Portal:Czech Republic

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Welcome to the Czech Portal!
Vítejte na Českém portálu!

The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The Czech Republic has a hilly landscape that covers an area of 78,871 square kilometers (30,452 sq mi) with a mostly temperate continental and oceanic climate. The capital and largest city is Prague; other major cities and urban areas include Brno, Ostrava, Plzeň and Liberec.

The Duchy of Bohemia was founded in the late 9th century under Great Moravia. It was formally recognized as an Imperial Estate of the Holy Roman Empire in 1002 and became a kingdom in 1198. Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526, all of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown were gradually integrated into the Habsburg monarchy. Nearly a hundred years later, the Protestant Bohemian Revolt led to the Thirty Years' War. After the Battle of White Mountain, the Habsburgs consolidated their rule. With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Crown lands became part of the Austrian Empire.

In the 19th century, the Czech lands became more industrialized; further, in 1918, most of the country became part of the First Czechoslovak Republic following the collapse of Austria-Hungary after World War I. Czechoslovakia was the only country in Central and Eastern Europe to remain a parliamentary democracy during the entirety of the interwar period. After the Munich Agreement in 1938, Nazi Germany systematically took control over the Czech lands. Czechoslovakia was restored in 1945 and three years later became an Eastern Bloc communist state following a coup d'état in 1948. Attempts to liberalize the government and economy were suppressed by a Soviet-led invasion of the country during the Prague Spring in 1968. In November 1989, the Velvet Revolution ended communist rule in the country and restored democracy. On 31 December 1992, Czechoslovakia was peacefully dissolved, with its constituent states becoming the independent states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The Czech Republic is a unitary parliamentary republic and developed country with an advanced, high-income social market economy. It is a welfare state with a European social model, universal health care and free-tuition university education. It ranks 32nd in the Human Development Index. The Czech Republic is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the European Union, the OECD, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the Visegrád Group. (Full article...)

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Gate of the "family camp" at Auschwitz II–Birkenau

On the night of 5 April 1944, Siegfried Lederer, a Czech Jew, escaped from the Auschwitz concentration camp wearing an SS-TV uniform provided by SS-Rottenführer Viktor Pestek. Pestek opposed the Holocaust; he was a devout Catholic and was infatuated with Renée Neumann, a Jewish prisoner. Pestek accompanied Lederer out of the camp, and the two men traveled together to the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia to obtain false documents for Neumann and her mother.

Lederer, a former Czechoslovak Army officer and member of the Czech resistance, tried unsuccessfully to warn the Jews at Theresienstadt Ghetto about the mass murders at Auschwitz. He and Pestek returned to Auschwitz in an attempt to rescue Neumann and her mother. Pestek was arrested under disputed circumstances and later executed. Lederer returned to occupied Czechoslovakia, where he rejoined the resistance movement and attempted to smuggle a report on Auschwitz to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Switzerland. After the war he remained in Czechoslovakia. The story of the escape was retold by Lederer and writers including historian Erich Kulka. (Full article...)

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Self Portrait by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, 1570. Collection of the National Gallery Prague.

Source: Národní Galerie v Praze, PD

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In this month

14 November 1960 – The deadliest rail disaster in Czech history takes place in Eastern Bohemia, resulting in 118 deaths
14 November 1918 – Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (pictured) becomes the first President of Czechoslovakia
17 November 1939 – Nazi Germany storms Czech universities, executing nine students and professors, later commemorated as International Students' Day
17 November 1989 – The Velvet Revolution starts in Prague, culminating in the end of 41 years of Communist rule in Czechoslovakia
24 November 1966 – The deadliest air disaster in Czechoslovakia takes place near Bratislava, killing all 82 on board

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Bedřich Smetana (/ˌbɛdərʒɪx ˈsmɛtənə/ BED-ər-zhikh SMET-ə-nə; Czech: [ˈbɛdr̝ɪx ˈsmɛtana] ^ⓘ; 2 March 1824 – 12 May 1884) was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style that became closely identified with his people's aspirations to a cultural and political "revival". He has been regarded in his homeland as the father of Czech music. Internationally he is best known for his 1866 opera The Bartered Bride and for the symphonic cycle Má vlast ("My Fatherland"), which portrays the history, legends and landscape of the composer's native Bohemia. It contains the famous symphonic poem "Vltava", also popularly known by its German name "Die Moldau" (in English, "The Moldau").

