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1968. The Story that Deserves to be Remembered

The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, recently opened the original exhibition 1968. Twelve Volatile Months that Transformed the World. This is the only exhibition on the 40th anniversary in the United States. As you enter, you will have your Czechoslovak ID (admission ticket) stamped and view artifacts from life under communism. A colorful transition through Prague Spring leads you to a small theatre where the underground film, Summer of Tanks, will grip you with scenes of the invasion. Turn a corner and you face the front of a tank surrounded by invasion day images and the sound of gunfire; listen to American television coverage of the invasion; watch video of the courageous snub of the Soviet anthem by gold medal gymnast Ve?ra ?Cáslavská in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics; and watch live footage of the legendary Beach Boys concert in 1969. A collage of images and names from world-wide events in 1968 adds context from this turbulent year worldwide. Description doesn't do this extraordinary exhibit justice. This is the only chance you will have to see it and remember.

Early visitor response the new exhibition indicates that a chord has been struck as people revisit poignant memories or learn for the first time about the dramatic story of the Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia 40 years ago.

"Thank you for bringing to life a situation I was not able to understand as a nine-year-old child. My parents received a letter from Czech relatives shortly after 8/20/68 and we have never heard from them again."

"Intensely moving. I cried again at seeing the tanks come in, the radio closing."

The exhibition closes January 25, 2009. For more information, see the website www.NCSML.org.