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.
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.
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.
Božena Hauserová (1914 - 2009)
Božena Hauserová was a lawyer turned CIA operative for the United States to help fight against Germany during the World War. She and her husband, Charles Lauwers, moved to the United States in 1941 after hearing news of the war, after which she enlisted, following her husband. In 1944, she participated in Operation “Sauerkraut,” where she’d spread rumors, provide fake orders, and pass around discouraging leaflets, all to spread propaganda among German soldiers. Her work was a success, being declassified after her death in 2009.
Charles IV: King of Bohemia and the "Romans"
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.
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.
