This weekend marked the kick-off of the 100-year celebrations of the traditional Cafe König in Oberwiesenthal. The Czech-German Partnership Club visited the Cafe.

The Czech-German Partnership Club is an organization that promotes exchange and understanding between Czechs and Germans. It originally emerged as informal meetings where people taught each other German and Czech and gradually developed into an association. In addition to providing job placement, interpreting services, and partnerships, the association's main activities include city trips and visits to interesting places on both sides of the border. More than 1,000 years ago, parts of Germany and the Czech Republic were united as the Kingdom of Bohemia. The town of Oberwiesenthal was and is located precisely in this area and is today strongly influenced by its proximity to the Czech border. It's therefore only natural that the club chose this historic location for its next activity.

The program covered a wide variety of topics. For example, my father, Eberhard Riedel, shared his personal stories during a hike up the Fichtelberg. With his old insights, the 35 participants from Germany and the Czech Republic embarked on a mental journey through time. The K3 Museum in Oberwiesenthal then provided fascinating insights into the town's sports history.

A shared dinner at Cafe König, along with lectures from me about the world's most beautiful ski jumping hills and my book "Traces of Success," rounded off a more than successful meeting for this wonderful cultural association.

Such meetings are immensely important and act as a strong bridge between cultures. Mutual understanding and cooperation between Czechs and Germans are strengthened, and our shared past is brought back to life.

It's fantastic that my friend Frank also supported this idea so enthusiastically and offered his Cafe König as a destination for the club meeting. It was a truly successful kickoff for the 100-year celebrations, and I'm very excited to see what's to come!