AuthorMartin Hladík

Over a million Christmas trees are sold in Czechia each year, many of them having been imported from as far as Denmark and Norway. A new initiative, called Zachraň stromek or Save a Tree, has come up with a more sustainable way of celebrating Christmas. It offers locally grown trees that would never make it to the market due to their imperfections. I discussed the project with one of its authors, Jana Brišová, and first asked her how she got the idea to sell crooked Christmas trees:

“We were actually on a hike with my friends in South Bohemia and as we walked through a forest, we saw a tree that was really twisted. My friends were making fun of it and I felt sorry for the tree, so I said I would have it in my living room at Christmas.

“This is how we got into a discussion about imperfect trees and whether every tree that farmers grow is perfect. We did a bit of research and found out it was just the opposite.”

Where do these imperfect, crooked trees come from?

“After our research, we approached small business and farmers in South Bohemia and we offered to buy these imperfect trees from them. Because they all have such trees that they have to get rid of. So we were decided to offer them to people so as to save them.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Nobody is as impacted by the freezing weather we have had recently in Czechia as the homeless. However, some are being helped by the Iglou, which offers an alternative to night shelters. The portable emergency shelter was introduced to this country by Frenchman Manu Chilaud and his partner Pavla Klečková – and the two are now bringing it to states as far afield as Canada. Chilaud spoke to me from Ostrava, where he has lived for some years and, alongside non-profit work with Iglou, is senior director of manufacturing for a major international firm.

“The Iglou looks like a small tunnel made of polyethylene foam, which is a professional insulation material, and which the person sleeping inside can close at both ends, with two doors that are made from the same material.

“This makes it so the person inside is warming the inside by their own body warmth and body temperature.

“This means you don’t need anything else than having the user inside to get 15 to 20 degrees Celsius additional inside, compared to outside.

“You can imagine, it’s minus 10 outside these days and a person sleeping inside would have some plus temperature.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Illustrative Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz

Czechia’s six-month presidency of the European Union is slowly coming to a close. Petr Fiala’s cabinet took over the role at a challenging moment, with Russia still waging war against Ukraine and energy prices rocketing. So what have been the main achievements of the Czech presidency? That’s a question I put to Filip Nerad, head of the international news department at Czech Radio.

“I would say generally it was keeping the EU united during these very difficult times.

“Because you still have the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the energy crisis and the EU discussed a lot of measures to deal with these things.

“And even though there were some problems, some disagreements, in the end the Czech presidency reached an agreement and kept the EU united.

“From this general point of view, I think that was the biggest achievement.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

On Saturday, December 24, many Czechs will be putting up and decorating Christmas trees – and enjoying the common seasonal dinner of carp and potato salad. But while Czech seasonal traditions are much loved, some are relatively new – and have fascinating regional variations.

As the director of Czechia’s National Institute of Folk Culture in Strážnice, Martin Šimša is an expert on customs of all kinds, including Christmas ones.

Virtually every Czech home will be adorned with a Christmas tree on Saturday, with a lot of families erecting and decorating their tree on Christmas Eve itself.

But, Mr. Šimša told Czech Radio, the festive tree is a relatively new phenomenon in this part of the world.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

As our Christmas gift to you, RPI is showcasing some Czech Christmas traditions for you to try at home. Do you already practice any of these?

Watch the video here.

Despite the economic crisis, Czechs have donated a record amount to charity this year. According to preliminary statistics of the Czech Donors Forum, the final sum collected in 2022 is expected to reach some CZK 15 billion. This year, the money was mostly raised to help war-stricken Ukraine.

In recent years, Czechs have shown themselves to be increasingly charitable and 2022 has only confirmed the trend. According to preliminary data, private donors, including firms and foundations, have already raised around nine billion crowns. The final sum, however, will be much higher, says head of the Donors Forum Klára Šplíchalová.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Český Krumlov, one of Czechia’s best preserved historic towns, is celebrating three decades since it was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The listing placed the town on the global tourist map with tens of millions of visitors having traveled there since.

While today Czechia boasts no fewer than 16 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, in the immediate years after the fall of Communism there were none. That changed in December 1992, when the international organization decided to admit the historic centers of Prague, Telc and Český Krumlov into the exclusive club.

The man in charge of administering the iconic castle in the center of the city, Dr Pavel Slavko, still recalls the moment when he got the news.

See the rest here.

Authors: Thomas McEnchroe, Petr Kubát

Photo: Miloš Ruml, ČTK

Angels on stilts are one of the popular attractions that create a magical Christmas atmosphere in the historic center of Prague.

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Speech by H.E. Mr. Egemen Bağış, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Prague

Today on this cold winter day, most of us came here with our comfortable cars in our warm and cozy clothing. And we will stay here for less than an hour. However some people who were forced to be here in 1940’s were not as lucky. We are here to pay our respects to them.

Excellencies,
Director of Terezin Memorial, Mr. Jan Roubinek,
Historian Mr. Tomas Federovic,
Distinguished guests and the representatives of the diplomatic missions in Prague,

Together with you today, I have the honour to announce here, the placement of the memorial plaque by the Republic of Türkiye, in memory of the Turkish Citizens as well as all the other victims of the Holocaust who suffered in the Ghetto Terezin.

Although the Turkish territory remained outside the area where millions of Jews and others were brutally mass murdered during the Second World War, as a nation we have always been fully aware of the unique nature of the Holocaust. We condemn antisemitism in the strongest terms and continue to exert every effort to fight against it.

As some of you may already know, during the second World War, Turkish diplomats serving in Europe were the heroic pioneers of saving lives of the Jewish people who were suffering from the brutal regime and helped them secure their lives throughout Europe and Türkiye. I would like to mention here the names of Ambassadors; Mr. Selahattin Ülkümen, Mr. Necdet Kent and Mr.Behiç Erkin with respect and gratitute.

One of these heroes, Ambassador Ülkümen also lost his beloved pregnant wife after a subsequent air raid of the Turkish diplomatic mission. She was wounded and lived just long enough to deliver a healthy baby. In retaliation of then Consul General Ülkümen’s support to Jews, Nazi planes bombed the Turkish consulate in Rhodes. Killed after the bombing were Ülkümen’s wife Mihrinissa Ülkümen, leaving behind their newborn son Mehmet. The Germans quickly detained and deported Consul General Ülkümen to mainland Greece and confined him for the remainder of the war.

As Mr. Fedorović could much better inform us later, according to the information provided by the Ghetto Memorial, 9 people whose names are among the Terezin prisoners were or claimed to be Turkish nationals before being declared stateless by the occupying forces. Out of a total of 9 people, eight of them survived, and one woman unfortunately died.

There was also another group that included individuals who were either born in Türkiye or had Turkish origin, but their nationality was unknown. In this group, there were 23 people, only 9 survived but 14 died. Among the 24 names, one name in particular stands out, he was recorded as having parents who came from Istanbul. And that name was Siegmund Freud…

Our lands have always been a safehaven for Jewish people. Our country embraced Jewish people as she embraced all other people who were in need of security and peace. Through the centuries Jewish citizens of our country lived in peace and I believe that, as a nation, we display an excellent example of peaceful coexistence in a country which is a mosaic of cultures and religions.

Our country and government are fully concerned about the distortion and/or denial of the Holocaust as a rising phenomenon. With this understanding Turkiye became co-sponsor of the resolution titled “Holocaust denial” adopted on January 20, 2022 at the UN General Assembly. Turkish Republic also has become one of the signatories of the “Terezin Declaration” in 2009 and an observer country to International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) since 2008. We continue to contribute to the valuable work of the Alliance by promoting Holocaust remembrance, education and combating antisemitism.

Türkiye, in addition to actively supporting IHRA’s goals and work on the subject as an observer country, also takes part in the activities of other relevant international and regional organizations in this field. We should all be vigilant about new manifestations of contemporary forms of racism, antisemitism, xenophobia and anti-Islam. This arises from our common responsibility to make sure that such a tragedy never takes place ever again.

I would like to thank accomplished musician and writer Ms. Renan Koen who came all the way from Istanbul to represent the Jewish community of Turkiye. We will be listening to her piano recital during the second part of our ceremony.

I would also like to thank and extend our gratitude to Mr. Jan Roubinek, the Director of Terezin Memorial and his team for their support to the organization of the ceremony and to all our guests participating in this special ceremony which is very meaningful for us.

This event is another important step in Holocaust remembrance, reflecting and tackling injustices from the time of the Holocaust and combating antisemitism.

Photo: Mirekk, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

The best place to live in Czechia is the Central Bohemian town of Říčany, followed by Prague according to this year’s Quality of Life Index put together by the Obce v Datech project. The annual list is created by using big data analysis to crunch a wide array of statistics ranging from community services, to work, education and health conditions.

If you’re looking for the ideal place to settle down in Czechia then Říčany, a town with a population of around 16,000 which lies to the east of Prague, is probably your best bet. At least according to the annual Quality of Life Index, which has placed it at the top of its list for the past five years in a row.

The town has the best access to health services, the best environment and the best access to jobs in the whole country, the index suggests.

Prague came in second overall in this year’s list, ranking highest in areas such as access to services, transportation, security and activities. However, the index placed it as one of the worst places in the country when it comes to affordable housing.

See the rest here.

Author: Thomas McEnchroe

Photo: Jan Zwilling, BioRescue/Zoo Dvůr Králové

An international team of scientists working to save the northern white rhino from extinction has announced a major breakthrough. They have succeeded in cultivating primordial germ cells, the precursors of rhino eggs and sperm, from stem cells. I discussed the latest achievement with Jan Stejskal of Dvůr Králové Zoo, which is spearheading the international effort to save the rhinos:

“Basically, what is necessary to for us to save the northern white rhino, is to produce embryos, and there are two ways to achieve that.

“One is to collect the eggs from the last living donors that are now in Kenya and the other way is to produce eggs through reprogramming tissue in vitro.

“We started work on producing eggs in a laboratory environment years ago. The first step was to derive so-called induced pluripotent stem cells from a tissue sample. This was done in the Max Delbruck Centre in Berlin.

“Now, our colleagues in Osaka have made another breakthrough. They succeeded in creating primordial germ cells from these induced pluripotent stem cells. So it is one more step, and a very important one, on the way to acquire eggs in a laboratory.”

What other steps are needed to complete the process of creating artificial eggs and sperm?

“Now we have to learn how to turn these primordial germ cells into eggs and sperm. What might be interesting to your listeners is that primordial germ cells still contain two sets of chromosomes. So our colleagues have to learn how to produce cells that would have only one set of chromosomes.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

The Ambassador of Pakistan H.H Mr. Muhammad Khalid Jamali host at his resident a reception for the participants and organizers of 7th interfaith conference jointly being organized by Czech ministry of Foreign affairs, IIR, Anna lindh foundation and OIC informal Prague group.

Ambassadors representing the Muslim countries in Prague and other distingue guest attend the reception.

Next day the conference took place in Prague.

Photo: Barbora Nováková, ČTK

A new street dedicated to the late Czech president, dissident and playwright Václav Havel was unveiled in Luxembourg on Tuesday. The ceremony, marking a symbolic end to the Czech presidency of the EU Council, was attended by Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and his Luxembourg counterpart Xavier Bettel.

