The planting of a forest symbolically began in the Memorial

The planting of trees has begun, which in time will grow into a mature forest. This will be an important symbol that will replace the area of the pig farm and the space will naturally revert back to the surrounding landscape. It will also become an integral part of the Memorial’s outdoor exhibition, a space for quiet contemplation and commemoration of the victims of the local so-called Gypsy, effectively concentration, camp.

All thirteen thousand tree seedlings were donated by the Orlík estate of Karl and Jan Schwarzenberg. The guests observed a minute of silence in memory of the late Karel Schwarzenberg.

The symbolic beginning of the planting was attended by the descendants of the survivors (Jana Kokyová, Rudolf Murka, Jozef Miker, etc.), activists and political figures: the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová, representatives of the German, Norwegian and Canadian embassies, representatives of the local government and other cultural figures. “Their” trees for the future mixed forest were also planted by the authors of the architectural design of the Memorial, landscape architect Jan Sulzer and architect Lucie Vogelová from TERRA FLORIDA.