An Era of Resilience | 1850 – 1970
Although the CÉRKA project centers around a former mine, our story did not begin with coal, but with people. Around 1850, the region faced massive emigration, which was only halted by an unprecedented wave of community association activities. Local patriots realized back then that education and a common goal were the path to salvation. From this energy, the first supra-regional brand was born — Pustevny, which became a symbol of our ability to build even under the most demanding conditions.
The sculptor Albín Polášek also emerged from this movement. His iconic works — Radegast and especially “The Man Carving His Own Destiny” — define our philosophy to this day: we alone decide who we will become. This inner strength was put to the test when the Beskydy Mountains were slated to become a coal-mining district.
The Era of Coal Unrest | 1970 – 1990
In 1971, a political decree decided that the picturesque meadow below Kozinec would be transformed into one of the largest mines in the country. The plans were megalomaniacal — to extract ten million tons of coal annually. While the municipality of Trojanovice was receiving awards in 1981 for improving the environment for tourism, just a few meters away, the landscape was turning into a vast construction site.
In the 1980s, the mining towers that still dominate the horizon today were erected. However, sinking the shafts was not easy; the Beskydy “defended themselves”. The accident at shaft No. 4 in 1985 demonstrated how unpredictable the local geological conditions were. Despite this, the first coal was brought to the surface in 1988. At that time, it seemed the region’s fate was sealed by black dust.
Thirty Years of Resistance & Community Strength | 1990 – 2019
The turning point came in 1990 with the new political landscape. Work was halted and the mine entered “conservation mode”. A period of uncertainty followed, lasting an incredible thirty years. On one side stood the repeated attempts of mining companies to commence extraction; on the other, the unyielding residents and local governments.
In 1997, the Association of Towns and Municipalities for the Protection of the Beskydy Region was formed to resist mining. Then in 2004, the Naše Beskydy (Our Beskydy) association was founded, turning the defensive struggle into an active campaign. The symbolic peak of this effort was 2007, when the “Locking of the Wallachian Land” for one hundred years took place. A decree — today buried in the foundations of the chapel on Mount Radhošť and signed by representatives of 24 towns and villages — sent a clear message: The Beskydy are not for sale. This era was not only about fighting mining, but about awakening pride and the realization that we must decide our own future. Another significant step was the construction of the “Guardian of the Beskydy” belfry, intended to toll the death knell for the Frenštát Mine. It finally rang that knell in 2021. The belfry also became a symbol of a new architectural approach in the region, ranking among the top 1000 best European buildings.
The Birth of Cérka | 2019 – 2025
Definitive victory came in 2019 at the first round table in the Chamber of Deputies, where the liquidation of the Frenštát Mine was agreed upon. A government resolution in September 2020 confirming the end of coal mining solidified this. Five subsequent round tables held in the Chamber of Deputies pushed the Frenštát Mine toward the start of shaft filling in September 2023 and opened the door to the regional transformation project: CÉRKA. The path was finally cleared after four years of negotiations with the state, concluded by a Czech Government resolution in August 2025 on the transfer of assets related to the Frenštát Mine to the municipality of Trojanovice. Where others saw the end of an era, the representatives of Trojanovice saw the beginning of a new one.
Cérka was born. The name — meaning “daughter” in the local dialect — symbolizes new life, care, and a future growing from the legacy of ancestors. It represents a young girl looking toward the horizon.
The Cérka project stands on three firm pillars:
- A Link to the Past: The mining towers will not disappear. They will remain as monuments to mining history, repurposed to serve the community, culture, and education.
- Responsibility for the Future: Instead of heavy machinery and corporate warehouses, science, research, and innovation are arriving. Cérka will be a “place of short distances” where people work, live, and relax without burdening the landscape with excessive traffic.
- Top-tier Aesthetics: Collaboration with leading architects and urban planners continues the legacy of Dušan Jurkovič and Albín Polášek. The beauty of the space is not a luxury here, but a fundamental value.
What We Are Working on Now | 2026+
Cérka is no longer just a plan on paper. We have completed key steps that make this site one of the best-prepared strategic projects in the region:
- Promotion: We have presented our story at over 50 conferences and expert meetings. The highlight was a March presentation in Brussels (2025), where we showed Cérka to European leaders as a model project for the meaningful use of Cohesion Funds.
- Design & Permits: We view infrastructure holistically — not just pipes in the ground, but spaces for life, education and sport. We have completed documentation worth 100 million CZK, and as of January 2026 we hold valid building permits for structures worth more than 2 billion CZK in total.
- Partnership Network: Cérka connects people. We are conducting hundreds of individual negotiations and round tables with state officials, regions, universities and key industrial clusters. We are building an ecosystem where every partner has a clear place.
- Financing & Construction: We are working intensively on applications for support from transformation funds. Our goal is to begin the first phase of construction in 2027 and open a new chapter for the region.
What Lies Ahead | The Region as an Innovation Hub 2030+
Cérka is not an “island unto itself”. It is the engine for a region of more than 220,000 residents in its immediate vicinity. Over the next decade, a school, a university centre, a service hub, and a unique innovation centre focused on semiconductor technologies will rise here — connecting universities and companies on specific topics. It will be more than just a place to work. Cérka will offer multi-generational housing with a strong emphasis on community, education from kindergartens to specialized courses, and leisure spaces ranging from climbing walls to quiet spots for spiritual development. The goal is to create a sustainable whole — a brain of the region in the middle of Beskydy nature, working for decades to come.
Smysl za projektem
The Cérka project is proof that even the deepest industrial scar can heal into something beautiful and useful. It is a place where the traditional pastoral character of the village meets 21st-century technology. The future of the region does not happen by chance — it is being created right now, built on courage, respect for nature, and a shared vision.
