Lincoln, NE — The president of the Czech Republic, Petr Patel, made a one-day stop in Nebraska on Thursday, highlighting the state’s deep Czech roots and opportunities for expanded cooperation.
Patel arrived in Nebraska Thursday and followed a full itinerary of events. He spoke at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on Thursday morning before heading to a luncheon hosted by Gov. Jim Pillen.
Patel’s visit to the Cornhusker State also included a tour of Wilber, Nebraska, known as the Czech capital of Nebraska. The visit featured stops at Sokol Hall, local bakeries and other cultural sights.
“Why Nebraska? Because there is the largest portion of Czech ancestors over the United States,” Patel said. “Nebraska is special for the Czech Republic, not only for ancestry but also as a country which is oriented in export the same way as the Czech Republic. That is open to cooperation and we welcome any opportunity to expand corporation both in business, people to people context of educational solutions, but also in defense.”
Wilber was deemed the Czech Capitol of the United States on July 10, 1987. Its annual festival draws in thousands of Czech citizens every year.
“I have to say it’s really touching,” Patel said of seeing Czech heritage on display in Nebraska. “Wherever I move and see these traces of my homeland it feels so warm. People are very friendly and they are keeping traditions in a way that is difficult to see back home. They cherish their origins, they collect wonderful things from their great grandparents and the collection I saw is probably not compared to anything I saw in Czech Republic so this is probably one of the best closing parts of my visits to the United States.”