Annual Report 1998

I. General

1) The Rozmberk Society
In April, 1998, the Rozmberk Society was registered as a Czech not-for-profit Public Benefit Corporation (in Czech: obecne prospesna spolecnost or o.p.s.) according the National Council Act nr 248-1995b. The status and obligations of an o.p.s. are similar to those of a foundation. According the above-mentioned law, each o.p.s. should contribute toward a free, open and democratic society. The goals of the Rozmberk Society are the conservation of natural and cultural heritage in the South Bohemia, Czech Republic, and in particular in the former Rozmberk dominions.

2) The Board of the Society
The Board of the Society consists of the following three persons:
-  Dr. Vilem Zachleder, President of the Society.
-  Dr. Jan Pokorny.
-  Dr. Eva Jelinkova.

3) Director
The Board has appointed Drs. Robert Dulfer, a Dutch biologist currently living in the Czech Republic, as director of the Society.

4) Employment and staff members
In the year 1998, the Society did not employ personnel or contracted free-lance consultants. All Society activities were done on a voluntary basis or, in one case, within the framework of a civil service as replacement for military service.

II. Activities in 1998

The year 1998 was mainly used as a period to establish the Society and develop proposals for projects. Three projects have been started and are still ongoing:

1) Restoration of Jewish Cultural Heritage in South Bohemia
The Society and the Jewish Community of Prague, which is owner-caretaker of most of the Jewish properties in South Bohemia, entered into an agreement of cooperation concerning the restoration and management of 6 of these sites on November 16, 1998. The project will not only involve the actual restoration but also include increasing the public awareness about the history of rural Jewish Communities in South Bohemia, educating school children about this and restore the documentation about the families buried at the sites. The project had a small start already in the summer of 1998, when during 2 weeks students from the USA and the Czech Republic cleared weeds in two of the cemetery, and one student started deciphering the Hebrew text on the gravestones. This was done as a cooperation between the Society, the Jewish Community of Prague, the Trebon Biosphere Reserve Administration and Putney Student Travel (USA). As part of this project, the Society will also help the Jewish Community of Prague with fundraising for their project for the restoration of the synagogue of Nova Cerekev. More details about this project can be found at the Website of the Society under www.rozmberk.org.

2) Proceedings VII^th International Otter Colloquium
The Colloquium was held in March 1998 in Trebon and Robert Dulfer was member of the Organising Committee responsible for the actual daily organisation. The Organising Committee of the Colloquium has agreed that the Society and in particular its director will be responsible for publishing the proceedings on this Colloquium. An editorial team and review board are currently reviewing the 80 manuscripts. This is progressing steadily and is expected to continue throughout 1999.

3) Czech National Otter Survey
The Society is participating in the Czech National Otter Survey, coordinated by the Trebon Otter Foundation Otter and the Otter Station Pavlov (AOPaK).

III Future activities

Two other projects are now in the developing phase. No practical activities have been done on these projects in the year 1998.

1) Tempus project
An application for a PHARE-funded Tempus Institution Building Joint European Project has been developed, to be submitted before January 29, 1999. The Society is coordinator for the project, which will be a cooperation of 9 Czech and E.U. partners, including the Ministries of Environment of both the Czech Republic and of Denmark. The Project will provide a training programme targeted at officers responsible for Nature Conservation and Environment and for Regional Panning and Development at the Czech County Offices, as part of the Czech Pre-Accession Strategy for entering the European Union. The total costs for the project are estimated at approximately 300.000 Euro. If approved by the European Union, the 2-year programme will start at the end of 1999.

2) Sustainable Tourism in the Trebon Biosphere Reserve.
Together with the Trebon Biosphere Reserve Administration, the Rozmberk Society is involved in trying to develop a strategy for sustainable tourism in the Trebon Biosphere Reserve, as part of a wider effort to start a Local Agenda 21 initiative in this region. These activities are still in a planning stages and the Society is trying to encourage other local partners become involved in this project too.

IV. Financial Year 1998

A summary concerning the expenditure of the financial year 1998 is available upon motivated request. The main points of the report are mentioned here.    

1) Income and expenditure
The income over 1998 comprised of one donation and a soft loan from the Founders to the Society to cover expenses in the year 1998.

2) Audit
The audit firm Audit, Dane H+V s.r.o., from Kardasova Recice, has been hired to complete the financial administration of the Society and submit the tax return over 1998. This has been accomplished on 30-6-1999.

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Trebon, 30-9-1999,

Dr. Vilem Zachleder                                            Drs Robert Dulfer
President Rozmberk Society                              Director Rozmberk Society