In a message dated 6/24/2006 10:16:32 AM Mountain Standard Time, cburk@kiva.net writes: Now, as capitalism flourishes, it seems some bureaucrat has found a way to keep some folks gainfully employed (i.e. off of their welfare system) by requiring folks like me to hire a researcher (1 time) or visit their country as a tourist (4 times). A lot of the professional researchers are otherwise employed. Karel Kysilka is and engineer and on the upper level diplomatic staff at the Czech Embassy in Berlin. Miroslav Koudelka is a professor at Charles University in Prague last I heard. Jakob Smid is a lawyer in Brunn. There is another one who lives in or near Olomouc whose name I cannot recall right now. I don't know if research is his only work. Vladimir Bohnic is a professional researcher who makes his living doing research. Actually, I'm surprised (but pleased) that more struggling economies don't have a similar policy. They just don't seem to understand the financial value of their records and the kind of income Archives could generate from them if they would "go for it." All I hear on the academic lists if that the Czech archives are understaffed and what staff there is is overworked. That is why it is taking so long for them to get their act together for genealogists. Karen