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Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience The site in the Czech Republic manufactures key automotive sensors contributing to safer mobility and technologies that are reinventing the interior experience production facilities adhering to the highest industrial standards – that’s Valeo Rakovník in a few words a high-tech product rolls off the production line here measuring at 11,000 square meters of production space and 2,300 square meters of office space is one of Valeo’s six sites in the Czech Republic The automotive tech company is counted as one of the largest employers in the automotive industry in the country Valeo invested 35 million euros to construct a new plant and expand its operations in the region In addition to a wide range of interior control panels and other human-machine interface (HMI) devices 25 new production lines manufacture ultrasonic sensors and automotive cameras which are crucial components for autonomous driving and automated parking functions a vehicle can park without a driver thanks to our ultrasonic sensors or autonomously brake in front of an unexpected obstacle thanks to our automotive camera,” says Jakub Drahorád “With the extension in 2024 we will be also able to serve new customers with driver monitoring systems and launch new business for our ADAS zone controllers Our factory is one of the most advanced automotive facilities in the region and we are continuously creating new job opportunities for highly skilled engineers in electronics and robotics,” he adds “Our team of experts developed several innovative manufacturing processes for decorative interior vehicle products such as the immersive dashboard,” adds Luděk Báchor industrialization and digitalization manager of the plant Fully automatic SMT lines for producing printed circuit boards are among the most modern in the entire industry Optics in detection cameras and mounting of printed circuit boards place extreme demands on cleanliness The manufacturing spaces in the Rakovník plant meet the strictest cleanliness standards of ISO class 7 which is the globally accepted standard for classifying air cleanliness Because of the plant’s adherence to these standards the team is able to adapt and implement unique manufacturing processes tailored to produce innovative products for the latest car models of prestigious automakers Valeo won a CES Innovation Award in the Vehicle Technology and Advanced Mobility category for its Immersive Cabin Fascia product which is now produced at the Rakovník plant for a high-end electric model of a premium European carmaker Rakovník is moving towards full digitalization of production flows Ultramodern production lines here produce high-tech automotive components with high added value every 10 seconds Assembly of printed circuit boards manufactured here form the heart of intelligent automotive cameras for autonomous driving Another production range includes zone and domain controllers for tomorrow’s software-defined vehicles with centralized architectures In the segment of ultrasonic and rain sensors the local production here reaches an annual output of 12 million units Combining the highest industry standards with cleanliness and safety requirements essential for the mass production of electronic components along with the award-winning products produced there Valeo Rakovník has proved itself to be an important hub for the development and production of cutting-edge technologies for safer mobility We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences for future visits However you may visit Cookie Settings to customize your consent it may store or retrieve information on your browser your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to The information does not usually directly identify you but it can give you a more personalized web experience you can choose not to allow some types of cookies Click on the 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effectiveness of the ad campaigns Other cookies are those that are being identified and have not been classified into any category as yet Slovenia - January 2025 - On the feast day of St John Bosco Salesians from 10 communities of the Slovenian Province of Slovenia (SLO) met at the Salesian mother house in Rakovnik Ljubljana was joined by young people from the Salesian Institute at Želimlje which was also attended by members of the Salesian Family conferred the ecclesial ministry of Acolyte on  young Salesian Cyprian Mbaziira the first missionary from Uganda in the SLO Province presented to young people and faithful the meaning of the Holy Year the purpose of pilgrimages to Rome at the origins of Christianity and how Don Bosco celebrated the Holy Year in 1875 Salesian Cyprian Mbaziira presented the model of holiness of St Tarcisio a young man who gave his life for the Holy Eucharist ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007 This site also uses third-party cookies to improve user experience and for statistical purposes By scrolling through this page or by clicking on any of its elements (ANS – Ljubljana) – The Salesian Cardinal Giovanni Cagliero 100 years ago at the consecration of the church of Mary Help of Christians in Rakovnik Ljubljana On the occasion of the centenary of this event on 25 May 2024 Rakovnik's work received the visit of Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime blessed the new statue of Don Bosco and met with the Salesian Family and friends of Don Bosco in Slovenia At the beginning of the Eucharistic celebration the former Salesian Provincial Fr Marko Košnik thanked the guests and all the faithful gathered in the