The best way to experience the project is by watching the movies. Each movie includes narration and dozens of photographs. A high-speed line is recommended because file sizes range from 10 to 30 megabytes. The QuickTime plug-in is required.

Project Introduction

Learn what the project is about and why I started it.

Chapter 1: A Small Town in Moravia

Chapter 1 explores the roots of the Dostal family in the small Moravian town of Borsice and includes a brief description of family members. Immigrant voyages across the Atlantic Ocean to America also are chronicled.

Chapter 2: A Vision of the Future

In 1897, Hynek Dostal wrote a letter to his girlfriend, Anna Brzorad. Chapter 2 includes excerpts from the letter that tells of Hynek's frustration during the European revolt of 1848 and his desire to serve his homeland.

Chapter 3: Spillville

Chapter3 provides a history of the town of Spillville, Iowa. The town was founded by a German immigrant, Joseph Spielman. Most of the Dostal family had settled in Spillville by 1902. Today, it remains a predominatly Czech-American community.

Chapter 4: Dvorak Finds Inspiration

The famous Czech composer Antonin Dvorak visited Spillville during the summer of 1893. Among nature, he found inspiration for his music. I've been told he and Hynek were friends, but they never met in Spillville. Chapter 4 describes Dvorak's vacation in the small community where my ancestors settled.

Chapter 5: St. Wenceslaus Church

St. Wenceslaus was constructed in 1860 and is the oldest standing Czech church in America. Joseph Dostal was pastor from 1898-1903. He performed the marriage ceremony of Hynek Dostal and Anna Brzorad in 1899. Chapter 5 details the construction of the church and surrounding cemetery.

Chapter 6: School Days

In 1871, the residents of Spillville built the parochial school, where Hynek Dostal taught from 1898-1900. The school still stands today. Chapter 6 offers a modern-day tour of the old building and takes a look at Hynek's first years in America.

Chapter 7: A Call to St. Louis

In 1901, Monsignor Joseph Hessoun offered Hynek Dostal the position of editor of HLAS, the first Czech-Catholic newspaper in America. Hynek accepted and moved his family to St. Louis, Missouri. Chapter 7 discusses HLAS and St. John Nepomuk Church, where the paper was published.

Chapter 8: Life in Little Turkey

Most of the Dostals eventually settled in the tiny community of Little Turkey, Iowa, located about seven miles from Spillville. Chapter 8 focuses on Ingatius Dostal and his desire to build a place of worship among the endless acres of farmland.

Chapter 9: The Hand of God

Joseph Dostal was born on March 11, 1870, in Borsice. He was the oldest of the Dostal children and the first to arrive in America. He was said to have roamed the prairies on horseback while preaching to new immigrants. Chapter 9 chronicles the life of Father Joseph Dostal.

Chapter 10: 1904 World's Fair

The World's Fair was held in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1904. During the fair, Hynek Dostal called for the first Pan-Slav and Journalistic Conference for the purpose of uniting the Slavic communities. Chapter 10 provides a brief description of the resolutions that were passed.

Chapter 11: Assassination in Sarajevo

Chapter 1 examines the beginning of World War I. For a thousand years, the Czech people had been oppressed. Everything began to change with the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914. The subsequent push of Czech independence is discussed.

Chapter 12: The Road to Pittsburgh

Chapter 12 examines two documents that paved the way for Czechoslovakian independence. The Pittsburgh Agreement, signed on May 31, 1918, declared unity among the American Czechs and Slovaks. The Czechoslovakian Declaration of Independence provided the rationale for the formation of the new country.

Chapter 13: Post-War Events

Hynek Dostal stayed very busy in the years following World War I. Chapter 13 focuses on his trips to Europe to help rebuild war-torn countries. His family life and his many awards also are discussed.

Chapter 14: Stanley

Stanley Dostal lived on the original Dostal farm in Little Turkey, Iowa. His tragic, early death is discussed in Chapter 14, along with the death of his mother, Marie Dostal. A glimpse of the snow-covered farm as it stands today is provided.

Chapter 15: Czechoslovakia

Chapter 15 discusses Adolf Hitler's dismantling of Czechoslovakia and the beginning of World War II. The story of the first generation of my relatives to arrive in America is concluded.

Credits

Many people have helped make this project a success.