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 “evolution” where abstract shapes are given precedence in contrast to solid, known geometric shapes. There are many examples of Orphism to see, spanning many years.
From the Brevnov Monastery to the modern-day Pilsner, the Czech people have been enjoying beer for over a thousand years. Known as the beer of tradition, Czech beer is ingrained into history itself. When beermaking was banned. the Brenov Monastery, as the first-ever Bohemian brewery, was exempt. Initially, after the ban on brewing ended, only noble families or homeowners were allowed to brew beer. It was in 1842 that the famous Pilsner was created.
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.
After the death of Samo, there was uncertainty about the Czech and Moravian lands, but after the rise of Charlamange of the Frankish Kingdom, Moravians were able to recover. The princes of Moravia consolidated their power, and one in particular Mojmir I, rose beyond tribal institutions to establish Great Moravia. After Mojmir I's deposition, his nephew Rostislav became Louis the German's loyal vassal. In secret, however, Rostislav had ambitions beyond this.
Milada Horakova was an advocate for democracy, stuck between both the Nazis and Communists for her adult life. During the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, she resisted, helping emigrants escape and harboring fugitives of the occupiers. Although she faced torture and death from the Nazis, she not only survived but also continued her same fight, this time with the Soviets. Sadly, she was sentenced to death and executed, even when eminent individuals of the time demanded her release.
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 “evolution” where abstract shapes are given precedence in contrast to solid, known geometric shapes. There are many examples of Orphism to see, spanning many years.
With Jan Hus’s 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 Žižka and later Prokop the Great, the Hussites would not be so easily defeated.
Zvíkov 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 Zvíkov 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’s 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.
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’s handling of Jan Hus and his growing Hussite following would prove far from successful. Imprisoned and put on trial, Jan Hus’s fate was in the hands of those who were to make a disastrous mistake in the long run and unleash war in Bohemia.
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.
The Czech Republic’s video games industry has become one of the country’s 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’s rich cultural heritage in arts and animation.
Tomáš Masaryk, first president of Czechoslovakia, was inspired by the freedom and democracy of the United States. While negotiating for Czechoslovakia’s 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.
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’s future.
Oldřich Kulhánek 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, Oldřich Kulhánek was once again free to express his views through his art and was tasked with designing the bills of the Czech Koruna.
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 Dobrovský 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 “anti-nationalist.” With the end of the Great War, the goals of the National Revival movement were successfully met.
The decision in establishing an emperor’s successor would lead to a conflict that would spark the Thirty Years’ 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.
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 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’s royal estates.
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 “the greatest art patron in the world,” and philosophers, painters, alchemists, astronomers, architects, and mathematicians came to Prague to work under his patronage.
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.
Bertha von Suttner’s commitment to peace and anti-war movements created the building block to many significant changes in Europe. Unfortunately, the political figures and aristocracy she argued against ignored her warnings. For example, von Suttner warned governments and aristocracy of increased citizen involvement in affairs of war and even the use of nuclear weapons. Eventually, her ideas for peace were soon adopted post-World War II.
Mordechai Ben Šemuel Maisel was a businessman, philanthropist, Jewish community head, and builder of Prague’s Jewish town during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He established a successful banking business and several silver and gold mines in Bohemia. Maisel’s financial success was instrumental to the tactical success of the Holy Roman Emperor’s forces during the Turkish Wars, which allowed him more financial freedoms and decisions that made him wealthier.
Charles IV’s efforts helped to elevate the city of Prague to new heights, establishing it as the intellectual and cultural center of Central Europe. Yet, his reign was marked by political disagreements and failures to centralize the government. One major, yet brief, threat to Charles IV’s authority came from Louis IV, the excommunicated emperor Charles IV replaced. Another major aspect of Charles IV’s authority was the elevation of Prague as a major player on the world stage for centuries to come.
Jaroslava Brychtová and Stanislav Libenský’s partnership of almost 50 years birthed some of the defining sculptural and architectural installations of the 20th century. They used their art as a form of political resistance and were inspired by early 20th-century Czech Cubism and metaphysical philosophy to work with abstraction.