church and those in the courtyard who followed the event on a large screen for their participation in the celebration which took place as a sign of gratitude for the centenary of the consecration of the church for the missionary year and for the Salesian charism in Slovenia the Eucharist was a moment of thanksgiving and handing over of the service as Provincial of Saints Cyril and Methodius Province of Slovenia (SLO) to the fifteenth Superior Cardinal Fernández Artime thanked the Apostolic Nuncio in Slovenia the President of the Slovenian Episcopal Conference but as sincere gratitude for the expression of the unity of the Church the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and the Salesian Family always want to contribute to the unity of the Church." This is the greatest invitation that our Mother makes to us Because we have God in our hearts" he said Artime was able to visit 120 countries during his years of service as Rector Major who is venerated in different expressions and ways and he observed that love for the Mother strengthens the Christian faith more Because the Mother always leads us to Jesus he concluded with a look at the renovated church in Rakovnik “It's been 100 years since this church began From Don Bosco we learned a certainty: trust in Mary Help of Christians and you will see what miracles are Don Bosco did not speak of gigantic miracles of healing God already knows when to allow such a thing How many times has it happened that life changed precisely because of the presence of the Mother Here too the next 100 years will be full of grace for the Christian life We are certain that God blesses us and all those we carry in our hearts.” During the opening ceremony of the new Provincial Cardinal Fernández Artime thanked Fr Košnik for what he had done in his six-year service who has been reigning on this hill of Rakovnik for a whole century and brings our requests before Heavenly Father enriched by the presence of numerous priests the choir with the orchestra and the folklore group with traditional folk costumes the gathering continued in the courtyard of the Salesian youth centre in Rakovnik where the parishioners prepared an extensive program of entertainment and culinary specialties for all with which they concluded the days of spiritual retreat “Young people today need us to be with them we will understand what they need and can help them That is why the presence is so important" the Rector Major observed in the circumstance The Rector Major also blessed the new statue of the Founder of the Salesians in front of the church a sign of gratitude to the Father and Teacher of young people for the vitality of the Salesian charism in Slovenia depicts Don Bosco surrounded by two young people of today a boy with a cell phone in his hand and a girl dancing with a ball to represent the playful aspect The sculpture was conceived and created by Slovenian artist Edo Dolinar who on the occasion of its solemn opening made public the letter to Don Bosco he wrote among other things: "What do you have to say Don Bosco to the young people who enter life with such enthusiasm For you it is a preventive education of young people through love You believe in the power of positive education trust and personal example (...) The statue is located in front of the church and next to the school the two places most connected to you and your work It represents respect for your exceptional contribution to the education of young people and I hope it will promote work for the well-being of young people and the Church.” Photo Gallery The company Klimatizační Systémy Automobilů was established in 1994 by Siemens and Ateso In July 1995 Valeo bought the company from Siemens In September 1998 it became Valeo Autoklimatizace s In January 2008 it was named Valeo Autoklimatizace k several extensions have been built; the last one adding 6,500 m² of production and storage areas A new extension of 3,500m2 is currently in progress and will mainly include new storage spaces In 2019 Valeo opened a second factory dedicated to manufacturing comfort and driving assistance systems It comprises 11,000 sq.m of production space and 2,300 sq.m of office space Valeo invested 35 million euros (CZK 880 million) in the construction of the plant Over 15 million ultrasonic sensors – key enablers for autonomous driving and automatic parking – will be produced annually on its new production lines Valeo’s existing plant in Rakovník will continue to manufacture air conditioning systems and front-end modules These systems can help to reduce vehicle fuel consumption and Valeo Rakovnik has received quality awards from global automakers like: ice hockey and dragon boat races are some examples of different events organized by Valeo Rakovnik Valeo cooperates with local technical schools and offers traineeships to students even for students of high schools with business focus on administrative areas Contact for whistleblowing alerts: rak1.oznameni.mailbox@valeo.com (Detailed information on our whistleblowing system can be found on the links at the bottom of this page.) Contact for whistleblowing alerts: rak2.oznameni.mailbox@valeo.com Slovenia - February 2025 - On 1st February the Salesian Family in Slovenia came together in joy at the shrine of Mary Help of Christians at Ljubljana Rakovnik with four young people who have become Salesian Cooperators Borut Stramšek and Jure Zelič confirmed their decision to live their lives according to the Plan of Apostolic Life of the Association of Salesian Cooperators with a solemn promise before the Salesian Provincial Fr Peter Končan The promise was accepted by the Provincial ASC Coordinator Regional Councillor for Central