Vincenc Zahradník (1790–1836) was a Czech theologian, philosopher and writer. Due to his affinity for Bolzanism, he relocated to Zubrnice at the beginning of the 1820s and it was there that he had a classical parish built. The Vincenc Zahradník Center was founded by Bohemian scholar Ilona Rožková (the parish’s current owner) in 2013 and she has slowly been repairing the decrepit building, at the same time tending the legacy of Zahradník through various small initiatives, like the publication of his fables and his cook book, and by giving lectures in various places.
The Center is located in the local parish barn located in the village’s historical neighborhood, which numbers less than 300 stable residents. The center prepares informal educational programs, creates publishing and museum initiatives (exhibition of Vincenc Zahradník) and other events for the local public, such as plays, readings, concerts, and meetings. The Center also collaborates with the Czech-German youth forum and the AmbrossGut Schönbrunn open-air museum (where its exhibition documenting the events of 1968 took place). The parish also offers overnight accommodation for researchers and other collaborators.
The Center’s long-term goal is to foster good interpersonal relations and activating local residents, the preservation of nature, supporting the ideals of a sustainable way of life and its implementation in the community and the wider region, care for cultural legacy and local history, raising of awareness about ancient and traditional crafts, development of cross-border collaboration with Germany, and the development of local tourism.