The Church of St. Cajetan will host a unique UNESCO exhibition focused on East Africa

On Thursday, May 9th at 5 p.m., the ceremonial opening of the traveling exhibition, under the patronage of Prime Minister Petr Fiala, will take place at the Prague Church of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help, and St. Cajetan in Nerudova Street. The exhibition will present the cultural heritage of East Africa inscribed on the UNESCO list.

The extensive panel exhibition, consisting of two parts: „UNESCO Cultural Heritage of East Africa“ and „Czech-African Traces,“ is part of the UNESCO Cultural Heritage 2024 project. The 11th edition of this project is under the patronage of the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic.

The opening exhibition partner in Prague is the Archdiocesan Caritas Prague. The traveling exhibition will subsequently be presented in more than 20 Czech cities.

This year’s exhibition focuses on the fascinating region of East Africa. The existence of a large Moravian Brethren community in Tanzania served as an impulse for this selection, as emphasized by the exhibition organizer Jiří Králík: „Few people know that this country is home to hundreds of thousands of descendants of Czechs who sought religious freedom in various parts of the world during the Reformation. It is remarkable that the largest number of Moravian Brethren followers are still found in Tanzania. Our exhibition aims to also highlight other strong ties that connect us with this distant region of the world.“

Anniversary of the Czech Hospital in Uganda

The first part of the exhibition will introduce visitors to all 56 items of the historical and cultural heritage of East Africa inscribed on the UNESCO list. It will present a unique collection of natural, cultural, and intangible heritage of humanity from Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Burundi, Djibouti, Comoros, Seychelles, and Somalia.

The second part of the panel exhibition will introduce significant personalities and institutions from the fields of art, science, commerce, and politics that have contributed to the development of Czech-African relations. The panel dedicated to the more than 20-year presence of the Archdiocesan Caritas Prague in Uganda reflects on its director Jaroslav Němec. Under his leadership, the Prague Caritas in Uganda has developed extensive development projects, including the St. Charles Lwanga Hospital in Buikwe.

„We are pleased to provide space for the exhibition in our Church of St. Cajetan. The exhibition promises a captivating journey into the heart of the African continent, and for the Archdiocesan Caritas Prague, it is also a celebration of the symbolic coming of age of the Czech Hospital in Uganda, which will celebrate its 18th anniversary on the day of the exhibition’s opening – its ceremonial opening and blessing took place at the beginning of May 2006,“ recalls Jaroslav Němec.

Exhibition Finale at the Night of Churches

The ceremonial opening of the traveling exhibition will take place on Thursday, May 9th, at 5 p.m. at the Church of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help, and St. Cajetan in Nerudova Street 22 in Prague 1. The church premises will feature selections from both parts of the panel exhibition. The opening will include a guided tour of the exhibition and readings of traditional African proverbs in translation and interpretation by Mr. Pavel Mikeš, former Czech Ambassador to Ethiopia.

The exhibition at the Church of St. Cajetan will continue until Friday, June 7th, coinciding with the Night of Churches held throughout the country. The Prague finale of the exhibition will be accompanied by a series of interesting events, concerts, and lectures.

The church is operated by the Archdiocesan Caritas Prague and is freely accessible to the public from Tuesday to Sunday during the opening hours published on www.svatykajetan.cz.