Dozens of people gathered in the Kirchberg district in Luxembourg on Tuesday to see the unveiling of Rue Václav Havel, a street named after the world-renowned dissident, playwright and former Czechoslovak and Czech president.

The street was inaugurated by Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, who said it was a great honour to have a street named after Václav Havel in Luxembourg. He also said it was proof that his government’s decision to build on the legacy of Václav Havel in its foreign policy was the right one.

Read more here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Winternitzova vila

Architect Jan Kaplický earned an international reputation for futuristic projects that often resemble something out of a sci-fi movie. Now one of his earliest realised projects, a London apartment designed in the 1980s, has been brought back to life at an exhibition in Prague.

The exhibition Interior Dialogue at Prague’s Villa Winternitz recreates an apartment that Jan Kaplický designed in London in 1983.

The project was commissioned by the director of the city’s Design Museum, Deyan Sudjic.

It was one of Kaplický’s first realised projects – but already bore the hallmarks of the Prague-born architect’s futuristic style.

Adam Štěch is the curator of the exhibition.

“Jan Kaplický basically parked, symbolically, a cosmic spaceship into a conventional house in London.

“This was the concept of the interior, because Jan Kaplický envisioned a bachelor pad – because at that time Deyan Sudjic was still single – and he envisioned the interior as several interconnected modules made of aluminum.

“Everything which was technical, in terms of electricity and the water system and so on, was hidden covered with metal, aluminum panels.”

Unfortunately, the apartment had to be dismantled after a few years. Parts were damaged and when Deyan Sudjic had a child the sharp edges made it unsuitable as a home.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Juan Pablo Bertazza, Radio Prague International

Celebrated Argentine tenor, composer and conductor José Cura has a long-standing relationship with Czechia: in addition to recording an album of love songs by Dvořák in 2003, he was also a resident artist for three years with the Prague Symphony Orchestra between 2015 and 2018. Now the orchestra has invited him back to give two concerts at Prague’s Municipal House in celebration of his 60th birthday. In this exclusive interview with Radio Prague International, the artist reflects on his relationship with the city of Prague, the effects of the pandemic on him and on the classical music industry, as well as problems the industry is currently facing.

“A beautiful birthday present.”

That is how José Cura describes the invitation extended to him by the Prague Symphony Orchestra on the occasion of his 60th birthday this month.

“The orchestra told me that, when I turned sixty, they wanted to celebrate with two birthday concerts, that’s why the concerts are called ‘Happy Birthday, José’. And they also told me that the idea was not only to present my vocal work, but the entire spectrum of my musical activities: composition, singing and orchestra conducting.”

See the rest here.

Authors: Anna Fodor, Juan Pablo Bertazza

Photo: Odpovědné občanství

Václav Havel is coming to Czech schools. Well, not exactly, but an AI version of him is to be introduced into the civic education curriculum of several Czech secondary schools from January of next year with the aim of educating children about topics such as freedom, democracy and human rights. To find out more about the project I spoke to Alena Resl from the Czech office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, one of the organisations behind the project, and began by asking her what exactly DigiHavel is?

“DigiHavel is a modern deductive tool for civic education teachers. It’s actually an application based on artificial intelligence. You can imagine it as a digital human whose ideas were inspired by the first president of Czechia, Václav Havel. It is actually the first time that a digital human as a technology will be used in the Czech school system.

“It is not a clone of Václav Havel, because AI is not yet able to do that, but this digital human was programmed in a way that represents the ideas of Václav Havel about democracy, human rights and totalitarianism.

See the rest here.

Author: Thomas McEnchroe

Czechs are not very mobile or quick to act. At least that is the generally accepted truth. But are Czechs as a nation really lacking in enterprising spirit, curiosity, and mobility?

There is a well-known Czech fairy tale character called “Hloupý Honza” or Silly Jack in English. He is a simple guy of humble origin unwilling to leave his cozy home. Driven into the big wide world by his parents, he wins riches and a wife by luck or miracle rather than personal initiative and returns home to live happily ever after.

So, is this what being a Czech is really about? Enjoy your beer and song in a pub, let the world go past, don’t worry, be happy!

Statistically speaking, this stereotype of a Czech who prefers the relative comfort of home to risking an uncertain if perhaps more interesting and profitable work and future somewhere abroad seems more or less right. Authorities estimate that compared to their Polish or Slovak neighbors, a significantly smaller percentage of young Czechs are willing to go abroad to work or gain experience. However, statistics can be misleading. Let me tell you two stories:

Czech plastic surgeon Bohdan Pomahač works in America. He led the team of doctors that performed the first full face transplant in the United States. He has earned admiration and numerous awards for his work in the United States and at home in the Czech Republic. But when I spoke to this graduate of the Faculty of Medicine of the Palacký University in Olomouc some time ago in Boston, I wasn’t that interested in the details of his work, but rather what prompted a native of Ostrava, a graduate of Palacky University, to leave the safety of home? Why did he set off in search of uncertain happiness and success across the Ocean?

See the rest here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Google Arts & Culture

A new project on the Google Arts & Culture platform is a real treasure trove, bringing together over 3,000 Czech art works from some of the country’s top institutions. Entitled The HeART of Czechia, it was launched within the Czech EU presidency. I discussed it with Liudmila Kobyakova, program manager at Google Arts & Culture.

“The basic idea was really to show the artistic and culture scene in Czechia.

“The project is dedicated mainly to three main topics, which is art, architecture and design.”

What are some of the most important works that are to be seen on this online gallery?

“Of course there are many. The exhibition is really huge – it’s actually one of the biggest projects that we have done in the Czech Republic.

“There are more than 3,000 art works, more than 40 Street Views that we have taken, and more than 100 stories that were shared by partners.

“But to speak of some of the highlights, the first is definitely the Slav Epic [by Alphonse Mucha].

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz

With Christmas just around the corner, there’s no better time than now to stop by one of Prague’s many Christmas markets. Czechs may be buying less this year but they are enjoying the good cheer.

It’s the most festive time of the year and despite the economic woes –a spiraling inflation and the energy crunch – Praguers are enjoying the city’s many Christmas markets.

The Christmas market season traditionally begins on the 26th of November and runs until the 6th of January, it’s also open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years Day. The markets are spread out across the city, from Old Town Square to Náměstí Míru, and provide a wide range of traditional Czech Christmas fare, that people can buy as artisan gifts for friends or sample on the spot.

See the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola Schmidt

Photo: Patrik Uhlíř, ČTK

Czech scout troops have collected the Light of Bethlehem, a modern symbol of the Christmas season, from their colleagues at the Austrian border this past weekend.

They will now distribute it across the country, placing it in churches and various institutions, from where people can light their own lamps.

The tradition of the Bethlehem Light was established by a regional studio of Austrian state broadcaster ORF in 1986. Czechia has been taking part since December 1989.

Source

Photo: Czech Army

Ukrainian soldiers have begun training here in Czechia, days after the country’s legislators approved such a move. Meanwhile, the country’s commitment to helping the country is reflected in a report that one Czech factory is producing a tank every four days for Ukraine.

Only last week both houses of the Czech Parliament passed a bill allowing for up to 4,000 Ukrainian soldiers to train on this country’s territory between now and the end of 2023.

Troops from Ukraine have already begun exercising that right, with the chief of staff of the Czech Army, Karel Řehka, saying on Sunday that some were in action in the army’s Libavá military zone in the Olomouc Region in the east of the country.

When exactly they arrived, or in what number, was not disclosed for security reasons.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Karel Cudlín, Památník ticha

Unique photographs from the WWII Terezín ghetto are set to be shown at the European Parliament in Brussels as the six-month Czech presidency of the EU comes to a close. The photos had been lost for decades and only recently came to light.

Journalist Milan Weiner, who survived the Terezín ghetto and Auschwitz death camp, passed away in 1969.

However it was only recently that an album of 41 photographs from Terezín (Theresienstadt in German) among his possessions received attention.

Taken between 1942 and 1944, they are the only known photos capturing life in the ghetto other than stills from Nazi propaganda films.

See the rest here.

Authors: Ruth Fraňková, Ian Willoughby

Photo: Václav Šálek, ČTK

A road in the fields between Tišnov and Jamný in the Brno region is newly decorated with an altar to St. Barbara created by amateur blacksmith Radim Tichý.

The roadside altar stands on a stone pedestal, cut and shaped from a rock by Tichý. The dedication to St. Barbara is related to the history of mining in this area. The altar is made of stainless steel and can be opened and closed by passers-by.

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The EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), whose headquarters are located in Prague, is set to open up to visitors from the public this Friday and Saturday for the first time since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The rapidly expanding agency, which manages Europe’s navigation, observation and communications systems from space, has prepared a wide array of events, ranging from a satellite image exhibition to various workshops and lectures.

Unless you are a scientist, a description of all the space related systems that the EU’s Agency for the Space Programme handles may leave you a bit confused. But they are vital in helping us manage our daily tasks, explains EUSPA’s Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa.

“It is crucial for Europe to have space capabilities. All of them of course, but especially in the domains of navigation, earth observation and communications.”

See the rest here.

Author: Thomas McEnchroe

At least two-fifths of Czechs believe that victims of rape are partly responsible for the crime, for example because of the way they dress or behave, suggests a new survey commissioned by human rights watchdog Amnesty International. The good news is that the number of Czechs who hold this view has been on the decline in recent years. I discussed the outcome of the survey with Amnesty’s campaigns and advocacy manager Irena Hůlová:

“Our survey shows that people still think that in certain cases, rape victims are co-responsible for what happed to them. They think that when the victim was flirting with the perpetrator, or was drunk or was walking home alone, that means that in some cases they are co-responsible for the act of rape.

“That is obviously not true and we always say that the victim is never responsible for what happened to them. It is only the perpetrator.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Petr Kubát, Czech Radio

The centuries-old Czech tradition of timber rafting has been newly added to UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list. The nomination, submitted together with rafts men’s associations in Germany, Austria, Poland, Latvia and Spain, was approved by UNESCO experts this week.

Timber rafting, or vorařství, has had a long tradition in the Czech lands, ranking among highly respected and recognised, but also dangerous professions.

According to most sources, the first historical mention of timber rafting on the Vltava River dates back to medieval times. In those days, the biggest source of timber, needed for the construction of houses, was in South and Southwest Bohemia, and the fastest way to deliver the logs where they were needed was the river.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Roman Vondrouš, ČTK

One of Czechia’s most famous and respected architects, Josef Pleskot, was born on December 3, 1952, in the South Bohemian town of Písek. He was selected as the most influential person on the Czech architecture scene between the years 1990-2009.

Josef Pleskot’s work regularly represents Czech architecture at international exhibitions and he has received many prestigious awards. Originally, Pleskot wanted to be a painter, but his parents were against the idea. He therefore chose to become an architect instead. Among his most famous works are the Deer Moat (Jelení příkop) at Prague Castle, the headquarters of the ČSOB bank near Radlická metro station in Prague, or the New Palmovka town hall that is currently being constructed in Prague 8.

Pleskot also took part in the revitalisation of the industrial area of the ironworks in the city of Vítkovice and left his indelible signature on the centre of the East Bohemian town of Litomyšl. In 2014 he received the Architect of the Year award for his design of the Science and Technology Centre in Ostrava.

