HISTORICAL MARKER TO HONOR THE PITTSBURGH AGREEMENT

The Pennsylvania Historic Marker and Museum Commission recently approved an application to honor Tomas Garrigue Masaryk and the signing of the The Pittsburgh Agreement with an official historic marker. The application was submitted to the Pennsylvania State Commission by the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences (SVU), a nonprofit, international organization (www.svu2000.org) which includes as one of its goals, the preservation of Czech and Slovak heritage both in this country and abroad

The Pittsburgh Agreement played a significant role in the course of events leading to the establishment of an independent Czechoslovak state after the First World War. The catalyst for the drafting and signing of this Agreement was the visit to Pittsburgh in 1918 of Professor Tomas Garrigue Masaryk who later that year became the first president of Czechoslovakia. On May 30, during his visit to Pittsburgh, Masaryk addressed an enthusiastic crowd of 20,000 that had gathered in support of the new nation. As recounted by local newspaper reports, Professor Masaryk was "greeted with tumultuous and thunderous applause" and delivered a speech that was described as "striking heart fire." The Pittsburgh Agreement was signed the next day by local Czech and Slovak representatives who pledged support for the formation of an independent country.

A dedication ceremony for the unveiling of the historic marker honoring this event is planned for Thursday afternoon, May 31, 2001 at the corner of Seventh and Penn Avenues in downtown Pittsburgh, near the site of the original signing. In attendance will be representatives from the Czech and Slovak Embassies, state and local officials, and members of Czech and Slovak organizations. Anyone interested in attending the dedication ceremony is welcome to do so.

Contact: Carol Hochman e-mail: CarolH1541@aol.com

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