Czech Center Museum Houston
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 “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.

Frantisek Kupka: Orphism
Czech Center Museum Houston
Czech Beer : A Brief History

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.

Czech Beer : A Brief History
Czech Center Museum Houston
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.

Eliska Junkova: Racing into History
Czech Center Museum Houston
Great Moravia: Mojmir I and Rostislav (830-870)

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.

Great Moravia: Mojmir I and Rostislav (830-870)
Czech Center Museum Houston
Milada Horakova

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.

Milada Horakova

Kafka

Milena Jesenska (10 August 1896 - 17 May 1944)

Milena Jesenska (10 August 1896 - 17 May 1944)

Milena Jesenska life was rather adventurous, including her commitment to a mental hospital for nine months, due to her father and his dislike for her then-boyfriend, Ernst Pollak. After her marriage to and divorce from Ernst, she remarried to Jaromír Krejcar and had a daughter with him. Between both marriages, she was dedicated to journalism, which she engaged in as she document the activities of Nazi Germany over Czechoslovakia. Unfortunately, in her efforts to help those negatively affected, she was arrested and deported to a concentration camp.

The Languages of Kafka

Czech novelist Franz Kafka was a man whose deliberate use of language would come to define key aspects of his life. Having known German, Czech, and Hebrew, these three represented the continuous struggle for identity he faced up until his death.

Five Czech Towns to Visit

Five Czech Towns to Visit

With twelve UNESCO World Heritage Sites, four awe-inspiring national parks, and literally thousands of castles, there is much to see in the Czech Republic beyond the beautiful city of Prague. Today, we’ve compiled a short list of five towns that definitely warrant the trip next time you visit the country.

Kafkaesque: an Author’s Legacy in One Word

Kafkaesque: an Author’s Legacy in One Word

It would be difficult to find a more suitable word to characterize modern people’s cosmic predicament than “Kafkaesque”. The etymology of the word isn’t hard to decipher, which is untrue of the worlds created by the man immortalized by the adjective. Like many great artists, Kafka’s work was largely undiscovered until after his death.