See the rest here.

Photo: Michal Kobrle, PETROF

Czech piano manufacturer PETROF is unquestionably one of Czechia’s best known brands. The company, based in the town of Hradec Králové, produced its first piano already in 1864. Today PETROF is the largest manufacturer of acoustic pianos in Europe and their instruments are played by musicians all over the world, among them Billie Eilish or Paul McCartney.

The company was founded in 1864 in Hradec Králové by Antonín Petrof, who trained as a cabinet maker in his father’s workshop. The fact that he turned into a piano maker was most likely due to chance.

A local choir master is said to have asked his father to repair his old furniture. He sent his son to inspect the job but his attention was immediately drawn to the choirmaster’s piano.

Ivana Petrofová is a great-great-granddaughter of Antonín Petrof and head of the Petrof Museum in Hradec Králové, located in the former factory in close proximity to the Cathedral of the Holy Ghost:

“Antonín followed his uncle to Vienna to learn how to make pianos. After five years he became a certified piano builder. He then took a job at two renowned Austrian companies, Schweighoffer and Egrbar, to further his knowledge and learn more about company management.”

At the age of 25, Antonín Petrof returned to his hometown and converted his father’s joinery workshop into a piano manufacture. In 1864, he built his very first grand piano, equipped with the so-called Viennese mechanics. A year later, Antonín Petrof was granted a trade licence and officially established his piano-making business. He secured his financial situation by marrying Maria Götzová, the daughter of a wealthy Hradec Králové tanner. She stood by his side and supported him not only in family life, but also in the company as a skilled proxy and her husband’s representative.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

There is a saying: “Every Czech a musician”. But is there any truth in it? One can hardly doubt, that this country has a very long and rich musical tradition. But are Czechs really more musical than other nations? Vít Pohanka set out to find out, whether this saying is more a cliché than reality.

I am at a rehearsal of a children’s choir in a small town in the middle of the Bohemian – Moravian Highlands. This music ensemble has existed in the small town of Žďár nad Sázavou for many decades and has brought up generations of amateur music lovers. After the rehearsal, I stop to chat with some of its teenage members.

Katya, for example, has been singing under professional supervision since the age of five. She tells me about the joy and fun it brings into her life. She doesn’t want to study music at the conservatory or sing for money. It just makes her happy.

See the rest here.

Author: Vít Pohanka

Photo: Czech Literary Centre

Fumio Obata is a British-based Japanese comic artist who specializes in ‘comic reportage’. This summer, he spent a three-week residency programme in Prague, organised by the Czech Literary Centre in cooperation with the international Lakes Comic Art Festival, during which he worked on his new book about Franz Kafka. What sparked his interest in the writer? And how does Franz Kafka go together with comics? These are just some of the questions I asked him during his recent visit to Prague:

“I wanted to do something about Franz Kafka, because I have been a fan of his works for a long time. But I wasn’t quite sure about it, because he is an icon, a very influential writer and such a big figure to deal with.

“But after arriving here, I became sure about it and during my stay here I tried to sort out my direction for it. For me, it is like trying to make a personal investigation. That’s why I named it ‘Looking for Franz’.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Jiří Šeda, Czech Radio

Tunnel Vision by Lazer Viking is sure to feature in many Czech LPs of the Year lists. On this latest record the artist, AKA Jakub Kaifosz, has abandoned the guitars of previous releases for a pure ‘80s, super catchy synth pop sound. What hasn’t changed are Lazer Viking’s phenomenal vocals (unlike many Czech male vocalists, this guy can sing!) and as-good-as-it-gets songwriting.

See the rest here.

Photo: Derrick Clark

If you wander into any Czech chapel or church during the festive season you are likely to see elaborate nativity scenes on display. These ‘betlémy’, as they are known in Czech, have a long and interesting history – and a large private collection of them can be viewed at the Museum of Nativity Scenes in Karlštejn.

Karlštejn Castle is itself a popular tourist destination, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. But if you have a little more time on your hands, you will find the Museum of Nativity Scenes very close by. Housed in the Karlštejn rectory, the oldest building in the castle grounds, the museum building, including the wall that surrounds the entire complex, is a protected cultural monument.

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

The recent case of Twitter shows us that we should work to create alternative futures for the Internet because we need it to be resilient, trustworthy and sustainable. These alternative futures have one thing in common: they are based on technological communities. That means open standards, free and open software and hardware, and open data. These are the ideal ingredients for restoring the health of the Internet, because they empower individual users and the community to run their own Internet services, rather than elevating one business entity to a dominant overarching entity.

In recent weeks we have seen many news reports about the well-known messaging service Twitter after a change of ownership and subsequent actions taken under its new management. Some sources like Forbes even go as far as to call it a “great exodus”, and major civil rights organisations, including the NAACP and the Anti-Defamation League, even called for a boycott.

Of course, Twitter is not an isolated case. The original decentralised vision behind the internet and the web has suffered from large-scale industry consolidation. That is why the Next Generation Internet (NGI) Initiative has been working towards alternative futures for the internet to create a resilient, trustworthy and sustainable internet. These alternate futures have one thing in common: they are based on technology commons. Which means open standards, free and open source software and hardware, and open data. These are ideal ingredients for restoring health to the internet because they empower the individual users and the community to operate their own internet services rather than elevate a single business entity into a dominant superposition.

ActivityPub and Fediverse

A key ingredient in the ‘social’ space is a standard called W3C ActivityPub, produced by the World Wide Web Consortium. ActivityPub allows one to have one’s own presence on the so-called Fediverse and actually to own your presence as a user – you can set up under your own internet domain, determine your own policies and community rules, establish your own privacy settings, and use the same account everywhere to interact with others.

One of the best-known Fediverse projects is Mastodon. Mastodon has been making quite the global buzz: in a short time, Mastodon has gained over 500,000 new users, hitting over 1 million active users today. The number of independent servers for Mastodon has also doubled recently. Unlike traditional social media, Mastodon is not a single website or service. To use it, you choose an account with any provider implementing the ActivityPub protocol (or run this software yourself), which lets you connect with the whole ecosystem on your own terms. Users can post text (500 characters limit), images, links and videos and their “Toots” are published strictly in chronological order (there is no algorithm ranking the “Toots”) without advertising.

Making the internet again a decentralised infrastructure

The European Digital Decade target for 2030 aims to empower businesses and people in a human-centred, sustainable and more prosperous digital future; decisions to support digital commons become relevant to preserve the original vision of the internet as non-monopolistic and non-privatised.

By offering citizens an alternative to the major commercial players, ActivityPub delivers the conceptual building blocks for cross-cutting cooperation. It also opens the door to widespread adoption of the Fediverse – making the internet again a decentralised infrastructure that can accommodate diversity, forming a free and more democratic alternative to today’s situation.

NGI supports many different Fediverse tools like Mastodon, PeerTube, Pixelfed, GoToSocial, Lemmy, and Owncast – each of which caters for its own use cases. The power of the Fediverse lies in its diversity: Mastodon instances are websites, and so are servers serving up PeerTube, PixelFed, etc. From the user side, the Fediverse can be seen as “just another class of web pages”. PixelFed is more photo-sharing oriented (like Instagram). Lemmy is a great alternative to Reddit. And Owncast allows for live streaming, just like Twitch. Each of these is already valuable by itself. Together, they offer a realistic alternative for users looking to move away from large corporation online social networks.

Besides more general purpose ActivityPub tools like GoToSocial, Bonfire, GNU Social, Mastodon and #Seppo, here are some of the more specialised efforts that received financial support from NGI programmes. For example Castopod, Corteza, Funkwhale, Inventaire etc.

Over 700 funded innovators reinventing the internet

NGI will keep nurturing diversity and decentralisation of the internet infrastructure. We see the potential for a sustainably open environment for our societies and economies, celebrating our values, promoting creativity, and achieving the next generation of the internet that is reliable, secure and energy efficient. Discover NGI solutions to see over 700 funded innovators re-inventing the internet to reach the full human potential for all generations.

The Next Generation Internet dialogues with citizens and constituency directly through the established EU Mastodon, becoming part of the Fediverse – the largest alternative to central platforms – based on federated, open source and standardised technology.

If you are involved with a project contributing to the further development of ActivityPub and Fediverse tools, we encourage you to apply to one of our NGI Open Calls – let us help you make a better internet. We look forward to your ideas and energy.

————————————–

About Next Generation Internet (NGI)

Next Generation Internet is an initiative of the European Commission, which aims to shape the Internet for the future as a powerful, user-centric (Internet of Humans) ecosystem that meets the fundamental needs of the population.

The NGI programme is supporting solutions in the fields of the Declaration on the Future of the Internet and it funds the best research and innovation projects in the field of the Internet, ultimately addressing the need for a more fair, safe, resilient, sustainable, human-centred and decentralized internet. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion are the backbones of this envisioned future.

So far the NGI has funded more than 700 innovators with inclusive and trust-based complementary technology building blocks including services, applications, decentralized ledger technologies such as blockchain, data portability, AI, machine learning, networking, hardware and open source software.

Projects cover a broad range of subjects from private search, instant messaging and remote working tools with data privacy, health, energy, finance, supply chains, research, knowledge management and responsible media platforms.

Czech NGI-funded projects:

https://www.ngi.eu/discover-ngi-solutions/?country=1685

Photo: archive of Rade Meech-Tatić

We bring three very different tales of heroism during the 1930s and 1940s. The first is a classic story of wartime courage and adventure, as seventeen-year-old Rade Meech-Tatić recounts a dramatic episode in the life of his grandfather as a pilot in the Royal Air Force. Then we turn to occupied Bohemia and Moravia, where eleven-year-old Amy Piper tells the story of her great-great-grandfather from the town of Čáslav, who warned his fellow citizens that they were in danger of arrest. And our third story takes us several thousand kilometres to the south and east. Sixteen-year-old Anushree Kshirsagar from Brno also has a tale of courage and resilience as she talks of the role of her great-great-grandfather in the struggle for Indian independence. Three young people whose home is here in the Czech Republic celebrate three very different family heroes.

See the rest here.

Author: David Vaughan

Photo: SchiDD, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Automatic Mills in Pardubice, one of the most famous buildings by the pioneering Czech architect and designer Josef Gočár, is currently undergoing a major transformation into a new multi-functional public space.

The monumental structure, standing on the bank of the Chrudimka River, was originally designed for the Winternitz brothers. Construction of the mills, built of red brick with stone elements, started in 1909. The façade of the towering, geometric building is reminiscent of the ancient Babylonian Gate of Ishtar.

The Automatic Mills worked without interruption until 2013, when the Goodmills company ceased operations there. Two years later, the building was declared a national heritage site.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Their paintings adorn the foyer of the National Theatre, the Municipal House and the Astronomical Clock. This Radio Prague International series presents artists who have achieved success on a global scale. They include the founder of Czech modern art, Josef Mánes, painter of Czech history Václav Brožík, Art Nouveau maestro Alphonse Mucha, abstract art founder František Kupka and great of European surrealism Toyen.

