Who We Are
The Rozmberk Society is a registered, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization under Czech law. The Society is registered as a 'Public Benefit Corporation' (in Czech: obecne prospesna spolecnost or o.p.s.) according the National Council Act nr 248-1995. The legal status and obligations of an o.p.s. are similar to those normally found with foundations. Internationally, the Society is comparable with, for example, UK charities or a Non-US equivalent of a US charity with 501 (c) (3) status (tax exempt, donations are tax-deductible).
The mission of the Society is the conservation of natural and cultural heritage in the South Bohemia, Czech Republic, and in particular in the former Rozmberk dominions. To help achieve our objectives, promoting sustainable economic development in rural areas, creating new jobs, involvement of the local inhabitants, and increasing public awareness are paramount in all our activities.
The Board of the Society
Dr. Vilem Zachleder,
President of the Society.
Dr. Vilem Zachleder is the director of the Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of
Sciences, Trebon, and is a member of the Town Council of Trebon. He has a black belt in
Judo and in his spare time teaches judo to school children.
Dr. Josef Vochozka
Josef Vochozka is a lawyer and court-expert from Prague and is director of the Tempus and
Socrates offices in the Czech Republic. These offices are funded by the European Union to
improve and strengthen the education system in the Central European Countries on all
school levels.
Dr. Eva Jelinkova has recently been re-appointed as member of the board, replacing Jan Pokorny. Eva Jelinkova is Scientific Secretary of the Czech National Committee for the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program and member of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague.
According the law, a Board member can serve for a maximum of two 3-year terms, after which the member cannot be reelected for a minimum of 1 year. Furthermore, in the first 3 years of its existence, the Board of the Society must each year re-elect 1/3 of its board. To comply with these rules, Dr. Jan Pokorny has resigned from the board as of 31 March, 2003. Dr. Jan Pokorny is senior researcher at, and former director of, the Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Science, Trebon. He has initiated several conservation projects and is initiator of the Wetland Training Centre (WTC) in Trebon. He is also the director of ENKI o.p.s., a Czech registered public benefit corporation for education, training and nature conservation.
Director and Staff
Director and co-founder of the Society is Drs. Robert Dulfer, a Dutch biologist. He is currently living in the Czech Republic and has initiated several initiatives for nature conservation here, in particular the Trebon Biosphere Reserve Otter Project (1993-1998, funded by the Council of Europe, Secretariat Bern Convention) and the VIIth International Otter Colloquium (Trebon, 1998). Since April 1998, he continues with the conservation of nature and cultural heritage in the Czech Republic as director of the Rozmberk Society.
Olga Cerna is co-founder of the Society and the main person coordinating the historical research. Since 1993 she has been working with the Trebon Protected Landscape Area and Biosphere Reserve Administration, responsible for tourism and for compiling databases. She is also the liaison officer for the Administration with the Rozmberk Society for joint projects.
Being born in the village of Kojakovice and having lived and worked always in this region, she has a good contact with locals. Working for the Trebon Biosphere Reserve Administration, often in cooperation with other local authorities, has given her insight in some of the changes and problems that occurred in this region in the years just before and after the Velvet Revolution. Having worked for 5 years in the State Archives in Trebon and conducting professional genealogical research for the last 5 years has given her a good knowledge about the regional history.
Dr. Laurence Moss is our in-house consultant for strategic planning of regional development, including local participation and key stakeholder analysis and follow-through. Laurence Moss is an Ottawa born expert in strategic analysis, planning and evaluation concerning cultural and environmental resources and changes, including museum and exhibition development and realization. He is founder and director of the International Cultural Resources Institute, a US non-profit organization incorporated in the state of New Mexico, and is currently living and working in the Czech Republic.
Daniel Cerny is an experienced blacksmith specialized in restoration activities, using traditional equipment to produce historic objects. His replica of a full-metal medieval door won him the first price in the blacksmith competition during the annual international blacksmith gathering Hefaistos at the Helfstyn Castle. Daniel Cerny is involved in the activities of our Society as blacksmith and advisor for restoration projects, and also as key starting enterprise in our incubator for historical crafts.
Eva Chadtova has been working in the Society's Kojakovice Center during the summer months since the opening in June 2001. Eva Chadtova is also teaching ceramics to young children in the the Jilovice municipality as part of the cooperation between Society and municipality
Alena Navarova is helping to set up the Craft Incubator project in Nove Hrady, especially focusing at the administrative and marketing side of new companies.
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This page was updated 14 March
2004
©Rozmberk Society 1998-2003