This project explores the connection between two unlikely places: the small industrial town of Třinec, Czech Republic and the historic tourist destination of New Orleans, Louisiana (USA). Despite the distance between these two cities, through my experience growing up in New Orleans and my time spent in Třinec as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA), I have discovered some interesting commonalities. Třinec, a town of about 38,000 people, is nestled in the Beskid mountain range in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic, near the Polish border.1 It is home to the Třinec Iron and Steel Works (Třinecké železárny), one of the leading steel factories in Communist Czechoslovakia.2 Although Třinec is a seemingly quiet little town, if we explore beneath the surface, we find a microcosm of some of European history’s major political moments and the subsequent shifting of national borders and migration of peoples. New Orleans, with a metropolitan-area population of about 1.2 million, is situated on the Mississippi River in the Gulf South region of the United States.3 The city is famous for its unique European colonial and migration histories, music, food and traditions. New Orleans’s mixture of cultures, which is simultaneously exceptional and yet precisely American, belies the common view of it as simply a lively party city. Although both cities have distinctive national and regional contexts, they each have been shaped by unique multicultural, geographical, economic and political factors.
Třinec differs from other Czech towns in its multifaceted history and industrial significance. Historians believe Třinec was established during the second half of the 14th century.4 The geopolitics of the area where Třinec is located has historically been ever-changing. At one time just a pastoral village, Třinec flourished and witnessed the rise and fall of various empires, republics and regimes throughout its history.
In the 14th century, Třinec was part of the Duchy of Teschen/Cieszyn, under the Crown of Bohemia (“the Czech Lands”), although it was ruled by Poles. It then fell under the Habsburg Empire and continued to be ruled by the Polish Piast dynasty until 1653, when it was passed to the Bohemian monarchs of the Habsburg Empire.5 Following the end of World War I and the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, a conflict arose between the newly independent Czechoslovakia and Poland as to which country should control Cieszyn Silesia.6 Třinec, and surrounding towns, had become the center of coal mining and steel production in the 19th and early 20th century. At the time, much of the region also had a majority Polish population.7 These factors complicated the division on economic, ethnic and cultural grounds. In 1920, Cieszyn Silesia was divided between the two countries, with Czechoslovakia taking the land that included Třinec. However, in 1938, Poland annexed this land in accordance with the Munich Agreement.8 Soon after, the Nazis annexed Poland. As World War II began, virtually all of the Jewish population was sent to concentration camps. After the war, the area was reincorporated into Czechoslovakia. The coup d’état of 1948 brought Soviet dominance to the country, which officially became known as the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in 1960.9 In 1989, the student-led Velvet Revolution brought a relatively peaceful end to Communism. In 1993, the “Velvet Divorce” resulted in the division of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, heralding a new era for both countries.10 In 2004, the Czech Republic joined the European Union, opening it up to an ever-globalizing world.
Each of these periods of rule brought new cultures, languages and traditions to Třinec. Even today, many people have Polish surnames, grow up in bilingual households, and graduate from Polish secondary schools, which are still found in the region. Polish minority cultural groups continue to sponsor many folk festivals. The Polish influence is even visible in the region’s traditional foods. Bramboraky, or potato pancakes, are a popular Czech dish. However, in Třinec, they have a version similar to the Polish potato pancake (PL: placki, CZ: placky), which is often served with chunks of meat or a yogurt-like mixture with powdered sugar. Further demonstrating the uniqueness of this town is the special regional dialect, the Cieszyn Silesian dialect known as “Po naszymu,” which is a mixture of Czech, Polish and German, reflecting the multicultural history of this area.11 Many signs are bilingual and even train announcements are done in both Czech and Polish, reaffirming the town’s position as a border town. Besides the unique cultural aspects of Třinec, the coal and steel industries have had a major impact on the development of the town and the region. Today, Třinec Iron and Steel Works continues as one of the main steel producers in the country and one of the largest employers in the town. The factory is very involved with the town through sponsoring sporting and cultural events. Upon your arrival in Třinec, you are greeted by the factory’s smokestacks and towers, bearing its emblem. The factory’s significance to Třinec cannot be understated— even the town’s flag incorporates its emblem.
New Orleans has a worldwide reputation. Many people think they know what the city is like: a city renowned for its architecture, music and carnival celebrations. Tourists come to New Orleans to see the wrought-iron balconies and colonial architecture of the historic French Quarter. St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square is the epicenter of this area, which is filled with jazz performers and street artists. However, it is similar to Třinec in that its history has gifted it with a “gumbo,” or melting pot, of peoples and cultures.
New Orleans was founded in 1718 by the French, which imbued the city with French culture, food and traditions.12 In the mid-1700s, French-Canadians were expelled from Canada by the British and settled in South Louisiana, establishing “Cajun” (French Louisianan) communities outside of New Orleans.13 This group maintained their culture by speaking their own dialect of French, cooking their traditional foods and playing their traditional music. Even today, many of the original French street names throughout Louisiana remain, many Louisianans have French surnames and we eat French-influenced foods, which are all constant reminders of our history. In 1763, New Orleans became part of the Spanish Empire, which in turn brought its own culture to the city.14 Most notably, Spanish colonial architecture can be found in the iconic buildings of the French Quarter, a confusing misnomer. In 1802, New Orleans was given back to France briefly, before it was finally sold to the United States in 1803.15 Throughout the centuries, New Orleans grew because of the lucrative Port of New Orleans. The city’s advantageous location at the mouth of the Mississippi River made the port a significant trading post that funneled goods throughout the rest of the continent. An unfortunate consequence of the location is the city’s important role in the transatlantic slave trade. As enslaved persons were forced from West Africa, many passed through the Caribbean and into the U.S. via the Port of New Orleans.16 This forced migration resulted in the addition of Afro-Caribbean culture to the city. Louisiana, as part of the Confederacy during the Civil War, separated from the rest of the United States until it rejoined after the war.17
In the 19th century, New Orleans was the original venue for the historic Plessy vs. Ferguson case, which ultimately established the legality of segregation in the U.S.18 In the 20th century, the city became a center of activism during the Civil Rights movement. The first half of the 20th century also brought significant migration flows from Europe, Southeast Asia and Central America. The headquarters of the United Fruit Company, which transported bananas from countries like Honduras, was in New Orleans.19 This initial connection between Central America and New Orleans led to a flow of immigrants that continues today. New Orleans now has one of the largest populations of people of Honduran descent in the U.S.20 In the 21st century, New Orleans became synonymous with Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina flooded the city, decimating complete neighborhoods and killing approximately 1,833 people.21 In the last decade, New Orleans’s vibrant spirit has persisted as the city has worked to rebuild itself and its identity.
Both Třinec and New Orleans are products of their cross-cultural influences. As they were transferred between various powers, they accumulated more cultural “layers” that remain significant today. They are visible in the language, surnames, food, and music of their citizens. It is my hope that by reading the interviews of people from Třinec and New Orleans, you will see the commonalities shared by these two places both greatly influenced by their complex cultural and political histories.
Making Connections: Multigenerational Vignettes of life in the Czech Republic and the United States 