The history of Czech poetry goes as far back as the 9th century. It begins with the works of Saints Cyril and Methodius, who translated texts in the bible from Greek to Old Church Slavic, a language in which the first Czech poems were written. Since then, Czech poetry continued to flourish, even when the chosen languages of the Czechs continued to face challenges throughout the centuries. The apparent culmination of Czech poetic culture is of a poem, 惭谩箩, written by Karel Hynek 惭谩肠丑补.
Irena 叠别谤苍谩拧办辞惫谩 and the Fight for Czechoslovak Independence
Irena 叠别谤苍谩拧办辞惫谩, the second of Vojt臎ch Preissig鈥檚 three daughters, started her life in Boston, after being born in Prague, before returning to what was now Czechoslovakia. It was at this moment that she dedicated her life to writing and publication, particularly to resist the Nazi occupation. Although her relationship with her father initially splintered, it eventually mended as the two published a resistance magazine, V boj.
Ji艡铆 Trnka: The Father of Czech Cinema
The so-called 鈥淲alt Disney of Eastern Europe,鈥 Ji艡铆 Trnka began his career as an illustrator, his life soon culminating into sophisticated puppetry on film. His usual subject matter involved his puppeted takes on classic fairy tales and tales he crafted which feature profound narratives, some of which satirized his own government. His career culminated in his film The Hand, where the importance of the hand is placed above all else.
Rare Bronze Age Artefacts Discovered in Czech Republic
Recently, artifacts from an ancient pre-Czech society were found by the Pod艡ipsko Museum and are being analyzed by the Brno Institute of Archeology and Museology. These artifacts are estimated to be worth millions of Czech crowns, but their historical value is even greater. Researchers are working to discover how these tools were used while speculating on their pristine preservation. In 2025, these artifacts will be on display in the Pod艡ipsko Museum.
Frantisek Kupka: Orphism
Bohemian artist Frantisek Kupka is the forefront mind behind the art form of Orphism. Orphism focuses on color and abstraction, similar to Cubism but also an 鈥渆volution鈥 where abstract shapes are given precedence in contrast to solid, known geometric shapes. There are many examples of Orphism to see, spanning many years.
The Hussite Reformation: Revolution and Wars
With Jan Hus鈥檚 execution at the Council of Constance in 1415, the Church and Holy Roman Emperor believed that the issues of Bohemian heresy had been successfully resolved. However, Bohemia erupted into protest and revolt in response to the death of Jan Hus. Expelling the Catholic priests and throwing the city council members from the New Town Hall windows, the Hussites of Bohemia refused to accept the authority of the Church or their king. To quell this revolution, Holy Emperor Sigismund and Pope Martin V launched an invasion and five crusades against Hussite Bohemia, calling upon the Christian world to lend them aid. However, led by a man named Jan 沤颈啪办补 and later Prokop the Great, the Hussites would not be so easily defeated.
Zv铆kov Castle
Zv铆kov Castle is one of many Bohemian structures to stand the test of time, beginning in the early 1200s. Although it survived many wars, it succumbed to one of them, being conquered and vandalized before getting used as a farming area and being damaged by a fire. However, future land owners restored Zv铆kov Castle, which eventually made it one of the oldest and most well-preserved castles in the Czech Republic. Lastly, there are legends of various entities inside the castle.
St. George鈥檚 Basilica and the Benedictine Nuns
St. George鈥檚 Basilica, the second church built in the Prague Castle was adopted by Benedictine nuns. Because of their involvement and the location of the basilica, it provided the citizens of Prague a place to socialize and politically organize. The existence of this convent provided girls and women to participate in the religious and educational landscape of Bohemia.
The Hussite Reformation: The Council and Trial of Jan Hus
Following his continued preachings of reform and his various excommunications, Jan Hus was called by Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund to come to the Council of Constance as part of his plan to resolve the issue centered around Czech heresy. The Council of Constance, which was convened in 1414 to solve the Western Schism, succeeded in its goal of doing just that. However, the council鈥檚 handling of Jan Hus and his growing Hussite following would prove far from successful. Imprisoned and put on trial, Jan Hus鈥檚 fate was in the hands of those who were to make a disastrous mistake in the long run and unleash war in Bohemia.
