Back to the Roots...

This year's summer vacation takes us eastward, as part of our family's roots lie in the Czech Republic. After my father and grandfather passed away too soon, I had the desire to visit Ostrava and later Slovakia. Genealogy light, if you will.

The further part of our journey will take us to Rosnov in the Polish Beskids. But more on that later.

So we hit the road in northeastern Czechia with all our belongings. Ostrava, the third largest city in the country, belongs to the Moravian-Silesian administrative center. Situated on the Oder River, only 10 kilometers from Poland and 50 kilometers from the Slovak border, the city gained fame through coal mining.

My grandfather spent his entire working life in the Michal mine, which is no longer active but can still be visited. The interesting tour, which lasts about 1.5 hours, is offered in various languages and is definitely worth a visit. In Michálkovice, not far from the mine, was the settlement for the miners. Small, simple houses were the homes of the hardworking miners and their families. We took the opportunity here to search for the former house of my grandfather, where my father was born and raised, and to get a glimpse of the current conditions. The once simple settlement has since developed into a small and well-maintained residential area.

Today, Ostrava is a modern sports and industrial city, and the structural transformation after the end of mining seems to have been quite successful overall.

Our visit to Ostrava was rounded off by a day with good friends. Hospitality, a great meal together, and conversations and stories from "back then" brought us all a lot of joy. A trip to our own roots, which felt particularly special thanks to the wonderful friends here in Ostrava. :-)