Source

Photo: Ondřej Mikulášek, České korunovační klenoty na dosah

Prague Castle has announced that Bohemia’s crown jewels and the skull of Saint Wenceslas will be displayed to the public in January next year, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Czech Republic. Next year’s exhibition will be all the more special as people will have the chance to view the objects within the spaces of Prague’s Saint Vitus Cathedral for the first time since 1955.

The crown jewels and the skull of Saint Wenceslas will be on display for five days, from January 17 to January 21, the head of the Office of the President, Vratislav Mynář, announced on Monday. For the first time in nearly seven decades, the viewings will take place in the Cathedral of Saint Vitus, specifically in its transept.

Those hoping to catch a glimpse of the symbols of royal Bohemian power will likely have to wait in a queue, not just because public viewings of the crown jewels are rare, but also due to the heightened security measures that are to be put in place for the occasion.

See the rest here.

Author: Thomas McEnchroe

Photo: Myco

Single-use plastic packaging contributes to landfill waste and microplastics in the oceans and drinking water. Small Czech firm Myco’s mycelium-based packaging material offers a completely biodegradable alternative – and received recognition for it at this year’s Energy Globe World Awards.

The fight against climate change can often feel hopeless. Too many actors, lack of coordination, competing interests, complex power structures and factors outside of an ordinary individual’s control – all these things and more can lead to feelings of ennui, resignation, and despair.

But the Energy Globe World Awards, held annually for the last 23 years, aims to counteract those feelings by honouring those who are working to come up with practical solutions to environmental problems. As Wolfgang Neumann, founder of the award, says, the solutions are already out there – it’s just a question of making people aware of and implementing them.

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

Czechs living outside their home country have until this coming Sunday, December 4, to register to vote in January’s presidential elections. Meanwhile the current government’s pledge to introduce postal voting has not become reality.

Direct presidential elections – which to date have been held twice – are the only such polls apart from general elections in which Czechs resident in other countries may cast their ballots.

To do so they must register in person or in writing at least 40 days before the date of the elections. Those for the successor to incumbent Miloš Zeman are set to begin on Friday January 13.

If no candidate takes more than 50 percent of the vote, the two leading candidates will face off in a second round a fortnight later.

Czechs living abroad need to travel in person to their nearest embassy or consulate general, where they will receive voting slips. In view of time differences some may vote on the evening of Thursday January 12, local time.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Adam Kebrt, Czech Radio

Musician, composer and multi-instrumentalist Jiří Stivín turned 80 this week. As every year, he will celebrate with a concert in tribute to St. Cecilia, the patron of musicians.

Jiří Stivín was born 23 November 1942 in Prague. He graduated from the Film Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU) and studied composition at the Royal Academy of Music as well as at the Prague Academy of Music (AMU). His extensive discography ranges from jazz to classical music and he performs music from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

As a sololist, playing both the flute and saxophone, he has performed with the Prague Symphony Orchestra, the Slovak Chamber Orchestra, the Suk Chamber Orchestra, Barocco sempre giovane as well as with several other ensembles. He still lectures at the Prague Conservatory.

See the rest here.

Prague is currently hosting the fifth edition of the annual Czech Space Week festival, which features a wide range of events for experts in the field, as well as for related businesses and the wider public. The launch of the festival was accompanied by a government announcement that Czechia will increase its contribution into European Space Agency (ESA) programmes, a move that should also help domestic companies that are active in the space sector.

The space business has become less of a curiosity and more of a serious topic of conversation in Czechia in recent years. The country, whose capital houses the headquarters of the EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), has a growing range of businesses and start-ups that specialise in manufacturing important components for rockets and satellites.

See the rest here.

Author: Thomas McEnchroe

Not even boundless loyalty to the Soviet Union could save Rudolf Slánský, a general secretary of the Communist Party, from the death penalty in a trial that culminated on 27 November 1952.

Show trials of the so-called class enemy was a practice used in the Stalinist communist bloc from the 1930s. Nevertheless, the arrest of one of the highest-ranking Communists in Czechoslovakia at the time, Rudolf Slánský, surprised many observers. In the subsequent trial, 14 people were indicted along with Slánský, including his deputy, the foreign minister and seven deputy ministers. The vast majority of them were of Jewish origin.

See the rest here.

Author: Klára Stejskalová

Photo: Ian Willoughby, Radio Prague International

Young director Šimon Holý this week sees his film And Then There Was Love enter Czech cinemas. It is the second feature film by Holý, who in addition composes music for films and until recently was also a presenter on alternative station Radio Wave. Our tour of “his Prague” begins on the square Náměstí Míru, one of the centres of the Vinohrady district.

“I live half the time in Prague and half the time in Hudlice, which is a town near Beroun, but not so far from Prague.

“I can’t imagine moving somewhere else.”

Why do you also live in Hudlice?

“Well, it’s a long story of my father wanting to have a farmhouse and then buying another farmhouse and then just moving farther and farther from Prague [laughs].

“I actually like this, that I can be in the nature whenever I want – and then to move into the city whenever I want.”

Vinohrady is a big area. I discovered looking at the map earlier that it runs all the way from Folimanka to the Main Train Station and out to Hagibor. What’s your favourite part of the district?

“It was very interesting to me as well to find this out, because I didn’t know that.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

For two weeks this month, the nationwide ‘Den poezie’ or Poetry Day festival took place in roughly 50 towns and cities throughout the Czech Republic. The festival, now in its 24th year, takes place annually around the birthday of the great Czech Romantic poet, Karel Hynek Mácha. This year, there were two events in English – one involving a project where three Scottish poets and three Czech poets translated each other’s work – despite none of the Scottish poets speaking Czech.

Poetry is not everyone’s cup of tea. But the small and diligent group of people involved with organising Poetry Day hope that the festival will promote interest in poetry and share some of its joy among a wider audience. In this vein, all the events that are part of the festival are free.

Poetry Day is not just a day – it’s a two-week event. But its misleading name has its origins in the fact that the first Den poezie took place on just one day in 1999. Year by year, more and more towns and organisations joined in and the length of the festival gradually extended to reach its current two-week duration.

The festival describes itself as international and multicultural – this year, as well as featuring Czech poets, it included authors from Ukraine, Spain, Hungary, Italy, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Croatia. And for an English-speaking audience, one of the two English-language events in this year´s Poetry Day festival involved an interesting translation and cultural exchange project between three Czech and three Scottish poets – one of whom writes in Gaelic. The six poets worked together on translating one another’s poetry into their native languages.

Read the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

Nine people are in the running to succeed Miloš Zeman as Czech president in elections in January, after fulfilling the necessary criteria. Two, Petr Pavel and Danuše Nerudová, collected 50,000 signatures, while the remainder secured the backing of legislators. But, now the field has officially been declared, who are the candidates?

Andrej Babiš

Mr. Babiš (68) became a billionaire as head of the Agrofert conglomerate and entered politics with the ANO party in 2011. Often dubbed a populist, he has served as minister of finance and later prime minister. The Slovak-born oligarch, a member of the Communist Party pre-1989, denies allegations he was a secret police agent.

Jaroslav Bašta

Mr. Bašta (74) is the candidate of the anti-migrant, anti-EU Freedom and Direct Democracy party. A one-time anti-communist dissident, he was jailed for over two years and signed the Charter 77 human rights document. He was a Social Democrat cabinet member under PM Miloš Zeman in the 1990s and served as ambassador to Russia and Ukraine.

Pavel Fischer

Mr. Fischer (57), who was an advisor to President Václav Havel, is a member of the Senate. A former ambassador to France and head of the STEM polling agency, he came third in the first round of presidential elections in 2018 on 10 percent. He is a social conservative and has drawn criticism for comments he made about homosexuals.

Marek Hilšer

Mr. Hilšer (46) also stood for president in 2018, coming fifth in the first round with 9 percent of the vote. A trained doctor who focused on cancer treatment, he first came to attention as a civic activist supporting Ukraine after Russia invaded Crimea. More recently the senator has called for a no-fly zone in Ukraine.

Danuše Nerudová

Mrs. Nerudová (43) is a former head of Brno’s Mendel University. An economist, she helmed a national committee on fair pensions and served as an informal advisor to the government during the Covid crisis. A centrist with little political experience, she has pledged to reach out to those on society’s margins.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Alfons Maria Mucha is still remembered today for his Art Nouveau paintings and graphics, such as his iconic theatrical poster of French stage actress Sarah Bernhardt. His art adorns walls, ceilings and windows in grand buildings in the Czech capital, such as in the Mayor’s Hall at Prague’s Municipal House, and a stained glass window in St. Vitus Cathedral. But he came from very humble beginnings, and his success was not always assured…

Traditional marketing usually fails to move Generation Z’s members and it can be difficult to capture their attention. Businesses that can be considered the ones to attract the Gen Z audience — we can define them as those born between the late 1990s and early 2010s — are being shaped. We can say that Gen Z members desire those brands that appear to be young, trendy, bold, and very innovative, according to recent reports. They also focus on valuing those brands that can help customers with improving their image, those that offer customized or personalized products, the ones that are involved with customer communities, supporters of charities, and those that can make customers feel appreciated. There are many businesses now run by these new entrepreneurs and they are already taking off.

Generation Z’s members are sometimes considered hard to reach but that doesn’t mean we should ignore them. According to recent statistics research, Generation Z actually accounts for about 40 percent of United States consumers, and it is a huge number. So, your business should make it as it’s essential, to try and optimize its marketing efforts to connect with this fast spending power. So, what can you do to adapt your marketing in order to attract them? These types of ventures are actually becoming very popular among Generation Z members.

Creating Digital and Physical Products

When it comes to Generation Z, their interest ranges from designing and producing anything, from graphics and art prints to T-shirts and clothes, then selling these on different specialty sites or marketplace places. Most of the things they make are custom-made items that can be easily designed and made using different software, and instead of just simply following the latest trends, they can easily make made-to-order items that are more than just unique.

What made-to-order clothing manufacturers use is to customize their customers offers through their website so that you can get unique pieces, with fast production and easy shipping.

Social Media take over

Presence, marketing, and developing a business by creating vlogs or short videos to teach, for entertaining purposes, or to share some exciting things with people, is the way to do things these days. Or, simply try to use the amount of your following for getting noticed by brands who want to promote their products and services with you.

Financial success on different social media platforms, the ones like YouTube and Instagram can be a tough thing to achieve, but even the best ones have to start from the bottom. Having something like a specific niche is pretty good advice since it can help you do more exploration from different angles and you can then easily present those findings to a growing audience. Everything from how-to videos, reviews, fashion blogs/vlogs, weight loss tips, and many more can be a good starting point if you know what you are doing and aren’t afraid of presenting yourself out there.

Gaming

According to the Global Web Index stats, it is indicated that more than 60% of Gen Z members have an interest in gaming, which is about 10 percent ahead of Millennials. Everything from creating gaming studios to top-notch influencers and community organizers presents a space that Gen Z is expected to own as we move forward.

The Beauty Business

Another industry popular among the Gen Z audience is definitely the beauty industry. Over 35% of the Gen Z audience who underwent the survey expressed their interest in beauty, and a lot of small business owners achieved a certain degree of success in that space by creating their own products and pushing their own brands at the front.

