The WW2 Prague Uprising A frequent question on my walking tours is whether the centre of Prague was bombed during World War Two because it looks so old. I answer this question more fully on my World War Two Walking Tour but in summary, yes it was bombed but no the majority of any damage … Read More
The Linden Tree, Slavic Icon About 4 months after arriving in Prague I was having a conversation with a local guy and I asked what was the national flower of the country. He replied that they did not have a national flower but they did have a national tree, the Lípa (pronounced like leepa) or … Read More
The Beneš Decrees As I write this, Ukraine is being invaded by Russia, some towns are being occupied and Russian supporting people are being put in public administrative positions. It made me think of events in Czech in 1945 when the occupying power was kicked out and retribution swiftly followed against those considered, rightly or … Read More
1948 Communist Coup All over this website on the historical and political posts as well as many of the attractions you’ll see me refer to the “Communist takeover” or the “Communist coup d’etat” which is still referred to historically as “Victorious February” by our local communist party. It’s worth taking some time to see where … Read More
Thomas Vokes and William Greig, Scottish Heroes of the Prague Uprising On May 5th 2021 a memorial plaque was unveiled at the Na Smetance primary school in the Prague 2nd District of Vinohrady. Strangely it commemorated two British soldiers called Thomas Vokes and William Greig who fought with the Czechs during the Prague Uprising exactly … Read More
WW2 Roma Internment In World War Two a group of people were racially profiled, segregated, interned, transported, tattooed and executed. But this isn’t a story about Jewish people. In England we might know them as travellers, some people call them gypsies but in Czech they are called Roma. As far back as 1933, Adolf Hitler … Read More
Prague Flag People who come to Prague often wonder why there are so many Spanish flags in the city. However, if they had looked closer they would have seen that the Spanish flag is Red-Yellow-Red and the one you see throughout Prague is Yellow over Red. So where does it come from and who can … Read More
SS Patria Disaster A trans-Atlantic liner called the SS Patria sank on 25th November 1940 at the port of Haifa in what was then Palestine. You’re thinking what the hell as this got to do with Prague? Well for me it all started with a photo. In 2015 I was preparing to start my Walking … Read More
Monument to Victims of Communism If you are heading for the Funicular to take you up to Petrin Park then consider visiting the Monument to Victims of Communism as it is less than 200 metres away. Background Czechoslovakia formed in 1918 as a democratic Republic. After World War Two it was still a democratic Republic … Read More
The Prague Bomber Bombs going off in Prague would make headlines today but in 2003 a guy called Vladimír Štěpánek was in his own world of anger. It had taken 5 years, a lot of expertise and a brutal showdown to stop him. Breaking Point According to statements by his family, Štěpánek was a fairly … Read More