The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library is breaking ground Friday, May 2 at 1 p.m. for the Orloj Memorial Park. Cecilia Rokusek, NCSML president and CEO and Tiffany O’Donnell, Cedar Rapids mayor will speak at the groundbreaking ceremony.
The second phase of the Buresh Immigration Clock Tower renovation, beginning Friday, includes the installation of a sundial on the tower’s eastern face. Mounted beneath the Czechoslovak wolfdog that barks every quarter hour to symbolize the work ahead, the sundial will mark the time as the Earth rotates on its axis and revolves around the Sun.
The first phase included the installation of an astronomical clock modeled after the famous Prague Orloj dating back to the 15th century AD. Twelve figurines depicting the stories of Czech and Slovak immigrants rotate every hour between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. for spectators to view as music from influential Czech composers Bedrich Smetana and Antonin Dvorak plays.
The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library is proud to partner with the City of Cedar Rapids on the Buresh Immigration Clock Tower project. For the second phase, beginning in 2025, NCSML was awarded two grants from the State of Iowa. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) awarded a Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) City Parks and Open Spaces grant.
These funds will be used to develop the Orloj Memorial Park.
NCSML appreciates the support of the City of Cedar Rapids, Linn County, and Linn County Conservation, along with many private donors for this unique project. To support the Orloj, click here.
Located on 16th Avenue SW at the entrance to the Bridge of Lions, the NCSML Orloj is a monument for Czech Village, New Bohemia, and all of Cedar Rapids.