Websites and Designing Them

You do not really have to be a master coder to create websites. What you actually need is to know how to use web builders like for example, WordPress, or maybe Wix and try to sell your services to new businesses that are in need of an online presence.

Website builders are usually used for small to medium-sized websites, and advanced coding knowledge is not really needed. You can usually start from small local businesses that should all have websites, so the starting point can be looking up something like a “mom & pop” shop that you pass by during your walks and see if they would have any benefits from a short landing page or a couple of product pages in order to drive their new business.

Now that you’ve learned some tips and tricks on how to better connect with Generation Z members, you can start getting some loyal customers, by trying to stand out among numerous very competitive social media feeds and posts and immerse yourself in the world where Gen Z members spend most of their time, the digital world. That will help you with becoming one of the top brands on their list.

By Peter Minkoff

Peter is a lifestyle and travel writer at Men-Ual magazine, living between Ústí nad Labem and Antwerp. Follow Peter on Twitter for more tips.

Photo: Miloš Ruml, ČTK

One sign that Advent is upon us in Prague is the reappearance of the man who lights gas lamps at some of the city’s most romantic locations. The uniformed figure has just appeared on Charles Bridge for the first time this season.

Around 4 pm on Monday visitors to Prague’s famous 14th century Charles Bridge got to experience an unusual sight: A man in an old-fashioned uniform using a two-metre wooden rod to light its historic gas lamps.

Nowadays the city’s gas lights usually work automatically, but during the Advent period leading up to Christmas this method is used to add to the festive atmosphere.

Street lighting was first introduced in 1847, when 200 gas lamps were installed. By 1940 there were reportedly almost 9,000 in the city. Gas light was also used to illuminate Prague’s parks, waterfronts and islands.

In the first half of the last century around 130 lamp lighters were reportedly employed by the city.

Gas-powered lighting was definitively discontinued in the middle of the 1980s, when eight cast-iron lamps on Hradčanské Square and the nearby Loretánská St. in the Prague Castle district were converted to electricity.

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: Kofola ČeskoSlovensko a.s.

Coca-Cola is one of the world’s most recognised brands, but if you are someone who’s spent any length of time in the Czech Republic you will likely have noticed that the Czechs have their own alternative – the similarly-named and similar-looking soft drink Kofola. However, Kofola has quite a distinct taste from Coke, Pepsi, and other cola-flavoured drinks – and for foreigners who are new to the Czech beverage, the flavour can come as a bit of a shock. Despite this, popular Swedish blogger SwedishNomad included Kofola on his beverage bucket list as one of the drinks that everyone has to try at least once before they die, so it does have a following abroad, if a somewhat niche one.

The visual resemblance of Kofola to Coca-Cola is no coincidence – the drink was in fact created as socialist Czechoslovakia’s answer to the popular American soft drink.

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

The Prague food scene is becoming increasingly diverse, with more room for cuisines outside of traditional Czech food. While Japanese, Vietnamese, and Indian places continue to pop up, restaurants serving Carribean food, and specifically Jamaican cuisine, remain few and far between.

On four days a week, the farmers market in Jiřího z Poděbrad square bustles with people who shop for their weekly groceries, or stop by for a delicious bite of food. The market is a staple for Prague 3 residents, and provides a communal environment for them to enjoy the beautiful neighbourhood scenery and town square. While you can find traditional Czech bakeries, cheese stands, and butchers, on Wednesday’s you can also find a bright yellow tent selling wonderfully spiced foods, and if you can listen carefully, the sounds of reggae music might lure you over to meet the man behind it all.

Clyde Porter was born in Jamaica, and moved to New York when he was young. From there, he spent time in Germany.

Read the rest here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

A WORLD OF COLORS CELEBRATION

Get 2023 off to a smashing start. Reserve at Hilton Prague now!

Kick off 2023 in impressive style! Hilton Prague’s annual New Year’s Eve party is going to become your favorite memory. Three delightful choices of dinners and a fabulous after-party, all including top-notch entertainment. Choose the way you want to celebrate and enjoy a spectacular night. Get ready for the ultimate party night in Prague!

DECEMBER 31, 2022 from 7 pm – 3 am

• Three inspired dinners to choose from
• Captivating song and dance performances
• Unbelievable midnight celebration with a countdown to the New Year
• A children’s playroom
• An amazing after-party
• …. and a few more surprises to blow you away!

All event details here.

Photo: Thomas McEnchroe, Radio Prague International

What is the European Union and the wider Western world doing to tackle financial crime? And can financial tools be used to curb hostile regimes such as the one in Russia? These are some of the questions that are being explored by the Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies (CFCS), a part of Britain’s leading security think tank – the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). I caught up with the founder and director of CFCS, Tom Keatinge, when he was in Prague attending an event organised by the Prague Security Studies Institute last week. He warned that dirty money is undermining European democracy and I asked him how.

“First of all, it should be said that it’s not an original idea because it was a point that was emphasised by the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her State of the Union address in September.

“In any case, I think that for many years in Europe, when we thought about ‘dirty money’ we thought about criminal money coming from non-state actors, organised crime groups and and terrorists.

See the rest here.

Author: Thomas McEnchroe

Photo: archive of Eva Nováková

In the third episode of our series looking at the recent past through the eyes of the youngest generation, we hear a story of exile and return. Fourteen-year-old Eva Nováková chose the format of a short radio play to draw us into the world of her great-grandmother, Olga Szántová. Older listeners will remember Olga, who died in 2003. She was a legend of Czechoslovak broadcasting and a good friend to many of us here at the radio.

Eva’s play is called The Story of Radio’s Voice, and it takes us back to 1962, when Olga was thirty and her daughter, also Eva, was seven. By that time Olga had already been through more than most of us will experience in a lifetime. As the Nazi grip on Central Europe tightened, she and her parents fled Bratislava and then Prague in 1939, reaching New York via Norway, Sweden, the Soviet Union and Japan.

The family had good reason to fear persecution. They were Jewish and Olga’s father Dezider Benau was a well-known Social Democrat.

See the rest here.

Author: David Vaughan

Photo: Vianney Le Caer, ČTK/AP

Two years ago, a small Czech studio called Play By Ear released an interactive audio game, in which players navigate their way through a mysterious detective story using their smartphones. Now they have put out an English version, called Evidence 111, starring, among others, the famous British actress Rosamund Pike.

Evidence 111 is an interactive audio game with an open-ended story that develops based on the choices the players make as they navigate their way through the game.

Unlike the Czech version, set in the United States, Evidence 111 takes place in the small English town of Farnham in the mid-1980s. It follows the character Chief Inspector Alice Wells as she gets to the bottom of the mysteries surrounding an old inn called Harbor Watch.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Daniel Šabík, DPP

Many of Prague’s trams and busses, including the historic Ringhoffer and Irisbus Citelis 12 M are decked out for Christmas adding to the festive mood in the Czech capital. Passengers will be able to enjoy the sight until January 6, 2023.

On Monday night, members of the Chinese community in Prague gathered in Prague’s Národní trída, in a show of solidarity with the anti-government protests that have broken out across China. Many donned facemasks to protect themselves and feared to speak openly.

Last week, protests flared up across China in response to the government’s “zero Covid” policy of mass testing, quarantines and snap lockdowns that have affected more than 1.4 billion people. In what was the last straw, they prevented firefighters from getting to a fire that killed ten people in an apartment building under lockdown.

From Shanghai to Beijing, citizens have been gathering, with chants of “lift the lockdown”, and “we want freedom”, being echoed by the crowds. Some have even been calling for the Communist Party and its leader, Xi Jinping, to step down in what is the biggest show of public discontent since the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Footage from the protests, show a heavy police presence, with growing violence and arrests.

Read more here.

Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt

Photo: Správa železnic

The railway bridge connecting Prague’s Výtoň and Smíchov districts is due to get a new look – and not everyone is happy about it.

The Vyšehrad Railway Bridge, built at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, has been in need of reconstruction for a while. This has long been a topic of discussion in Prague, with various proposals made over the years. An architectural competition was announced by the Railway Administration last May, with an essential component of the new design being an expansion from two to three tracks.

This week, the winning design was announced. The decision by the 11-member selection committee was apparently a difficult one following long and arduous discussions. According to Pavel Paidar from the Railway Administration, the selected proposal by company 2T engineering best deals with train, pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

Carp has been the traditional Christmas dish for centuries. But it is only now that scientists have discovered its other possible uses – in smoothing out wrinkles and making jelly bears.

Carp is the most common fish breed in Czechia and over 20,000 tons of carp are netted annually, for consumption at home and abroad. Fried carp appears on almost every Czech table at Christmas but scientists from Tomáš Bat’a University in Zlín have now alerted Czechs to the fact that it could help make their lives better all-year-round. They have developed a method that uses residues from the processing of freshwater fish, especially carp, to produce collagen that has many uses in the food and cosmetics industries.

The heads, scales, bones and skin of carp account for up to half of the waste in processing and represent a large amount of unused raw materials, particularly rich in proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins. Pavel Mokrejš, head of the project says all this currently goes to waste.

See the rest here.

Authors: Daniela Lazarová, Roman Verner

Three baby turtles of a rare species known as the enigmatic leaf turtle have hatched in Prague Zoo, the Czech News Agency reported on Wednesday. This species of turtle is little studied in the wild and is classified as a Near Threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Prague Zoo says that it is currently the only zoo breeding this species of turtle in Europe. The current hatchlings are the first to be born at the zoo in more than four years.

In the wild, the enigmatic leaf turtle inhabits Malaysian and Indonesian forest areas. Visitors to Prague Zoo can see the turtles in the Indonesian Jungle pavillion.

The villa of Miroslav Zikmund, Photo: Onomono Photography

The former home of the legendary Czech traveller Miroslav Zikmund in the Moravian town of Zlín opened to the public this month. The iconic functionalist villa, built in the 1930s by the Baťa Company, has been turned into a museum dedicated to Mr Zikmund.

Miroslav Zikmund, who passed away last December at the age of 102, bought the Zlín villa in 1953 from the Oscar-winning director Elmar Klos and lived there for nearly 70 years. Shortly before his death he sold it to his friend Čestmír Vančura, who established the Zikmund Villa Endowment Fund with the aim to restore the place and maintain it as a tribute to Zikmund and his travels.

Inside the villa there are furnishings from the 1950s, when the building was adapted by architect Zdeněk Plesník. A collection of furniture by designer Miroslav Navrátil and Zikmund’s personal items are also on display. The villa will be open to visitors only once a month for four commented tours.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

GZ Media, based at Loděnice near Prague, produces vinyl records around the clock in order to meet huge demand. In fact the company, which also has three plants in North America, is the world’s biggest producer of a music medium that many thought was bound for the dustbin of history.

Are you one of the growing number of people again purchasing music on the once dominant delivery format of vinyl records? If so, there is a big chance part of your collection has been pressed up here in Czechia.

GZ Media, which is located in Loděnice, a small town near Prague, was founded in Communist Czechoslovakia in the late 1940s.

See the rest here.

