The Czech Republic is home to seven different dog breeds with a storied history. The Bohemian Shepherd, for example, is the oldest breed, developed to guard the Kingdom of Bohemia. Most of these breeds were developed for rescue missions and hunting, either with a human companion or on their own. These Czech dog breeds have shaped the nation and continue to provide companionship and support to this day.
Milan Štefánik: Slovak Astronomer and Aviator
Many know the life and legacies of Tomáš Masaryk and Edvard Beneš, two Czechs who helped to found Czechoslovakia. However, there was a third person who played a very important role in the founding of the country: a Slovak named Milan Štefánik. Before he participated in the founding of Czechoslovakia though, he was first an astronomer and aviator.
Karel Zeman: Czech Film Director and Animator
Legendary Czech film director, screenwriter, artist, and animator, Karel Zeman is known for creating fantasy and science fiction films. His first major breakthrough occurred in 1943 while participating in a window-dressing competition in Brno, where he accepted a job offer to work for the Bata Film Studios in Zlin. After that, in 1945, Zeman began work on A Christmas Dream, then directed his first feature film, The Treasure of Bird Island, in 1952. His work is illustrious enough for a museum dedicated to his work, the Karel Zeman Museum in Prague.
George "Papa Bear" Halas
The Chicago Bears began with American football coach, owner, and NFL administrator George “Papa Bear” Halas, born in Chicago, Illinois to Slovak immigrants. Initially, however, Halas began as a player who joined the Navy during World War I, before becoming a player-coach. Throughout his life, “Papa Bear” Halas invested his life into football, winning six NFL championships as head coach while practicing many innovative routines that allowed him and his team to win.
Edvard Beneš (28 May 1884 - 3 September 1948)
Edvard Beneš was born in Kozlany, Bohemia during the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s rule, but by October 14, 1918, he lived in a different nation, as the empire collapsed in place of the then-new Czechoslovakia. He served as the council chairman for the League of Nations to support the balance of powers in Eastern Europe, creating the “Little Entente.” Eventually, Beneš would succeed Masaryk as the Czechoslovakian president, faced with the threat of Germany, and the rest is history.
Eliska Junkova: Racing into History
Eliška Junková is the first woman to win the Grand Prix, in 1927. Even before, Junková was “Queen of the Steering Wheel,” a well-earned title that she worked towards since 1922. Her dedication to racing began with her dedication to her husband, Vincenc “Čenêk” Junek, whom she met at her job at the Prague Credit Bank.
Frantiska Plaminkova
Františka Plamínková, founder of the National Council of Women, was a trailblazer in feminism and women's rights. Her fight for women's suffrage and self-personhood was a long one, beginning in 1903 with the Czech Women's Club. Sadly, she was one of many executed by the Nazis in retaliation to Reinhard Heydrich's assassination. Milada Horakova continued Plamínková's work.
An Army with No Country: A Siberian Odyssey
It’s the First World War, and the Czechoslovaks got to get their soldiers from Ukraine to France, but without going through a Central Powers country or a sea without enemy ships. What do they do? Naturally, they go East: fight through the Bolsheviks, take over the Russian railway network, capture most of Siberia, and reach Vladivostok before the ships arrive to get you home. All this while losing less than 10% of your men over three years of fighting. It might sound crazy, but this is just the 2nd part to the story of the Czechoslovak Legion.
An Army with No Country: The Czechoslovak Legion in Europe
They were men without their own country, living split up among not one, but two mighty empires. When the Great War came and those empires began to crumble, those men took up arms in the struggle, and fought so that one day they too would have their own nation. These were the men of the Czechoslovak Legions.
The Czech Pioneers of the Southwest by Henry R. Maresh and Estelle Hudson
A Short History of Pilsner Urquell
The Languages of Kafka
Dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
It's quite a difficult thing to pin down an exact historical reason for any significant event. We can, however, follow the lives of a specific royal family and the events that surrounded their tragic lives. Over the course of a seventy-two year span, we will look at the events that led to the creation and dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
