The Association for Rights Protection and Social Integration (ADIS) together with CEZ Group are supporting the documentary project of the Czech communities in Banat (text/photography/audio). This is a pilot project, part of a series of documentaries gathered under the name "A community archive", that are focusing on the historical ethnic communities settled in the Western part of Romania by Austrian/Hungarian administrations.

The project will be implemented over a period of 12-14 months (May 2011 – June 2012) and will focus on two major aspects:

• - the documentation of the Czech communities in Banat, by conducting a series of interviews and creating a photography database that will certify the present existence of these communities
• - collecting, scanning and creating a virtual archive consisting of written and visual materials (photos, documents, newspaper articles) regarding the historical past of this community.

Apart from the creation of a documentary archive for the written press and the making of a virtual archive that comprises materials with a documentary and historical value, the main objectives of the project are: creating more social cohesion within the Czech communities in Banat, raising awareness regarding the value of the cultural patrimony of the Banat Czechs and starting a discussion regarding the new perspectives for valuing this patrimony.

The project outcomes consist of:

• - A photo and text catalogue (approximately 200 color pages)
• - A web-site that will present the media outcomes of the project (texts, pictures, audio recordings)
• - Exhibition (photography/ text/ audio)

This project represents an independent documentary initiative, supported by ADIS Association and financed (70%) by the CEZ Group Romania.



Download "The Czechs in Banat" Project