Authors: Zdenka Kuchyňová, Ian Willoughby

Photo: Barbora Němcová, Radio Prague International

For several decades now, one of the most popular books among Czech readers has been The Egg and I by American writer Betty MacDonald. The 1945 memoir about life on a chicken farm in the Northwest has been largely forgotten in the United States, but here in Czechia, it still continues to top readers’ lists. What has caused this somewhat unexpected popularity? And how come it has lasted for nearly eighty years? Czech literary theorist Jiří Trávníček decided to explore this unusual phenomenon in his new book called Betty a my (Betty and Us).

Author: Ruth Fraňková

See the article here.

Photo: Petr Hejna, DPP

On November 21, 1962, the Tatra T3 tram was put into regular service in Prague. It was a very modern tram for its time and would become a successful export product. Today, T3’s can still be seen transporting people in country’s such as Ukraine.

The T3 ranked among the proudest products of Czechoslovak industry during the 1960s. Designer František Kardaus came up with a timeless design for the tram that featured a round front with two protruding round reflectors. The T3 became the most produced tram in world history, with roughly 14,000 carriages of all prototypes being made.

Nowadays you can still take a ride in the T3 if you step into the “Nostalgic line no. 23”, which passes around Prague Castle, as well as the Old and New Towns. Standard operating lines in Prague stopped using the model in 2011. However, the trams are still used in some countries, for example in Kyiv, Ukraine, where some of them were even converted into barriers during the initial Russian advance. It wasn’t the first time that the T3 was used for this purpose. Prague residents did the same in 1968 to try and slow down invading Warsaw Pact forces.

See the rest here.

Photo: Czech Radio

Tereza Stehlíková is a film and visual artist engaged in cross-disciplinary research at the intersection of art, philosophy, and science. As well as an interest in landscape and place, Stehlíková has devoted much of her career to exploring how the different senses interact with one another – particularly how moving images can be used to communicate embodied experience, how the audio-visual senses can evoke touch, taste, and smell, and the connection of the senses with emotions and memory. On December 1 she will be hosting a multidisciplinary symposium in Prague, bringing together artists, scientists and philosophers to discuss humans’ relationship to our physical environment.

Tereza’s recent exhibition Ophelia in Exile, held earlier this year at the Czech Centre London, explored what happens when the sensory components of our lives are lost, as many of us experienced during successive covid lockdowns when the world was reduced to screens with little to no multi-sensory engagement. The idea behind the exhibition was that the Shakespearean character Ophelia had been quarantined in her living room and her only means of engagement with the outside world was through screens. By inviting you into the location of her “sensory exile”, Stehlíková explored the feelings of flatness and disembodiment that many of us became all too familiar with during the height of the pandemic.

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

Archivists at Czech Radio have discovered 1,300 discs of recordings from the 1946 trial with Karl Hermann Frank, who was in charge of the Nazi security forces during the wartime occupation of Bohemia and Moravia. The discs are currently in the process of digitisation, making it possible to play the sounds for the first time in more than 70 years.

Karl Hermann Frank was one of the highest ranking Nazis within the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia during the occupation of the Czech lands from March 1939 to May 1945. He was responsible for handling much of the Protectorate’s internal security and played an instrumental role in events such as the wiping out of the Lidice a Ležáky villages in 1942. Frank was arrested by US troops a day after the official end of the war in Europe and extradited to Czech authorities who subsequently tried and executed him by hanging a year later.

Historian Michal Pehr told Czech Radio that the trial had a symbolic meaning for Czech society at the time as it was a way through which people could come to terms with six years of Nazi occupation.

See the rest here.

Authors: Thomas McEnchroe, David Hertl

Photo: Jana Plavec

A papier-mâché effigy of the Russian and Belarusian leaders Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko, made famous at anti-Russian demonstrations in Prague over the past year and a half, has now been put to auction. Bidding starts at 10,000 euros.

The gaudy artwork most recently drew the attention of European leaders at an informal summit held at Prague Castle in September. But it has been making the rounds at public events and “happenings” around Prague since April 2021, when it had its premiere outside the Russian embassy, with the fence also being decorated with golden toilet brushes.

Toilet brushes have become a symbol of resistance against Putin’s regime ever since Alexei Navalny’s opposition movement released a documentary film in early 2021 showing footage of a giant palace by the Black Sea, which the filmmakers say was constructed by Putin using slush funds, where the toilet brushes alone reportedly cost 15,000 euros. This then became the inspiration for the papier-mâché sculpture “Naked Killer”, depicting Putin sitting naked on a golden toilet.

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

Photo: Masaryk University Brno

Scientists at Mendel University in Brno are exploring the possibility of using cyanobacteria to clean up plastic waste in the oceans. After special treatment, the photosynthetic microscopic organisms could break down micro-particles of plastic waste, which accumulates in so-called garbage patches in the oceans.

Garbage patches are large areas of the ocean where litter, fishing gear and other marine debris collects as a result of swirling ocean currents, which have been growing steadily since the mid-1980s.

There are currently five such patches infesting the world’s three largest oceans, covering an area roughly the size of Australia and presenting an ever-growing threat to marine wildlife.

See the rest here.

Authors: Ruth Fraňková, Barbora Kroutilíková

“Asking Answers, Finding Questions”, Photo: archive of Don Hall

Don Hall grew up in the Deep South of the United States, in a poor, conservative, religious family. He became a successful evangelical Christian minister and was preaching to crowds of people all over the southeastern United States. But he was deeply unhappy because he held a secret that would ruin him if it were found out – he was gay.

At the age of 30, Don decided to change his life and moved to Europe, eventually settling in Prague. Now he’s written a book about his experiences and his journey to get to where he is today.

I spoke to Don at his home in the Prague district of Vršovice to get a taste of what the book is about, and started by asking him when he first realised he was gay.

“I think I realised there was a difference probably as early as four years old but I didn’t have a name for it, but then I realised what that difference was – it was being gay. That was difficult, being raised in a fundamentalist Christian family in the Deep South.”

Author: Anna Fodor

See the rest here.

Photo: Filip Jandourek, Czech Radio

The grand Pařížská street has just ranked 17th in the latest analysis of the world’s most expensive streets, overtaking its old rival Na Příkopě.

The wide tree-lined boulevard nestled between Prague’s Old Town Square, Jewish Quarter and the Vltava River is reminiscent of the city that it is named after – Paris. Pařížská is certainly no stranger to wealth – the street is home to designer boutiques and luxury brands such as Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, and Dior, housed in stately Art Nouveau buildings with façades combining historic features and decorative detail.

But now, according to the latest Main Streets Across the World report by real estate consulting firm Cushman & Wakefield, which compiles the world’s most expensive retail streets by prime rental value, it has been confirmed as the most expensive street in the Czech Republic and the 17th most expensive street worldwide.

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

Photo: Roman Vondrouš, ČTK

The National Gallery in Prague has acquired a particularly valuable item – a wood carving of Mary sitting on a heavenly throne with baby Jesus resting on her lap and surrounded by three angels. The object is being called the Madonna from Havraň and is believed to have been carved during the 1360s or 1370s.

This Tuesday the National Gallery in Prague announced it had purchased the Madonna for CZK 4.5 million from a private owner. The purchase was made through the use of Ministry of Culture funds and the owner wished to remain anonymous.

The object is believed to have been carved by the same master who created the Bečov Madonna, another acclaimed piece of 14th century medieval art. The author most likely worked in Prague, which was then the residence of Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. It seems that the city also possessed a sophisticated art scene at the time.

Olga Kotková, who is in charge of the National Gallery’s Collection of Old Masters, says that the statue may have been carved by the master of the workshop himself.

“This was a truly exceptional workshop that seems to have been based in Prague, but delivered its products to Northern Bohemia. It’s possible that the workshop was located there as well at a certain point.”

See the rest here.

Authors: Thomas McEnchroe, Anna Kubišta

Photo: European Commission

This year will see real wage decline in Czechia reach 8.3 percent, the largest such drop within the Visegrad Group (Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia), according to an analysis conducted by investment firm Cyrrus. Meanwhile, for next year the firm expects real wages to fall by 0.1 percent. I asked Cyrrus’ chief economist Vít Hradil why this is the case.

“Well, there are really two factors at play here. One of them is obviously inflation which, at least in terms of the outlook for the year 2022, is higher than in those other countries. Prices are rising faster. The other thing is obviously the nominal wages, meaning how much more employees in Czechia will be making, and that growth is lower.

“There are two explanations I can think of when it comes to why our nominal wage growth is lower than in other countries around us.

One of them is that the economic output, or the growth of the Czech economy, is expected to be significantly lower than in Poland or Hungary. Furthermore, Czech employees are notoriously bad at negotiating higher wages. I would be guessing whether the reasons for that are cultural or psychological, but it just happens to be the case that Czechs tend to settle more easily for lower wages than in other countries.

“When you combine all of these things together you get a higher real wage drop. I would also add one more thing – Czechs employees are the richest out of all of these countries at this point. It is therefore of course much easier to fall from a higher starting point than from a lower one.”

Your colleague, Cyrrus analyst Anna Píchová, also pointed out that wages have been growing much faster than the average in the Eurozone. Is this decrease in income much sharper among low-demand professions? And could you perhaps tell us what these are?

“I think that the drop is going to affect just about anyone at this point. It is very seldom that you can find a specific profession whose wage increase is expected to cover the inflation rise, or even get close to it.

See the rest here.

Author: Thomas McEnchroe

Photo: Czech Army

The European Space Agency announced its new team of astronauts at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris on Wednesday – and among them is Czech fighter pilot Aleš Svoboda. Svoboda is part of the reserve pool, but if he gets to go into space, he will become the second Czech ever to do so.

The ESA’s new team of 17 astronauts consists of five core members, three men and two women, and 12 reserves. Aleš Svoboda is a member of the reserve team, and to get there was no mean feat. He was selected from almost 22,600 candidates, all eager for their chance to see the Earth from a distance. Of these tens of thousands of applicants, approximately 200 were Czech – but he was the only one of his countrymen to make the team. Svoboda describes his feelings about being chosen from the selection procedure.

Author: Anna Fodor

See the rest here.

Růženka Kindlová (right) and her older sister Viktorie, Photo: archive of Žaneta Málková

In this episode we continue our journey into the recent past through the eyes of the youngest generation, starting with a classic tale of European emigration in search of the American dream. It is followed the moving story of a Czech family whose world was turned upside down by the First World War and the story of a Moravian village that has disappeared without trace.

We hear from fifteen-year-old Gabby Gartner, who lives in Prague, fourteen-year-old Žaneta Málková from Sezemice, a small town about a hundred kilometres east of Prague, and seventeen-year-old Martin Rada from Brno.

See the rest here.

Author: David Vaughan

Photo: Wikimedia Commons, public domain

Václav Brožík is arguably the most famous Czech painter of the late 19th century and the best-known representative of the style of Czech historicism. His artworks, often addressing important moments of Czech history, grace some of the most important buildings in Prague, including the Old Town Hall, the National Theatre and the National Museum.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

The Old Town Bridge Tower, a gateway to Charles Bridge, which dates back to the 14th century, is to undergo extensive renovation. The tower is steeped in history, having witnessed the coronation procession of Czech kings on their way to Prague Castle.

