How did the Day of Vanished Villages go?

Not only did Petr Mikšíček share his impressions from the Day of Vanished Villages event, but he also provided a photo documentation of the entire occasion.

The Day of Vanished Villages 2—held on Saturday, October 5, 2024, in Fojtovice, Mohelnice, and Habartice—reminded me somewhat of the Pond Hockey World Championship in Canada, where I often go to film. It was cold, but people were prepared for it.

The concept of the entire day was excellent, and the organization was flawless. The program was engaging right until the end. The walk through the vanished villages and the screening of the new documentary *Traces on the Plain* were probably the biggest draws.

Those who attended on Saturday were treated to three great concerts by the bands HolderFolk, Birchtown, and Čistírny pokaždé jinak. Additionally, they experienced the symbolic lighting of the vanished part of Fojtovice. As a lasting legacy of the day, a bench was installed at the border crossing toward Fürstenau, and nine exhibition panels about the vanished villages will remain on display in Fojtovice and its surroundings.

I couldn’t help but think that if it had been early December instead of October, with Christmas markets, it would have felt the same, perhaps even colder with some snow, and more people would have come. No one would have minded the cold—in fact, they would have enjoyed it. Unfortunately, this transitional period, when people aren’t used to the cold yet, makes things tricky, and people still fear the winter. But those who attended, and there were quite a few, had a fantastic time. Thanks so much!

Many thanks to the Krušnohoří / Erzgebirge Destination Agency for a great project, Michal Krajhanzl and his team in Fojtovice for their cooperation, and Nikola Růžičková for her collaboration on the film and exhibition we created together.

Petr Mikšíček

Check out the report from Czech Television (ČT) covering the Day of Vanished Villages!

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