and Eastern Europe Valeo has been investing in the Czech Republic for 30 years continuously creating highly qualified jobs Valeo has become a key player and is one of the biggest employers in the automotive industry in the country with 4,800 employees on five locations Valeo has been investing in the Czech Republic since 1995 Valeo has become a key player and is one of the biggest employers in the automotive industry in the country with more than 4,800 employees on five locations we strive to create a workplace based on ethics Our employees and their well-being are at the heart of our operations and we believe in creating respectful and inclusive workplaces founded on these values We develop the technology for tomorrow’s automobile – what about your development Valeo has been present in the Czech Republic since 1995 with the first production plant in Rakovník followed by two other production site openings in Žebrák (2001) and Humpolec (2002) manufacturing air conditioning systems interior control panels and front-end modules The factory in Podbořany (2006) manufactures hydraulic clutch and brake actuators The Development activity was established in 2002 in Prague initially as an engineering office focused on mechanical design of air conditioning units and interior control panels In 2013 the activity was extended by the development of sensors software and systems for automated driving and automated parking followed by the opening of a test track in Milovice enabling high and low-speed maneuvers In 2019 Valeo carried out its two biggest investments in the country: the extension of the Žebrák plant to launch the production of battery coolers for electric vehicles and the opening of a second factory in Rakovník dedicated to sensors and interior control panels Slovenia – September 2024 - The Dom Janeza Boska boarding school at the Salesian works in Želimlje and Ljubljana Rakovnik has regained vitality with the arrival of high school students after the holidays For years now it has been welcoming young people who leave their families and embark on a journey of seeking knowledge new friendships and adventures and learning for life In the 2024/25 school year at the Saint Francis de Sales Institute in Želimlje assisted by 12 educators under the guidance of the director Fr Gašper Otrin SDB Among the students there are 84 new arrivals including 47 girls and 37 boys who were welcomed on Sunday 1 September 2024 in a festive atmosphere with the intervention of the new principal of the Institute including 23 new ones assisted by three educators under the guidance of educator Mateja Ferenčak Slovenia – July 2024 – The Salesian Youth Centre in Rakovnik Ljubljanam organises oratory summer activities for children every year in which not only the children from the Salesian parish located in the same work take part but also those from the entire Slovenian capital together with volunteers and leaders from other places and countries This year the Estate Ragazzi activites began at the beginning of the summer school holidays and lasted throughout July involving on average 200 children and young people every week accompanied by about 60-70 leaders under the guidance of Fr Janez Suhoveršnik spirituality and new friendships mark the activities of each day (ANS – Ljubljana) – The Mother House of the Salesian presence in Slovenia with its Shrine of Mary Help of Christians is preparing over these days for the great concluding celebrations for the Centenary of the Consecration of the Marian shrine After the restoration of the Salesian work in Raknovik now finished is the renovation of the interior of the sanctuary carried out in neo-Gothic style Work on this began in 1905 and lasted until 1924 The consecration took place on 8 September that year attended by thousands of faithful and pilgrims Some interesting features of this church: the conclusion of the construction of the church was followed up by Fr Ignazio Stuchly At the time he was the Economer of the Salesian community in Rakovnik young Salesians and novices from the Radna community came to help prepare for the consecration who later became a great missionary in China and Vietnam He ended his earthly life in the shadow of the shrine in 1999 and is recognised by the Church as a Servant of God The physical renewal of the work in Raknovik has also been accompanied by the spiritual renewal of the educative and pastoral community behind it:  a whole series of spiritual cultural and social events are taking place from 16 to 25 May 2024 around the shrine and the Salesian parish musical and recreational events open to all This is the so-called "mission week" to strengthen and show the joy faith and devotion in Christ and Mary which involves lay parishioners and members of the Salesian Family The culmination of the celebrations is expected on Saturday 25 May in the presence of Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime The motto of the feast day will be "O Mary Help of Christians you have been there and you will be there" and will involve bishops There will be many reasons not to miss the event: Eucharistic celebrations are planned the blessing of the restorations and renovations of the shrine the conclusion of the year of spiritual renewal of the parish the installation of the new Superior of the Saints Cyril and Methodius Province of Slovenia (SLO) and the blessing of the new statue of St John Bosco the first large original statue in Slovenia that presents Don Bosco with a young man and a young woman It is a gift of the Salesians and the Salesian Family to the community of Rakovnik Ljubljana as a sign of gratitude for having implanted the Salesian charism in Slovenia in the