Hailed as one of the most beautiful Gothic gateways in the world, the Old Town Bridge Tower was conceived as a symbolic victory arch through which Czech kings passed on their coronation processions. Work on the tower, along with that on Charles Bridge, started under Emperor Charles IV according to designs by Master Otto from Prague‘s Lesser Town and was finished by Petr Parléř in the mid-14 th century during the reign of Charles‘ son Vaclav IV.

Apart from witnessing the coronation processions of Czech kings, the tower has witnessed several momentous events. At the end of the Thirty Years’ War in 1648, Prague’s townspeople managed to fend off Swedish troops, partly thanks to the Old Town Bridge Tower. Nevertheless, as a result of Swedish cannon fire, the rich Gothic decorations of the western side of the tower were extensively damaged. The tower made history for the second time during the 1848 uprising, when the rebels repelled Austrian troops trying to cross the bridge. Extensive renovation work had to be carried out to save the monument in later years.

See the rest here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: Evgeniy Maloletka, ČTK/AP

A picture can paint a thousand words. This is certainly the case with the photograph of a pregnant woman being carried out on a stretcher by five paramedics from a Mariupol hospital, where a Russian bomb had just landed on March 9th 2022. This picture by Ukrainian photojournalist Evgeniy Maloletka has become a symbol of the Russian war in Ukraine. It made such an impact on Czech writer Kateřina Tučková that, when a few days after the bombing, Czech Radio asked her for a short story about the war, she was in no doubt as to what the topic would be. She filled in with words the gaps left by the photo and thus tried to save the nameless war victims from disappearing into the annals of history. You can hear her short story Epitaph read by Czech actress Petra Bučková.

Listen to the story here.

Photo: Josef Vostárek, ČTK

An exhibition presenting the life’s work of the twin sisters Jitka and Květa Válová got underway in Gallery of the Central Bohemian Region in Kutná Hora earlier this month. Entitled A Path Destined by Faith, it presents numerous works on loan from other galleries, as well as works from both sisters’ estates that were donated to the gallery’s collection in 2021, marking the centenary of the sisters’ birth.

I discussed the exhibition with its curator, Richard Drury, and I first asked him to tell me more about the sisters, considered one of the most distinctive artists of their generation:

“I would begin with the important fact that the Válová sisters were identical twins. They were born in 1922 and they lived through a very difficult period of the 20th century in what was then Czechoslovakia.

“They studied painting at the Prague Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design under Professor Emil Filla, who was a very important figure of Czech avant-garde painting.

“The Válová sisters lived together in Kladno, and the industrial atmosphere of a mining and steel-making environment really influenced not only the themes in their work but also their mentality, the way they saw the world.

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

November 11 is St. Martin’s Day, and in Czechia that often means eating roast goose paired with St. Martin’s wine. But what is special about this wine, and how do you know you’re getting the real thing?

St. Martin’s Day falls every year on 11 November, and is celebrated in many European countries with Catholic traditions. The day is known for its unrestrained merriment and feasting – ancient Christians indulged in greater consumption of meat on this holiday, especially roast goose. The custom was connected with the end of the agricultural year, when grazing ended, winter supplies were prepared, food was preserved and wine was fermented.

In Czechia, St. Martin’s Day traditions stretch back to at least the early Middle Ages, when the custom of celebrating the day began to spread across Europe from France. Despite Christian festivals being suppressed by the Czechoslovak Communist regime for 40 years, St. Martin’s Day traditions were gradually revived after the Velvet Revolution in 1989.

As well as the tradition of eating roast goose on St. Martin’s Day, people also eat baked rolls and cakes, and there are processions (sometimes with lanterns), fairs, bonfires, and songs. But one of the traditions you really can’t miss is St. Martin’s wine – the tasting of the first wine of the year. These wines have only been matured for a few weeks, giving them a fresh and fruity flavour.

The origin of the association of wine with the day has its roots in France. Saint Martin was a bishop in the French city of Tours, where 150 years after his death a miraculous grapevine appeared. Thus Saint Martin became patron saint of wine and winemakers in France. From there, the tradition of St. Martin’s wine gradually spread across Europe. The name “St. Martin’s wine” was already being used in the 18th century at the court of Emperor Joseph II, ruler of the Habsburg lands, which included modern-day Czechia.

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

Photo: Radio Prague Internationa

We recently invited children and teenagers from across the Czech Republic to write a story about a member of their own family who had become an influence or inspiration to them. Many of the stories were beautifully and sensitively written, drawing us into the recent and sometimes more distant past through the traces it has left on families. In the coming weeks we shall be joining the children as they explore the world of their family’s history, but in this first episode we offer a foretaste of what is to come.

See the rest here.

Author: David Vaughan

Photo: Preciosa Lighting

Hand-made Bohemia crystal-glass and glass jewelry have a centuries old tradition that is taken to new heights by cutting-edge technology. Stunning crystal glass lighting installations, art works and glasses grace palaces, luxury hotels, public spaces and private residences worldwide. Bohemia glass artisans pioneered a technique for replicating the look of precious stones, producing cut-glass crystals that closely resembled diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds sought after the world over.

The birth of Crystal Valley

The first glass furnace was lit in Bohemia in 1376 and in the 1550’s a glass industry was gradually established in the north of the country, centered around the cities of Jablonec nad Nisou, Bedrichov, Železný Brod, Nový Bor and several others.

The northern regions of Bohemia were rich in quartz deposits and the region’s deep pine forests, offered an affordable supply of wood for heating the large furnaces required to melt glass. These basic assets helped to establish a tradition of Bohemian crystal glass and glass costume jewelry that gained world-wide recognition. Thus Crystal Valley was born.

In 1715 Bohemian glassmakers discovered the art of melting coloured glass, which opened up new horizons. Glass artisans soon pioneered a technique for replicating the look of precious and semi-precious stones, producing cut-glass crystals that resembled diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds.

See the rest here.

Author: Daniela Lazarová

Photo: VZLÚ

‘Miya’ is an aeroplane with a difference – designed to carry up to four passengers, she can fly without a pilot. She is also intended primarily for getting around in cities – and can do so almost completely silently.

How do you like to travel around the city? Tram? Metro? Car? Well, in the future you may be doing it in a Czech-developed pilotless passenger aircraft called ‘Miya’.

Admittedly, that future is still quite far off – at the moment, the four-passenger aircraft only exists as a computer-generated visualisation and in scale models. But engineers at the Czech Aerospace Research Centre are working hard to test how the real aeroplane would behave in various – often extreme – conditions. For example, by placing a scaled-down (1:6) model deliberately upside down in a wind tunnel that can simulate speeds of up to 300 km/h, they can see how the tail of the plane pointing downwind would affect its flight.

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

Every big chapter in your life comes with its own challenges, and choosing a college program is no different. Some might find this process easy, considering they’ve only ever had one passion in their life, while others could struggle with selecting a life path so early on. If you’re having trouble with determining the right courses and fields to pursue in the future as well, here are some tips that will help you select the best college program for yourself:

Consider your wishes

The first step in choosing the best program for yourself is understanding your wants, needs, what you enjoy doing in life, and what could end up being a profitable career. The available industries and fields you can venture into are nearly endless, which is why it’s recommended to find the best compromise between personal taste and overall career prospects. For example, those who enjoy travel might find hotel management more fruitful than being a travel agent, while tech-savvy individuals could opt for programming instead of computer engineering to expand the potential roles they could take on in the future.

Determine your goals

While financing your lifestyle appropriately is important, some individuals might have different goals than simply making money. For example, you may be dreaming of a creative career that will allow you to be more innovative, in which case you could go for arts or design. Similarly, those wanting to support their passions could choose something more unorthodox like video game testing or becoming a fragrance expert. Regardless of your preferences, try to set clear goals for your future career and then compare them with your wants and needs to find the best and most fulfilling college program.

Leverage technology

If your location and similar factors are affecting your college choices, or you simply need more flexibility in your schedule, consider leveraging technology and going for online solutions. They are often more affordable than traditional schooling while still being high in quality and credibility. Take a look at Australian students, for instance. When pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree, they often find the best mba in Australia online and make a decision according to their unique needs and requirements. In turn, this enables them to decide on the most suitable online MBA that can instantly boost their career. You could do the same.

Analyze your finances

On the other hand, individuals across the US and similar countries might have different troubles – financing their educational journeys. If you live in an area where college education is particularly expensive as well, you might want to focus on this important aspect, too. Analyze your finances and see which courses you could afford to narrow down your potential college options. In case you wish to pursue a degree that’s out of your price range, there are other options apart from an online course. For example, you could take out a student loan, or even look for any scholarships or grants offered in your local community.

Aim to ask around

At the end of the day, the best recommendations come from other students, considering the fact that they have extensive first-hand experience with educational institutions. If you’re torn between two courses or uncertain of which colleges you can trust, ask current and previous students about their experiences. If you know someone personally, reach out to them directly, or think about finding online groups and communities for additional information. Specialized review websites can be another great source of unfiltered opinions. Take all of these aspects into consideration when narrowing down your college program options.

Choosing a specific path for your life can be an incredibly difficult and stressful decision. Selecting the right college program that supports your passions may be challenging, but the advice above will help you make the right decision.

By Peter Minkoff

Peter is a lifestyle and travel writer at Men-Ual magazine, living between Ústí nad Labem and Antwerp. Follow Peter on Twitter for more tips.

The newly-restored greenhouse in the garden of the Augustinian abbey in Brno where the father of modern genetics, Gregor Johann Mendel, cross-bred pea plants and thereby discovered the laws of heredity, opened to the public for the first time on Saturday afternoon. The ceremonial opening was planned to coincide with the anniversary celebrations of the bicentenary of Mendel’s birth.

The original greenhouse where Mendel conducted his experiments with pea plants was built in 1854 by his mentor, the abbot Cyrill Napp. However, the building wasn’t around for very long. Archaeologist Lenka Sedláčková, who was part of the team which uncovered the stone perimeter walls of the original greenhouse, explained to Czech Radio what happened:

“Sometime in the 1870s, a huge storm blew through the area, badly damaging the greenhouse. It was originally assumed that the building was not restored after this. But thanks to archival research it has been possible to find several photos, and now we know that the greenhouse stood here until the 1960s, when it was demolished due to its extremely dilapidated condition.”

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

The division of Czechoslovakia into two separate states was a peaceful process without a single shot being fired. However, arguments over the division of assets that belonged to the former state dragged on for 7 years.

The process began exactly 30 years ago when the Federal Assembly approved a law concerned with the division of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic’s assets between Czechia and Slovakia – the two new state entities that were to come into existence from January 1, 1993.

Immovable assets would fall to whichever of the two states they were located in. Meanwhile, movable assets, as well as those held abroad, were to be divided by a ratio of 2:1. Not everyone agreed with this method.

The greatest problems ultimately came when dividing up transport assets. The ratio method did not take into account that Czechia had a denser railway network. Train wagons for personal transport and financial compensation for the Czech side were therefore counted for those that were missing.

The situation was even more complicated when it came to air transportation. The issue was not so much about aircraft, but rather about the preservation of specific connections and about the Czechoslovak Airlines brand.

The issues were finally resolved in 1999, when the then prime ministers Miloš Zeman a Mikuláš Dzurinda agreed on how to solve the remaining points of the law on dividing the former state’s assets.

