The Museum of Broadcasting wants to work across borders

The Museum of Broadcasting in Cham wants to be active even across the border, which is why it seeks cooperation with the Jindřich Šimon Baar Gymnasium in Domažlice. Who would be more suitable for this role than Jürgen Kögler. That is why he recently went from Furth im Wald to the Czech partner city to discuss cooperation with the director of the gymnasium, Jana Štenglova. They both know each other from the team hikes that Jürgen Kögler organizes every third Saturday in September and which his father Oskar Kögler started more than 30 years ago. As is well known, this event has its origin in the novel “Lůsy”, written by the Chod writer and priest Jindřich Šimon Baar. The Czech side wants to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his death with dignity next year.

Jürgen Kögler has now arranged a meeting with director Jana Štenglova on behalf of the Radio Museum with the aim of establishing relations. He was very impressed by the pleasant atmosphere of this meeting. He was welcomed very friendly and with open arms, and it was indicated that there is great interest in the cooperation between the Jindřich Šimon Baar High School and the Radio Museum.

At the meeting, Kögler first pointed out that the Broadcasting Museum already cooperates with Cham secondary schools. It therefore made sense to also contact the secondary school on the Czech side in Domažlice. On this occasion, Jana Štenglová let it be known that the former high school professor Petr Matjeka, as a member of the table of regulars of Furth im Wald – Domažlice, enthusiastically told her about the visit to the radio museum in Cham. Kögler then briefly presented the structure of the museum. At the top is the sponsor association, which is led by Michael Heller, who is also the main sponsor. There is also a support association with 300 members. Jürgen Kögler is also on the advisory board of the support association whose task is to establish contacts with the eastern neighbors.

Kögler informed that the museum was completely reorganized a year ago. Initially, it was purely a radio museum, documenting the 120-year history of radio with exhibits, most of which are still functional. The highlight for the regular visitor is the nostalgic cafe, where the beginnings of voice recordings by Edison and Emil Berliner are shown. Here, beautiful phonograph horns shine towards the visitor.

The director received brochures in Czech with details about what the Museum of Broadcasting has to offer. The physics learning trail, which has been installed in the Museum of Broadcasting for a year, is especially interesting for secondary schools. Exciting fundamentals of physics are demonstrated at approximately 100 test stations. The physical education trail is described by secondary school teachers as a place of school learning. There are many participatory experiments that students can engage in at individual stations.

Kögler called the highlight for the students the medium-wave radio station, which is assembled in schools in working groups of 10 to 15 participants under the guidance of museum staff. Kögler handed the kit to the director and took the opportunity to show her what it contained. He also surprised her with a fully assembled, functional radio.

Jana Štenglova was very interested and now wants to talk to the physics teachers about how to assemble such kits in Domažlice. In the second step, the director would like to arrange a visit to the radio museum in Cham, where the project could then be discussed in detail. If it works, the project can be tackled with students, which would be a “wonderful thing” for Kögler. Subsidies for the project are promised. The Museum of Broadcasting would of course be very grateful for further support from sponsors.

Karl Reitmeier