afternoon the celebration will continue with a moment of fraternity and a program of fun activities for all participants; and in the evening the 10th Successor of Don Bosco will still have the opportunity to meet with the Salesians of the SLO Province (ANS – Ljubljana) – In Rakovnik there has been a Shrine dedicated to Mary Help of Christians for 100 years located in the heart of what is now a great Salesian work comprising different buildings on the edge of the hills and the woods including a boarding school for boys and boys who in Rakovnik as in Želimlje choose to spend their high school years in a residential and community context where they can experience healthy values and with the possibility of following a path of faith and commitment in the style of Don Bosco presided over a solemn concelebration in the presence of the Superior of the Saints Cyril and Methodius Province of Slovenia numerous priests and many young people and families as well as couples celebrating their wedding anniversaries (including a diamond and a golden anniversary) At the heart of the celebration was the consecration of the new altar – the result of a renovation of the church making it brighter and rethinking some forms in the area of the presbytery – a moment of high symbolic value and an invitation to renew one's "yes" to God The consecrating Bishop first sprinkled the altar with holy water and consecrated it with the anointing of the holy chrism and the incense rite that rises to heaven from the centre of the altar of offering the meaning of the consecration of the altar: "The anointing oil is consecrated by the bishop on the morning of Holy Thursday during the Chrism Mass Whoever is anointed with this holy oil is consecrated to God by the Holy Spirit Already in the Old Testament the high priests the Prophets and the Kings were anointed with the oil of the horn Also in this consecration of the altar we will use the horn with the consecrated chrism with which we are anointed in Baptism and Confirmation and priests and bishops in priestly or episcopal ordination The anointing with the holy chrism and the fragrance of incense speak to us of Christ's compassion for us in his sacrifice on the cross when he justified us before his Father for Heaven" some words were dedicated to the Servant of God Fr Andrej Majcen – whose Positio is now being concluded – who helped prepare the church for the consecration and entered the novitiate shortly afterwards Some initiatives were also dedicated to the animation of the Cause of Fr Majcen the meeting with several hundred leaders from the Salesian summer activities just concluded as well as listening to Salesians who can testify to his holiness and intercession There was also a theatrical moment fully dedicated to him and it was precisely the young people who wrote and staged a representation of the life of the Servant of God while Salesians and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians sought shelter with some short dialogues and numerous flashbacks identifying themselves deeply in it and managing despite the elevated topic and some dramatic events that marked Fr Majcen's biography bringing numerous smiles and some laughter (ANS - Ljubljana Rakovnik) - "We conclude the diocesan process for the Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God Fr Andrej Majcen" closed the diocesan inquiry into the cause of beatification and canonization of the Servant of God Andrea Majcen in the parish hall of Ljubljana Rakovnik on Friday 27 September Go to Him through the intercession of Father Majcen Many were the guests and participants in the concluding session: the members of the diocesan tribunal and the historical commission; confreres from Vietnam with the bishop mons Peter Nguyen Van De and the provincial vicar John Nguyen Van Am; the Postulator General the collaborator Dr Lodovica Zanet; the vice-postulator Fr Alojzij Snoj; Slovenian Salesians with the Provincial Fr Marko Košnik; the FMA sisters with the Provincial Sr Mojca Šimenc and members of the Salesian Family; benefactors and faithful of Rakovnik In Rakovnik on Sunday 29 September there was a meeting of the Salesian Family to deepen the testimony of the Servant of God: Fr Cameroni presented Fr Majcen through four significant dates of his life: birth priestly ordination and delivery of the missionary crucifix Zanet presented various aspects of the numerous writings of Fr Majcen: the spiritual diaries where one sees the attentive care for one's spiritual life and the writings of the memories requested by the superiors brought her personal testimony of the meeting with Fr Majcen and of the benefit received thanks to his intercession In the afternoon the solemn Eucharist was held in the shrine of Mary Help of Christians on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the death of Servant of God Fr Andrej Majcen with the public conclusion of the diocesan inquiry chaired by the Archbishop of Ljubljana Msgr The liturgical celebration with the many ministers and the choir composed by the members of the parishes of Rakovnik and Kodeljevo was highly choreographed and evocative the Archbishop underlined the relationship of Fr Majcen with Mary Help of Christians As a young man he exclaimed: "Mary Help of Christians pray for us!"; and at the end of his life he thanked her: "Mary Help of Christians thank you for everything!" She also recalled the thought of Fr Majcen: "I ask the Good Shepherd to be a good sacristan of the hearts of my Salesian confreres" The Archbishop wished that today's Salesians let themselves be guided by the witness of Fr Majcen and to be signs of the paternity of God with a heart full of compassion and mercy