's finest coffees. For 150 years, Meinl has been Central Europe's leading coffee company and it is one of the oldest in the world.
“Julius Meinl opened his first grocery store selling spices and green coffee in the center of Vienna. He created coffee blends and was the first to offer them freshly roasted for sale. This innovation saved customers the challenge of roasting green coffee beans on their kitchen stoves. Meinl became very successful. In 1891, he opened a modern roasting plant on the very site where the retreating Ottoman army had left the green coffee beans 200 years earlier. He died at the age of 90 in Vienna.
“Today, Julius Meinl stands for experience, tradition, and products of premium quality. In addition to coffee, Meinl is a leading producer and trader of quality teas, jams, and other fine foods. There are retail outlets and coffee shops all over Europe, including three in the U. S. A. on the northside of Chicago.”
Juan Carlos Gil Mongio from Spain wrote:
Many thanks to all of you for your answers and this time our prize goes – hopefully without travelling around the world first – to Alex Torbeni from Indonesia. Congratulations! And for everybody else, here’s a new chance.
In October we are asking for the name of the Austrian-British philosopher, born in 1902 in Vienna, whose father came from the central Bohemian town of Roudnice nad Labem.
If you want to be included in our lucky draw, please make sure your answer reaches us by October 29th at the usual address [email protected].
Mailbox will be back in four weeks’ time and in the meantime we’ll be looking for your reception reports, questions and comments, both in the mail and on our Facebook page. Until then, happy listening and take care.
