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.
Radio and its revolutionary effect were felt in Czechoslovakia just as it was in the rest of the world. It began with the first broadcasts, occurring before World War I, into the first Czech-produced program in late 1919. Of course, as radio technology progressed and advanced, its use as a medium for propaganda grew more and more robust. Despite its use in propaganda, radio also served as a tool to disseminate important information about the nation and the world at-large.
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.
Vlasta Adele Vraz was a Czech-American who served as the director of American Relief for Czechoslovakia after World War II and was arrested as a spy by the Communist government in Czechoslovakia. She was released, becoming the Czechoslovak National Council of America. She spent most of her life before World War II surrounded by writers and writing for her family’s newspaper, the “Svornost.” After her release, she continued as an editor for the American Bulletin and Vestnik before she died in 1989.
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.
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.
Born in 1899, Krasa was a young musical prodigy who composed his first songs at the age of ten. By the age of 39, he would compose his most famous song, Brundibar. By the age of 40, in 1939, the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany took place. After their occupation, Krasa was arrested by the Nazis and deported to the Terezin concentration camp, forced to compose as a part of a propagandic smokescreen.
Kamil Kubik grew into an internationally recognized artist from a rough beginning to his life, having to escape his home in 1948 due to radical political changes. He's most famous for his cityscape paintings, including paintings of Central Park, Prague, London, and the White House, along with a scenic painting from nearly every state in the United States. He became the official artist for the White House.
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.
