The LA/RP 691S "Cultural Landscapes Field Study: Documentation, Values, and Policy" class journeyed to the Czech Republic for a two-week summer exploration of cultural landscapes. Students spent one week studying the Baroque landscape of a palace in Valeč and the agricultural heritage of its adjoining towns and villages. They then traveled to Prague to study heritage development in a post-socialist society. This course was taught by UMass Professor Elizabeth Brabec, and Czech University of Life Sciences Associate Professor, Kristina Janečkova.
Watch this video and read below for insights on the trip, shared by MLA student, Nina Fritsch!
Q&A with Nina Fritsch
Q. What was your class exploring in the Czech Republic?
A. Our class was exploring the cultural landscapes of the Czech Republic. This included hiking to Neolithic sites, finding the axes of baroque palaces and landscapes, visiting agricultural heritage sites, and experiencing the city of Prague. Much of our work included historical analysis, mapping, and field work.
Q. Can you share a favorite experience or two from the trip?
A. One of my favorite moments was at the top of a mountain in Podhradi. After the steep hike, we were content to take in the view as our reward, but after looking around we found cherry trees bearing ripe cherries at the top! We all surrounded the trees and started stuffing our faces with as many sweet cherries as we could. It was really beautiful. The cherries were delicious.
Q. What was something you really liked about or took away from this trip?
A. It was amazing to experience these landscapes hands-on, and to work with my peers and colleagues to bring attention to the importance of preserving cultural landscapes. We got to see and interact with different levels of preservation- forgotten sites, sites being currently restored, and sites granted world heritage status. To see the various ways landscape holds memory was eye-opening.
Q. Why did you want to participate in this course?
A. This course caught my attention because it involved field work, travel, and the chance to study a landscape that does not exist in the US. I’m really drawn to agricultural practices, so a chance to explore international sustainable agriculture really appealed to me.
Interested in studying cultural landscapes and how to manage them?
Learn about our Graduate Certificate in Cultural Landscapes Management.
Photo credits: Carrie Brooks and Nina Fritsch.