V první linii
The publication V první linii (In the Front Line / The Sokol Movement in Jablonec nad Nisou) presents the history of the Sokol gymnastics association in Jablonec, which celebrated the 130th anniversary of its founding in 2025. Rich archival visual and textual materials document the development of the association, which for many decades was a thorn in the side—first of the predominantly German-speaking population of the town, and later of the communist regime. Establishing a Czech gymnastics society at the end of the 19th century in an almost exclusively German Jablonec required an extraordinary degree of civic courage—membership in Sokol could result in the loss of employment, housing, and personal safety.
The book traces the fate of Jablonec’s Sokol members within a broader historical context, from the founding of the association in 1894, through the dramatic events surrounding the opening of the National House, the period of both world wars and the Nazi occupation, to the post-war persecution following February 1948, when Sokol was banned and many of its members were subjected to repression. Texts by Petr Vondřich and Jitka Skalická present Sokol not only as a physical education organisation, but as a community of individuals who managed to persevere even under changing and often unfavourable conditions.
A significant role is played by the book’s visual component, drawing on unique archival materials. The graphic design emphasises careful typography and a clear hierarchy of text. The book employs a distinctive Sokol colour palette in traditional shades of red and blue; the deliberate choice of high-quality paper, together with sewn binding, trimmed boards, and metallic embossing, further underlines its representative character.
The book was published by the Sokol Gymnastics Association of Jablonec nad Nisou as a commemoration of more than 130 years of the organisation’s continuity, which, despite repeated bans and oppression, has remained firmly ‘in the front line’.
Photographs of the book: Kristýna Onallah
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Texts: Petr Vondřich, Jitka Skalická
Photographs: Archive of the Sokol Gymnastics Association Jablonec nad Nisou and Zuzana Bauerová
Language editing: Alžběta Kulíšková
Translations: Chris Sadler (English), Lena Kurz (German)
Graphic design and typesetting: Sudetype (Lucie Bočková and Jiří Beran)
Typefaces used: Concrette (Displaay) and Aazirk (Sudetype)
Paper: PERGRAPHICA® Classic Rough 100 g/m² — FSC®
Printing and binding: TISKÁRNA PROTISK, s. r. o.