The substantial documentation consisting of 8,000 pages of documents in the Slovenian language and as many in the Italian translation will be forwarded to Rome at the Congregation for the Causes of Saints (ANS - Ljubljana) - "What kind of oratories will you do this year?" has been the most frequently asked question this spring to animators and managers of Salesian Youth Centers in Slovenia head of the largest Salesian Youth Center in Slovenia in the best sense of the word," and then explains the first of four weeks of the Salesian summer oratory which was attended by more than 200 children and 40 animators "The main focus is always the special initiatives such as the train ride and the walk for all where the children had time for many other things: singing to the accompaniment of guitars and ukuleles head of the Salesian Youth Center in Maribor where two weeks of summer oratories recently ended "This year's experience is very good in my opinion I think the animators learned a lot and I myself learned a lot The summer oratory was free of masks and restrictions We were able to go on slightly longer trips again there was more socialization among all the participants regardless of the group they belonged to." both Maribor and Ljubljana Rakovnik summer oratories have one thing in common: foreign language learning This is not a short-term and regular activity rather it is something that depends on the fact that young Ukrainian refugees who have come to Slovenia with their families also participate in the summer oratories with the support of the Salesian organization "Fundacija Don Bosko," 14 Ukrainian minors participated in the first week of the oratory in Ljubljana and another 60 are expected in the next three weeks; while 16 Ukrainian children participated in the oratory in Maribor "It seems that this program was a huge novelty for many so sometimes it was more difficult for them to follow everything that was going on and the pace to follow And if sometimes some animators would 'blather on' about them being more on their own I would explain to them that we have no idea what a child can go through and experience in wartime I think we realized at least a little bit the words of the Gospel: 'I was a stranger and you welcomed me.' It is interesting how they shared their experiences with our children and of course also their views on the war situation in Ukraine Language is not a problem for the children others helped themselves with online translators and still others indulged in play and the language of their eyes and hearts." even in Ljubljana-Rakovnik Ukrainian children and youth are getting along well with each other and credit must also be given to the animators among whom there is also a Ukrainian university student and a university student from Russia The distance of home and the closeness of language have created a real bond of friendship between them who told us 'Let the little ones come to me for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,' we have gladly taken all these different young people under our wing whose Oratory became a refuge for all young people of goodwill want to create a place for all where young people feel at home and where they can find someone to care for them And this is really accomplished: a child brought the animator a well-made origami and gave it to him with the words 'I made it for you because you are the best animator.' As long as there are young people who give so generously of their time for other young people we will witness the joy that circulates irresistibly and fills not only children and animators but Slovenia – July 2024 – On 27 July the third group of Salesians in the Saints Cyril and Methodius Province of Slovenia (SLO) concluded the retreat preached by Archbishop Stanislav Hočevar at the Salesian Saint Francis de Sales school in Želimlje At the end of the Retreat the Salesians renewed their religious professions and accompanied with particular joy three young Salesian missionaries in renewing theirs: practical trainees Vincenzo Le Thanh Trung and Giuseppe Nguyen Hau Duc in the Salesian parish of Mary Help of Christians in Ljubljana-Rakovnik the parish's current altar servers and former altar servers gathered a group with a long and prestigious tradition were welcomed among the altar servers more than 60 years ago while the currently active parish altar servers only observed As the Director of the Salesian Youth Center in Rakovnik "We are grateful to the former altar servers for their good cooperation companionship and example of Christian living." Slovenia - 31 January 2019 - For the feast of Don Bosco the Salesians of the Salesian Province of Slovenia (SLO) gathered for a meeting and a spiritual retreat in the mother house of Ljubljana Rakovnik The Salesian trainee Vimos Svarc presented the contents of the congress of the European Salesian Brothers in Barcelona Then the shrine of Mary Help of Christians was filled by the students and teachers of the Salesian institute "St by past pupils and friends of Don Bosco for the solemn Mass presided by the archbishop of Ljubljana and president of the Slovenian Episcopal Conference 2019 - The Salesian School of Music of Rakovnik concluded the 20th anniversary celebrations with a solemn concert in the great hall of the Slovenian Philharmonic Academy prepared a rich repertoire of classical and modern musical pieces It all began in the fall of 1998 when Salesian Fr Metod Ogorevc - in the Salesian parish with the Marian shrine in Ljubljana Rakovnik - after listening to some parents launched the idea of starting a music school for their children Over the years the small school has grown and is currently attended by 250 