Wilson in Ellsworth County, Kansas — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
World's Largest Czech Egg
Ed & LaVange Shiroky Park
Photographed By James Hulse, June 8, 2022
1. World's Largest Czech Egg Marker
Inscription.
World's Largest Czech Egg. Ed and LaVange Shiroky Park.
What is a Czech Egg?. A Czech Egg is a painted or embellished egg exchanged at holidays and celebrations between friends. The painting of the egg is known as the art of kraslice in the Czech culture., Traditionally, in the Czech Republic and Slovakia (formally Czechoslovakia before their separation in 1992), eggs were exchanged during Easter as a symbol of new beginnings, love, friendship and good things to come.,
Why Wilson?. During the 1870's a large migration of Bohemian and Moravian immigrants from Czechoslovakia settled in and around Wilson, Kansas. Many Czech families still live in the area and carry on Czech traditions. The peoples' Czech heritage influences many aspects of life in Wilson including the food they eat, the art they make, the music played and how business is conducted. Visitors can see these influences on the menus at local restaurants and learning the names of locals with distinctively "Czech" last names. The City of Wilson acknowledged its immense pride of its Czech heritage, in 1967, when the State of Kansas declared Wilson the Czech Capital of Kansas. To celebrate this achievement, Wilson hosts many activities throughout the year including the annual After Harvest Czech Festival held the last Saturday in July., (2nd Panel) From 1960 to 1990 Czechoslovakia had a communist regime and in 1961, above the Bohemian lion, the red star of Communism replaced the crown. Following the fall of the Communism in 1989, traditional heraldry was reinstated and new national arms were designed, quartering the arms of Bohemia and Slovakia. These arms were valid until Czechoslovakia was dissolved in 1992., The current coat of arms of the Czech Republic (Státní znak České republiky) displays the three historical regions-the Czech lands (Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia)-which make up the nation. Adopted in 1992, the coat of arms was designed by Czech heraldist Jiří Louda., Red Star Captions Upper Left: Eight Pointed Star: Traditionally in Czech culture it is believed that with every birth a star is born. The star is believed to be connected to that person's life as their guardian. Stars found in Czech art have an even number of points for good luck., Lower Left: Painted by over 50 local volunteers with more than 2000 hours, Upper Right: Red = Health, Joy and Happiness Yellow = Good Fortune Black = Eternity and Respect for Souls White = Purity and Birth, Lower Right: Designed and Signed by local Czech Egg Artist Christine Slechta,
Escutcheon Lion rampant queue forchée argent armed, langued and crowned. Rampant - Erect Position Queue Forchée - Double or "forked" Tail Argent - Silver or White Armed and Langued - Teeth, Claws and Toungue Crowned - Bearing of a Crown, Doubled-Tail Lion - Symbolizes bravery, nobility, royalty, strength, stateliness and valor, because historically it has been regarded as the king of beasts, Sources: Alexander Nisbet. A System of Heraldry. 1. p. 290. KS Historical Society, Czech Egg Decorating, Q9/2013. . This historical marker was erected in 2016 by Kansas Historical Society. It is in Wilson in Ellsworth County Kansas
What is a Czech Egg?
A Czech Egg is a painted or embellished egg exchanged at holidays and celebrations between friends. The painting of the egg is known as the art of kraslice in the Czech culture.
Traditionally, in the Czech Republic and Slovakia (formally Czechoslovakia before their separation in 1992), eggs were exchanged during Easter as a symbol of new beginnings, love, friendship and good things to come.
Why Wilson?
During the 1870's a large migration of Bohemian and Moravian immigrants from Czechoslovakia settled in and around Wilson, Kansas. Many Czech families still live in the area and carry on Czech traditions. The peoples' Czech heritage influences many aspects of life in Wilson including the food they eat, the art they make, the music played and how business is conducted. Visitors can see
these influences on the menus at local restaurants and learning the names of locals with distinctively "Czech" last names. The City of Wilson acknowledged its immense pride of its Czech heritage, in 1967, when the State of Kansas declared Wilson the Czech
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Capital of Kansas. To celebrate this achievement, Wilson hosts many activities throughout the year including the annual After Harvest Czech Festival held the last Saturday in July.
(2nd Panel)
From 1960 to 1990 Czechoslovakia had a communist regime and in 1961, above the Bohemian lion, the red star of Communism replaced the crown. Following the fall of the Communism in 1989, traditional heraldry was reinstated and new national arms were designed, quartering the arms of Bohemia and Slovakia. These arms were valid until Czechoslovakia was dissolved in 1992.
The current coat of arms of the Czech Republic (Státní znak České republiky) displays the three historical regions-the Czech lands (Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia)-which make up the nation. Adopted in 1992, the coat of arms was designed by Czech heraldist Jiří Louda.
Red Star Captions Upper Left: Eight Pointed Star: Traditionally in Czech culture it is believed that with every birth a star is born. The star is believed to be connected to that person's life as their guardian. Stars found in Czech art have an even number of points for good luck.
Lower Left: Painted by over 50 local volunteers with more than 2000 hours
Upper Right: Red = Health, Joy and Happiness Yellow = Good Fortune Black = Eternity and Respect for
Photographed By James Hulse, June 8, 2022
2. 2nd panel - World's Largest Czech Egg Marker
Souls White = Purity and Birth
Lower Right: Designed and Signed by local Czech Egg Artist Christine Slechta
Escutcheon
Lion rampant queue forchée argent armed, langued and crowned
Rampant - Erect Position
Queue Forchée - Double or "forked" Tail
Argent - Silver or White
Armed and Langued - Teeth, Claws & Toungue
Crowned - Bearing of a Crown
Doubled-Tail Lion - Symbolizes bravery, nobility, royalty, strength, stateliness and valor, because historically it has been regarded as the king of beasts
Sources: Alexander Nisbet. A System of Heraldry. 1. p. 290. KS Historical Society, Czech Egg Decorating, Q9/2013.
Location. 38° 49.449′ N, 98° 28.364′ W. Marker is in Wilson, Kansas, in Ellsworth County. Marker is at the intersection of Avenue D and 27th Street, on the right when traveling south on Avenue D. The marker is located at the southwest corner of the intersection at a small park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2520 Avenue D, Wilson KS 67490, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within
5. The view of the World's Largest Czech Egg and Markers from the street
Credits. This page was last revised on June 28, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 28, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 78 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on June 28, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
