The German embassy in Prague, a haven for East Germans during the final weeks of the Communist regime, may be bought by the country’s government.
Palais Lobkowicz, owned by the Czech government, may be swapped for a property in Berlin, German Foreign Ministry spokesman Jens Ploetner said today. The embassy has been “an important part of our history” since thousands of East Germans camped out on the grounds in 1989 seeking passage to West Germany, he said.
The German and Czech governments will discuss the transaction when the building has been appraised, Ploetner said. The property swap may involve the Czech government taking ownership of the former U.S. Embassy in Berlin, which is now empty, he said.
On Sept. 30, 1989, West German Foreign Minister Hans- Dietrich Genscher announced from the embassy’s balcony to thousands of East Germans that their communist government was letting them go to the West. Less than two months later, the Berlin Wall fell.
The embassy is in Prague’s Mala Strana district, one of the city’s best-preserved and most expensive locations. The U.S. embassy is about 200 meters (219 yards) away.
Monday 17 August 2009
Friday 7 August 2009
Starbucks eyes Czech Republic, Poland
Starbucks Corp. plans to at least double the number of outlets in the Czech Republic and Poland in five years as those countries recover from the economic slowdown.
“The market is still fresh and not crowded as in Western Europe,” Vladan Armus, the company’s brand president for Central and Eastern Europe, said Tuesday in an interview at a Prague Starbucks. “We can probably expand rapidly in the region for the next 10 years.”
Coffee chains are looking for opportunities in Central and Eastern Europe and Brazil as the economic crisis stalls growth in developed markets.
“The market is still fresh and not crowded as in Western Europe,” Vladan Armus, the company’s brand president for Central and Eastern Europe, said Tuesday in an interview at a Prague Starbucks. “We can probably expand rapidly in the region for the next 10 years.”
Coffee chains are looking for opportunities in Central and Eastern Europe and Brazil as the economic crisis stalls growth in developed markets.
Monday 3 August 2009
Czechs withdraw from Eurovision
The Czech Republic has announced it is quitting the Eurovision Song Contest, saying there is a lack of interest at home in the musical event.
The country, which made its debut in 2007, came last with no points in one of the semi-finals in May. Its previous two attempts failed to reach the final, with rock band Kabat also coming last in the qualifying round two years ago.
A spokesman for Czech Television said that poor viewing figures for the show also prompted the decision. This year's Czech entry was performed by Roma group Gipsy.cz, with its lead singer dressed as comic character Supergipsy.
It was the first time in five years that a country had failed to make a mark on the scoreboard. Slovakia, the Czech Republic's closest neighbour, returned to Eurovision this year after a gap of 11 years.
Czech Television told Eurovision website ESC Today that the contest had proved a success in Slovakia, despite their failure to make the final.
The country, which made its debut in 2007, came last with no points in one of the semi-finals in May. Its previous two attempts failed to reach the final, with rock band Kabat also coming last in the qualifying round two years ago.
A spokesman for Czech Television said that poor viewing figures for the show also prompted the decision. This year's Czech entry was performed by Roma group Gipsy.cz, with its lead singer dressed as comic character Supergipsy.
It was the first time in five years that a country had failed to make a mark on the scoreboard. Slovakia, the Czech Republic's closest neighbour, returned to Eurovision this year after a gap of 11 years.
Czech Television told Eurovision website ESC Today that the contest had proved a success in Slovakia, despite their failure to make the final.
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