Spillville residents attend orloj unveiling at National Czech and Slovak Museum

Pictured are (from left to right) Spillville Mayor Paul Wermers, with Spillville historian Michael F. Klimesh and Eileen Tlusty in front of the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library’s Buresh Immigration Clock Tower. (Photo submitted)

A number of Spillville residents were present during the Reprise of the Presidents and dedication of the Buresh Immigration Clock Tower, which took place Sept. 27 at the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library in Cedar Rapids. This year is the museum’s 50th anniversary, and  festivities included the unveiling of an orloj clock — a type of astronomical clock — which was part of a project to repair and enhance the museum’s existing clocktower.

The museum’s original clocktower was constructed in 1995, according to information from the museum, and the design of the new orloj was based on the Czech Republic’s own astronomical clock in Prague — built in 1410. The Prague Orloj features 12 figures representing the 12 apostles, according to the museum, but the orloj in Cedar Rapids features a dozen figures — each almost 4 feet tall, according to the museum — to represent various immigrant stories and the roles they took on, such as a farmer, a coal miner and a meatpacker. Making those connections and telling those stories are fundamental aspects of the museum’s mission, said Cecilia Rokusek, the museum’s president and chief executive officer.

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