Smetana was naturally gifted as a composer, and gave his first public performance at the age of six. After conventional schooling, he studied music under Josef Proksch in Prague. His first nationalistic music was written during the 1848 Prague uprising, in which he briefly participated. After failing to establish his career in Prague, he left for Sweden, where he set up as a teacher and choirmaster in Gothenburg, and began to write large-scale orchestral works. (Full article...)

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John Amos Comenius Petr Čech Dominik Hašek Jaromír Jágr Pavel Nedvěd Gregor Mendel Tomáš Rosický Franz Kafka Emanuel Moravec Gustav Mahler Fredy Hirsch Antonín Kinský Vlastimil Koubek Petra Kvitová Martin Miller (actor) Vratislav Lokvenc Vladimír Remek Leoš Janáček Libor Michálek Vojtěch Jarník Markéta Vondroušová Zdeňka Wiedermannová-Motyčková

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Did you know?

...that the Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc was inscribed on the World Heritage List as "one of the most exceptional examples of the apogee of Central European Baroque artistic expression"?
... that the leftist Czechoslovak Chemical Workers' Union was expelled from the OSČ trade union centre in 1922?
... that, having played 465 league matches, Jaroslav Šilhavý holds the record for the most appearances in top-flight Czech football?
... that Czech Karel Robětín was not only an Olympian and national tennis champion but also an international paper industry tycoon?

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General images

The following are images from various Czech Republic-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Bohemian city Karlovy Vary (from Bohemia)
Image 2Kačina Castle in Chotkov (from Czech architecture)
Image 3Obložené chlebíčky, a type of snack or appetizer (from Czech cuisine)
Image 4Vladislaus Hall at the Prague Castle, built from 1490 to 1502 by Benedikt Rejt (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 5Prague-style beef goulash (from Czech cuisine)
Image 6John Amos Comenius (1592-1670), Czech philosopher and school reformer (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 7Russian occupation in 1968 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 8Dacian Influence over Bohemia (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 9Cubist architecture in Prague (from Czech architecture)
Image 10Fried bramboráky (potato pancakes) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 11Linguistic map of interwar Czechoslovakia (c. 1930) (from Bohemia)
Image 12Iconic brutalist Transgas building, demolished in 2019 (from Czech architecture)
Image 13Territories ruled by Ottokar II of Bohemia in 1273 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 14Monument to Master Jan Hus, a religious reformer and philosopher in Prague (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 15Fried cheese, served with tartar sauce and side salad (from Czech cuisine)
Image 16Emperor Francis Joseph I. (reigned 1848–1916) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 17Buděticko Nature Park with Rabí Castle (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 18Hroby Nature Monument in Radenín (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 19A panorama of Kłodzko, the capital city of Kłodzko Land, which is referred to as "Little Prague" (from Bohemia)
Image 20Adria Palace (Prague) (from Czech architecture)
Image 21Venus of Dolní Věstonice, the oldest ceramic article in the world (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 22Apple strudel with raisins (from Czech cuisine)
Image 23Map of protected areas of the Czech Republic: national parks (grey) and protected landscape areas (green) (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 24The First Czechoslovak Republic (1918-1938) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 25Vepřo-knedlo-zelo (Roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 26The extent of the Protestant Reformation (1545–1620) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 27Great Moravia during the reign of Svatopluk I (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 28Semi-detached villa in Brno by Otto Eisler, according to MoMA's Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, is a defining building of the International style. (from Czech architecture)
Image 29Monument to the village of Lidice murdered by the Nazis (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 30Entrance to Moravian Karst PLA (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 31An 1892 map showing Bohemia proper outlined in pink, Moravia in yellow, and Austrian Silesia in orange (from Bohemia)
Image 32Library of Clementinum, a former Jesuit College, built in 1722 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 33Grand Café Orient in Prague (from Czech architecture)
Image 34Empress Maria Theresa (reignet 1740–1780) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 35Copper engraving of the Second Defenestration of Prague from Theatrum Europaeum by Matthäus Merian. (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 36Václav Havel, playwright, dissident and president from 1989 to 2003 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 37Zelňačka (from Czech cuisine)
Image 38Cubist lamp by Emil Králíček, Jungmannovo náměstí, next to the Gothic Church of Our Lady of the Snows (Prague) (from Czech architecture)
Image 39Stone sculpture of a Celtic man, found in Mšecké Žehrovice (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 40King George of Podebrady, one of the first promoters of united Europe (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 41Saint Wenceslas, Czech prince (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 42House of the Black Madonna (from Czech architecture)
Image 43A "traditional Bohemian platter" at a restaurant in central Prague, consisting of roast duck, roast pork, beer sausage, smoked meat, red and white cabbage, bread, bacon and potato dumplings. (from Czech cuisine)
Image 44The Kingdom of Bohemia in 1618 with other Bohemian Crown lands within the Holy Roman Empire (1618). (from Bohemia)
Image 45Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, philosopher, Czechoslovak president in the years 1918-1935 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 46Writer Božena Němcová (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 47The radical Hussites became known as Taborites, after the town of Tábor that became their center (from Bohemia)
Image 48Řežabinec a Řežabinecké tůně National Nature Reserve (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 49Duchy of Bohemia, around 1029 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 50Detailed map of Bohemia, 1742 (from Bohemia)
Image 51Baroque St. Nicholas Church in Malá Strana, built between 1704 and 1755 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 52Svíčková na smetaně served with dumplings, whipped cream and cranberries (from Czech cuisine)
Image 53Church of Saint Agnes of Bohemia (Spořilov) (from Czech architecture)
Image 54The National Theater from 1881 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 55Christmas cookies (vánoční cukroví) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 56Bronze sword, Urnfield culture, c. 1200 BC (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 57A panorama of Zittau (from Bohemia)
Image 58Territory under the control of the Přemyslids, c. 1301 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 59Pilsner Urquell in a branded mug (from Czech cuisine)
Image 60Lands of the Bohemian Crown (until 1635), map by Josef Pekař, 1921 (from Bohemia)
Image 61The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Bohemia (from Bohemia)
Image 62Frgál, a type of koláč baked in Moravian Wallachia (from Czech cuisine)
Image 63Bohemia as the heart of Europa regina; Sebastian Münster, Basel, 1570 (from Bohemia)
Image 64Emperor and King Charles IV. Luxembourg (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 65Europe after the Congress of Vienna in 1815 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 66Svíčková na smetaně (Marinated tenderloin), served here with dumplings and cream (from Czech cuisine)
Image 67St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle, John of Luxembourg laid the foundation stone in 1344 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 68Rotunda of St. George from the beginning of the 12th century on Mount Říp (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 69Nakládaný hermelín (marinated cheese) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 70The coat of arms of the Přemyslid dynasty (until 1253–1262) (from Bohemia)
Image 71Czech kings Ottokar II, Wenceslas II and Wenceslas III from the Přemyslid dynasty (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 72Bohemia (westernmost area) in Czechoslovakia 1918–1938 (from Bohemia)
Image 73Korozluky Castle (from Czech architecture)
Image 74Beheading of 27 Bohemian nobles at the Old Town Square in Prague, 1621 (contemporary illustration) (from History of the Czech lands)

