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opening paragraphs of the czech declaration of charter 77

Charter 77

Politics and History – Charter 77 You don’t have to spend too much time watching Czech news to learn that famous people have died. Sometimes however the name is followed by a simple phrase “Charter 77 signatory”. In our current time of being able to say pretty much whatever we like and not have to … Read More

view of traffic driving over nusle bridge towards prague in early morning sun

Nusle Bridge

Nusle Bridge Not all bridges in Prague cross the river. The Nusle Bridge crosses the Nusle Valley and connects the south-eastern part of the city (Prague 4) with the centre (Prague 2). I’ve been driving over this bridge and using the metro that runs under it since 1996 and I really couldn’t imagine it not … Read More

bronze memorial to czech ice hockey players with central character bohumil modry

Memorial to Eleven Ice Hockey Players

Memorial to Eleven Ice Hockey Players Surely one of the strangest memorials to the communist era is at Pšstrossova 24 in the New Town. It states that eleven ice hockey players were arrested in March 1950 and sent to prison. In fact several of these guys were either Olympic silver medallists in 1948 and/or ice … Read More

prague expo 58 building in letna park with lots of vertical glass, steel tubular supports and cantilevered balconies

Prague Expo 58

Prague Expo 58 If you are thinking that Expo 58 was in Prague then unfortunately that would be wrong but we do have a little piece of Czech design that was built for Expo 58 in Brussels so if architecture and design interest you it might be worth a trip to the Adolf Loos Apartment … Read More

jaroslav drobny receiving wimbledon mens singles trophy in 1954

The Egyptian Who Won Wimbledon

The Egyptian Who Won Wimbledon – Famous Czechs – Jaroslav Drobny If you are wondering what possible link there can be between Prague and an Egyptian who won the Men’s Singles Title at Wimbledon then read on because it’s an interesting story. You won’t find the name Jaroslav Drobný in many history books but look … Read More

a representation of jan zajic on a czech national flag

Famous Czechs – Jan Zajic

Famous Czechs – Jan Zajic To set the scene you have to understand that the August 1968 invasion of Prague by Warsaw Pact countries extinguished the Prague Spring freedoms. Any political or social reforms were cancelled and Czechoslovakia regressed to its 1950’s state. As was increasingly common in the late 1960s, the method of the … Read More

klement gottwald addresses a crowd of people on the old town square in prague

1948 Communist Coup

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

black and white photo showing the final construction of the prague stalin statue with nine characters made from granite stone

Prague Stalin Statue

Prague Stalin Statue If you had been in Prague on the evening on November 6th 1962 you would have heard a terrific explosion. It was the end of the road for the Prague Stalin Statue. This post is about why it was built, things to look out for, why it had to be destroyed and … Read More

Prague Last Address Memorial Plaque

Last Address Memorials

Last Address Memorials If you enjoyed reading the story behind the Prague Stumble Stones then you might also be inspired by another growing international memorial to look out for called the Last Address. Whereas the Stumble Stones are embedded in the ground outside the last freely chosen address of a person before being deported in … Read More

monument to victims of communism in Prague lesser town, stone steps with bronze figures, wreaths and flowers

Monument to Victims of Communism

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