students expressed his gratitude in the closing speech to all the teachers parents and young musicians and to the Rakovnik School of Music which continues to transmit the song of Don Bosco's joy and dreams Slovenia - May 2021 - On the occasion of the feast day of St four new boys were welcomed into the group of ministers of the Salesian parish and shrine of Mary Help of Christians The new altar servers have been preparing for this act for more than a year and has a long tradition in both altar service and participation in the life of the Salesian youth center and its programs was presided over by the Director of the youth center Fr Janez Suhoveršnik while the rite of acceptance into the group was celebrated by the parish priest Fr Mirko Simončič Slovenia – December 2023 – The day after Christmas the young Salesians in formation and candidates in Sts Cyril and Methodius Province The meeting featured moments of prayer and conversations on what the Salesian mission will look like in ten years The Salesians in formation were enriched by this meeting thanks to each one’s experiences and personal opinions Accompanying them were Fr Marko Košnik Vice-Provincial and formator Fr Alojzij Dobravec Slovenia - August 2021 – On 28 August in the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Ljubljana Rakovnik Vilmos Svarc made his pepertual profession as a Salesian brother He was born in the Salesian parish of Mužlja (Serbia) and is of Hungarian citizenship The celebration was presided over by Fr Marko Košnik the annual meeting of employees and collaborators working in Salesian houses and programs took place in the Rakovnik Motherhouse on the theme: "Sharing the mission between Salesians and laity" Present during the first part of the meeting was Fr Councilor for the Central and Northern Europe Region currently on a Extraordinary Visitation of the Province of Slovenia (SLO) He presented the structure of the Salesian organization to about eighty participants and then continued to speak about the necessary and complementary role of the laity in the Salesian mission presenting the documents of the Church and of the Salesian Congregation which deal with the involvement and co-responsibility of the laity in the charismatic mission of Don Bosco In the second part of the meeting the participants comparing their personal and Salesian missions The written conclusions were received by Fr Peter Končan who assured the participants that the Salesians Slovenia - 26 December 2018 - The Salesians of the parish of Ljubljana-Rakovnik began a special pastoral project over 25 years ago: the visit of the three Magi to families during the period between Christmas and Epiphany to bring Christmas greetings and blessings in the their houses This is now a widespread project in many parishes of all six Slovenian dioceses under the guidance of the National Office for the Missions The young people of the Salesian Youth Center in Rakovnik faithfully continue this initiative every year of the Salesian chaplain Janez Suhoveršnik visited over 300 families living in the city's outskirts bringing them their season's greetings and best wishes This article was published more than 14 years ago Restitution is a riveting saga of Holocaust survival reaching back to pre-World War II in the town of Rakovník With only 30 Jewish families among the tiny population it was impossible for the Reesers to hide their Jewish identity The unsung hero of the family of four is the matriarch before the Germans marched into Prague on March 15 the urgency of leaving Rakovník to live secretly in a rented Prague villa until she obtained official exit permits from Czechoslovakia and visas for Canada risk their own lives to assist the helpless but wealthy Reeser family save theirs Given licence by the Reeser adult children to ghostwrite their survivor story and even to change names and events where required Kacer skillfully pushes boundaries to provide a hybrid offering heavily laced with meticulously researched historical data while unfolding a spectacularly gut-wrenching detective yarn which travels back and forth from 1990s Toronto to the Reiser's intact life in pre-war Czechoslovakia are Karl Reeser (the Reisers changed the spelling of their surname when they immigrated to Canada) a so-called honest smuggler hired by Karl to recover four valuable oil paintings that once belonged to his family especially when Kacer writes about Marie's single-minded determination to save her family before the war her against all odds attempt to recover the four paintings moved back to Prague with her second husband to discover that the Reeser family home in Rakovník had become the district headquarters for the Communist Party All that remained of the Reesers' physical possessions were the four paintings entrusted to Victor's business associate who had power of attorney for the family prior to their leaving Prague Marie engaged in a prolonged legal battle to get the four paintings from him because he had risked his own life to save the family the paintings had become rightful recompense this man's grandson did not agree with his grandfather Kacer brought me to tears with the telling of the final surrender of these four paintings facilitated largely by the honest smuggler vice-consul of the Canadian embassy in Prague in 1990 the four paintings (two and two respectively) hang on the walls of the Toronto homes of Karl and Hana Reiser - Marie and Victor's Holocaust legacy to their children and subsequent generations Report an editorial error Report a technical issue Editorial code of conduct Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. 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