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Topics

Czech lands: Bohemia • Moravia • Czech Silesia

History: Únětice culture • Boii • Marcomanni • Samo • Great Moravia • Přemyslid dynasty • Lands of the Bohemian Crown • Czech lands (1526–1648) • 1648–1867 • 1867–1918) • Czechoslovakia • Czech Republic

Geography: Lakes • Protected areas • Regions • Rivers

Law: Judiciary • Law enforcement • Supreme Court of the Czech Republic

Politics: Administrative divisions • Government • Constitution • Elections • Foreign relations • Army • Parliament • Political parties • President • Prime Minister

Economy: Banks • Czech koruna • Energy • Oil and gas deposits • Stock Exchange • Tourism • Transport

Culture: Architecture • Art • Cinema • Cuisine • Demographics • Education • Language • Literature • Media • Music • Philosophy • Prostitution • Public holidays • Religion • Sport • Television • Video games

Symbols: Flag • Coat of arms • National anthem (Kde domov můj)

Lists: Outline of the Czech Republic • List of Czech Republic–related topics

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WikiProjects

WikiProject Czech Republic

WikiProject Europe

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Featured and good content

	Featured articles		Dominik Hašek • Earth-grazing meteoroid of 13 October 1990 • Franz Kafka • Gustav Mahler • Bedřich Smetana • The Bartered Bride
	Good articles		Patrik Berger • FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 • Reinhard Heydrich • Leoš Janáček • Vlastimil Koubek • Libor Michálek • Pavel Nedvěd • Panzer 35(t) • Polish minority in the Czech Republic • Prague Spring • Punch-up in Piestany • Randy Blythe manslaughter case • The Brothers Grimm (film) • Winton Train • Zaolzie