The Hussite Reformation: Life of Jan Hus and the Church
In 1414, a Czech theologian named Jan Hus was called before the Council of Constance for heresy against the Catholic Church and Pope. Jan Hus had preached about the need to reform the corruption within the Church, desiring to adhere more to a more communal Christianity that he believed the New Testament spoke of, and for that he had been excommunicated numerous times. His life up to this point set the groundwork for the eventual history of the Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire to change forever.
Czech Video Games
The Czech Republic鈥檚 video games industry has become one of the country鈥檚 major exports in recent years, with a diverse range of successful game development studios, publishers, and startups. The origins of the Czech video game industry can be traced back to the country鈥檚 rich cultural heritage in arts and animation.
Tom谩拧 Masaryk and the United States
Tom谩拧 Masaryk, first president of Czechoslovakia, was inspired by the freedom and democracy of the United States. While negotiating for Czechoslovakia鈥檚 independence, Masaryk developed not only political relationships, but also personal and intellectual ones with the United States. During the First World War, he was exiled after siding with the Allied Powers, but did not give up on garnering support from his fellow Czechoslovakians. The Lansing Declaration of May 1918 was one of many important moments in the future creation of the Czechoslovak Republic, which eventually came to pass, all before he died in 1937.
The Bohemian Revolt: Battle and Execution
On November 8, 1620, the Bohemian army had lost the Battle of White Mountain, resulting in the Bohemian Revolt, which proved to have dire consequences on those who participated. For example, since the severity of punishment increased depending on the level of participation, those who held an official position or provided service had their property confiscated while the revolt leaders were given the death penalty. There were further consequences down the line which shaped Bohemia鈥檚 future.
Old艡ich 碍耻濒丑谩苍别办 and the Czech Koruna
Old艡ich 碍耻濒丑谩苍别办 was a Czech artist and critic of the Communist Regime best known for his work on designing the current Czech banknotes. His career began in 1958 at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague. During his young life, his politically motivated art would get him arrested and the art almost destroyed since he negatively portrayed Communist leaders. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Old艡ich 碍耻濒丑谩苍别办 was once again free to express his views through his art and was tasked with designing the bills of the Czech Koruna.
Czech National Revival
A response to increased Germanization, the Czech National Revival revived Czech literature, language, history, and politics. Increased nationalism marked this period of cultural revival. The movement started before the 19th century with Czech intellectuals such as Josef Jungman and Josef 顿辞产谤辞惫蝉办媒 becoming more discontent with the decrease in Czech culture, language, and national identity. Czech national identity also involved realism, rejecting the romanticism of the past, which was considered 鈥渁nti-nationalist.鈥 With the end of the Great War, the goals of the National Revival movement were successfully met.
The Bohemian Revolt: Defenestration and War
The decision in establishing an emperor鈥檚 successor would lead to a conflict that would spark the Thirty Years鈥 War. The Bohemian revolt initially started off in favor of the Bohemians, but it damaged diplomacy. Victory in this conflict for either side would hinge on the battle that would take place at White Mountain.
Casanova's time in Bohemia
Giacomo Girolamo Casanova, a man whose name has become synonymous with womanizing, spent his final years and composed a rich autobiography in Bohemia. His life began in Venice, Italy where he spent most of his childhood, including the discovery of romance, with the daughter of Gozzi. Due to the trouble Casanova ran into in Venice, he eventually settled in Prague, where he met Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Houska Castle
Houska Castle is a castle located in the Liberec region of the Czech Republic. The castle was built in the Gothic style during the second half of the 13th century, and later underwent a Renaissance modification in the late 1500s. This castle is particularly famous for the folklore, which is that it is built over a pit meant to be the entrance to Hell. Besides the folklore, the actual purpose of Houska Castle was to serve as an administrative center for Ottokar II鈥檚 royal estates.
Rudolf II: The Intellectual yet Disastrous Emperor
Rudolf II desired to unify Christendom in the Empire and tried to take a tolerant stance on religious issues. Though he was an ineffectual ruler, he had a love for academics that helped spur the Scientific Revolution. He was known as 鈥渢he greatest art patron in the world,鈥 and philosophers, painters, alchemists, astronomers, architects, and mathematicians came to Prague to work under his patronage.
Czech Wine: A Brief History
From legends to wine festivals, Czech wine has a rich history. Various rulers implemented regulations for viticulture, and it eventually grew to a large scale operation in the Czech Republic. Although many vineyards were left abandoned after the revolution, through the 19th and 20th centuries, Czech viticulture bounced back to the point of becoming a worldwide phenomenon.