President Pavel unveils Prague-inspired astronomical clock in Cedar Rapids

Czech President Petr Pavel and his Slovak counterpart Peter Pellegrini on Friday jointly unveiled a restored clock tower in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, inspired by Prague's Astronomical Clock. They also visited the nearby National Czech & Slovak Museum and Library, which is marking its 50th anniversary this year.

The last occasion when both Czech and Slovak presidents visited the museum together was in 1995, when Václav Havel and Michal Kováč met with then-US President Bill Clinton. This time, the US was represented by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.

In his speech President Pavel congratulated the museum on its milestone anniversary, calling the Astronomical Clock a symbol of the enduring cultural ties between the Czech and Slovak nations.

The Buresh Immigration Clock Tower, which features twelve rotating wooden figures by Slovak sculptor Andrej Haršány, honors the Czechs and Slovaks, who immigrated to Iowa in the late 19th century and founded the Czech Village.