The Liberation Festival Pilsen has special edition of grocery. It has been prepared together with the COOP retail chain.
A special edition of products to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Pilsen by the US Army will be offered for two months by COOP stores in western Bohemia. Customers will have a choice of six types of food products bearing the Liberation Festival Pilsen 2025 brand. The authors of the project were inspired by the post-war food aid of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA).
"This is a special project to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation by the US Army and to remember not only historical events, but also the time when UNRRA food aid was a key factor in the return to normal life after the war. The project also includes marketing support for the program of the Pilsen Liberation Festival in the leaflets of the COOP chain, thanks to which the campaign is being spread throughout the region," explains Jana Komišová from the Marketing Department of the Pilsen City Hall.
COOP stores in the West Bohemian Region will offer their customers six types of goods with the graphic motif of the Pilsen Liberation Festival. They will be able to buy roasted coffee beans, chocolate, coffee cream, raisins, black tea and wine.
"Each product is made with care and respect for the historical significance of the liberation of Pilsen," says Jiří Vazač, a representative of the COOP retail chain of West Bohemia. He believes that customers will love these limited edition products and that they will also make ideal gifts or souvenirs for visitors to the celebrations.
UNRRA's food aid was a symbol of solidarity between nations and helped to rebuild the region's economy and social welfare. "Thanks to this aid, it was possible to meet the basic needs of thousands of people affected by the war," recalls Ivan Rollinger of the Patton Memorial Pilsen, where many of the delicacies can be seen in their original packaging. Some of the foodstuffs were completely new to the local population. For example, powdered milk, powdered lemon or grapefruit juice. Many people did not know how to use and consume these foods properly. Peanut butter was also new at that time, and some people still remember the taste of it. Ivan Rollinger also mentions the quality of tinned and vacuum-packed products. He tasted some of them himself in the 1990s and found them to be very good.
UNRRA coordinated not only the distribution of food, but also medical care, clothing and other basic needs. After the war, it managed logistical operations in Pilsen to provide aid and assistance to the local population and displaced persons in the region. Known at the time for its industrial base and strategic importance, Pilsen benefited greatly from UNRRA's efforts to rebuild infrastructure and provide humanitarian assistance in the difficult post-war period.