Source

Proponents of “Czechia” got a boost this month, when Olympic officials in Prague asked the International Olympic Committee to register it in its database of country names. But will the short name ever replace the official “the Czech Republic” in common speech? I discussed the matter with leading Czech linguist Karel Oliva.

“The first time when Czechia was used was in the 17th century. The story is that in the 17th century it already used to be used, in parallel with Bohemia, in Latin.

“I don’t know about English. I’m a little bit reluctant to say that it was used in English; I don’t think so, but I’m not sure

“The story is, however, that at that time it was really a synonym of Bohemia, so actually it did not also comprise Moravia and Silesia.

“Today, however, the usage should be – as I understand it – different.

“It should be the whole of the Czech Republic, which means Bohemia and Moravia and the part of Silesia which remained after the wars with Prussia.”

A lot of people are invested in this issue and I see a lot of arguments online. People get really angry about the history of the name Czechia, whether it’s fake, whether it’s real. But if you’re introducing a new name like this, does it really matter if it has a history?

See the rest here.

Author: Ian Willoughby

Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz

University students across Czechia are taking part in protests against climate change, calling on the government to take immediate action to address global warming, soaring energy prices and growing social inequalities. The series of events, including sleep-in and sit-in protests as well as demonstrations, started on Monday and will culminate on Thursday with a march through Prague. I discussed the events with one of the organisers, Anežka Lindaurová:

“We have decided for the sit-in protest because we firmly believe that the government is not doing enough to prevent a climate crisis that is becoming our daily reality.

“The reason why it is happening now is that we are taking part in the international process that sparked the movement, which is occupying universities and protesting against climate injustice all over the world.

“The other reason why we decided the Czech event should take place in these days specifically is that the days around November 17 are traditionally associated with the student movement.”

You are calling on the government to take immediate action to address global warming. What exactly are your demands?

“We want our government to really prioritize the action that needs to be taken to defeat climate change. And what is really important for us is for the Czech government to start immediately closing the coal power plants that are still running.

“We also want them to invest into renewable energy but in a way that does not affect the working people and that makes those who are responsible for the climate crisis and those who are profiting off of the climate crisis to pay the bills the crisis is going to cost.”

See the rest here.

Author: Ruth Fraňková

Photo: Anna Fodor, Radio Prague International

Andrea Vytlačilová is only 26 years old – but has the extremely impressive CV you’d expect of a person with many more years of life behind them. Already with work experience under her belt from fashion houses such as Marc Jacobs in New York, Acne Studio in Stockholm, and Kenzo in Paris, and collaborations with famous names like Versace, Swarovski, and 20th Century Fox, Andrea is an up-and-coming designer who was voted one of Forbes Czechia’s 30 under 30.

A native of East Bohemia, historically famous for its textile industry and craftsmanship, she draws a lot on the rich traditions of the region where she grew up, such as textile dyeing, Indigo printing, traditional lacemaking and glass production.

Recently having finished her MA in fashion design at the prestigious Central Saint Martins in London – typically considered the best fashion school in the world, with alumni including Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney – and having moved back to the Czech Republic, I met her at her studio in Malá Strana, overlooking the gardens below Strahov Monastery.

I started by asking her when she first became interested in fashion and textile design. “I think I’ve always had it in me. I was always interested in drawing, cutting paper, any form of creating really, as far as I can remember. Then it started to move towards textiles as I got to know the idea of dressing up and fashion in general.”

See the rest here.

Author: Anna Fodor

Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

This Thursday saw the 33rd anniversary of the onset of the Velvet Revolution. Commemorative events as well as demonstrations were held across the country.

Czechs marked the 33rd anniversary of the beginning of the Velvet Revolution as well as International Students day on Thursday through a wide variety of events held across the country.

The prime minister and members of the government, as well as the speakers of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies or the leader of the strongest opposition party, paid their respects on the site of the memorial on Národní třída. Some of them were heckled as they laid wreaths by the memorial.

Politicians, including Prime Minister Petr Fiala, tended to stress the importance of freedom and democracy, with the Czech head of government saying that they were fragile and needed to be cared for to ensure their continued survival. Senate Speaker Miloš Vystrčil said that Czechia is facing attempts to distort its memory of totalitarianism. Meanwhile, the speaker of the lower-house, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, called for continued support for Ukraine until the last Russian soldier leaves that country’s territory. Several of the candidates running for the office of president could also be seen paying their respects at the memorial.

See the rest here.

Author: Thomas McEnchroe

On the backdrop of the ongoing Czech EU presidency, a special exhibition titled: “Design and transformation. Stories of Czech design 1990-2020” is currently on display at the Design Museum Brussels. The exhibition serves not just as an opportunity to show beautiful Czech designs and the stories of selected brands, but also as a much-needed call for a unified strategy of how to present Czech product design abroad. I spoke to one of the key figures behind the exhibition – the Vice-Rector of the Academy of Arts, Architecture, and Design in Prague Radek Sidun.

“This exhibition was prepared for the occasion of the Czech EU presidency and it is for that reason that we chose to follow this political and economic aspect of our disciplines. By this I mean design or production that is in some way connected with design.

“We followed the stories of 14 brands and companies that show their processes and history because, of course, Czechia, or Czechoslovakia to be more precise, had a few ups and downs both politically and economically.

See the rest here.

Author: Thomas McEnchroe

Photo illustrative: Wokandapix, Pixabay, Pixabay License

The case of a man who was allowed to work with children after twice raping a minor has led the authorities to consider blacklisting offenders of child sex crimes.

The rape of a child by a perpetrator who had committed the same crime previously aroused outrage among parents in Czechia back in 2008. The court slapped the man with a six-year sentence the second time round, but several years later he was still able to set up a children’s group with weekend events and camps. No law prohibited him from doing so. Earlier this year, he sexually abused seven other children at one of the camps. The youngest was not even five years old.

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Authors: Daniela Lazarová, Artur Janoušek

The ‘gimmel ring’, Photo: Overhead, Naše historie

The final resting place of the Rožmberk clan, one of the richest and mightiest noble families in the land, was veiled in mystery for over 400 years. When researchers lowered a probe into the Rožmberk crypt in the Cistercian Monastery in Vyšší Brod they mapped the remains of the entire clan. What remained a mystery was the gold ring lying on the coffin of Petr Vok –the last male member of the house.

The might and influence of the Rožmberk clan, known also by the German name of Rosenberg, did not wane for 300 years. Their power, second only to the king’s, was such that, according to popular legend, the members of the clan were not buried lying in coffins but sitting on golden chairs around a table. It was also said that anyone who dares to disturb the noble family vault would be cursed and would die within a year.

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Author: Daniela Lazarová

1,044 MW plant will be situated in western Romania and will be capable of providing clean power to more than 370,000 households

Company keen to develop similar projects in the Czech Republic

Rezolv developing a Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy in Prague

Prague, 3 November 2022: Rezolv Energy, a Prague-based independent clean energy power producer focused on sustainable power in Central and South Eastern Europe, has acquired the rights to build and operate a 1,044 MW solar photovoltaic plant in western Romania. Once constructed, it is expected to be the largest solar PV plant in Europe.

The project is already in the late-stage development phase. Rezolv Energy is already appraising technology solutions and debt financing options with construction due to start in the first half of next year; it is expected to be online by 2025.

The plant will be covered by approximately 1.6 million new solar panels. With an average annual power generation of approximately 1,500,000 MWh, it is expected to be able to provide clean power for more than 370,000 households. The power will be sold to commercial and industrial users through long-term Power Purchase Agreements.

The project will be connected to the 400 kV high voltage overhead lines in the area and will likely include a 135 MW battery storage system, capable of delivering electricity for four hours. This will enable the high voltage lines to be smartly loaded, balancing the variability of the renewable energy supply.

The project will be designed, constructed, and operated to the highest environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards, with a particular emphasis on integrating symbiotic agricultural activities on the site. Much of the poor-quality agricultural land will be returned to pasture, with sheep managing the vegetation through grazing. Recent research from the United States has shown the numerous advantages of this approach, confirming that the overall return from grazing is the same in both solar pastures and open fields with no PV panels. The project will also seek to incorporate beekeeping and other measures to increase biodiversity.

Rezolv Energy was launched earlier this year by Actis, a leading global investor in sustainable infrastructure, and the Rezolv leadership team, which had been based in Prague for well over a decade and had previously developed and run a portfolio of energy projects in the Czech Republic, including the 18 MW wind farm at Horní Loděnice near Olomouc, and the RETA solar project, which comprises over 96,000 solar panels at three parks in Mimoň (4.4 MW), Točník (2.1 MW) and Lomeček (0.9 MW). Last month, the company announced that it was partnering with Low Carbon to deliver another major renewable energy project in Romania: the 450MW ‘Vis Viva’ onshore wind farm.

The Czech Republic remains a key strategic priority for Rezolv, and the company is developing a Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy in Prague, drawing on the best Czech talent as well as international expertise to support its growth plans.

Jim Campion, Chief Executive, Rezolv Energy, said: “The Czech Republic is our home market and we would love to develop similar projects here. Installed solar photovoltaic capacity is still, right now, higher in the Czech Republic than Romania, but Romania is forging ahead while no major new solar parks have been built here in over a decade. The wind energy potential in the Czech Republic is far lower than other countries in the region so now is the time to re-focus on solar. Not only can it offer highly competitive, subsidy-free electricity at a stable price for industrial and commercial users, it would make a huge contribution to this country’s twin objectives of increasing its energy independence and reducing its net emissions to zero.”

Clifford Chance acted as legal advisor to Rezolv Energy on this transaction.

It may be a little known fact, but Czechia houses a company that was once the main producer of photographic materials for the Eastern Bloc. The foundations of Foma Bohemia’s success were set up during the First Czechoslovak Republic. Today, the company is a leading manufacturer on the black and white photography market, as well as producing essential equipment for medical and forensics professionals.

First Republic origins

The origins of Foma can be traced back to as far as the early 20th century. In 1919, Evžen Schier, together with his associate Gustav Bárta, set up a small workshop for making photographic and diapositiv sheets in Nusle – a town that was back then not yet a part of Prague. The products made in this workshop were sold under the brand Ibis.

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Authors: Thomas McEnchroe, Magdalena Šorelová, Jitka Škápíková

Illustrative photo: Czech Academy of Sciences

The Oriental Institute (OI) of the Czech Academy of Sciences is celebrating 100 years of existence this year. One of the oldest institutions dedicated to the study of Oriental cultures in Central and Eastern Europe, the OI has played its part in furthering not just domestic but also worldwide knowledge about Asian cultures, languages and history. Marking the occasion, the institute has organised several events profiling its work for the ongoing Week of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

While it became a part of what was then the newly-established Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences in 1953, the Oriental Institute traces its beginnings to 1922, when it was officially approved by the National Assembly of the First Czechoslovak Republic.

Dr Táňa Dluhošová, the director of the institute, explains.

“Professor Alois Musil arrived from Vienna to Prague in 1916 and he had this idea to set up an institute that would have two branches.

“One of them would be economic and aim to help the new Czechoslovak state get its foot in the door when it came to so-called ‘oriental’ lands.

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Author: Thomas McEnchroe

Photo: René Volfík, iROZHLAS.cz

Seven miniature versions of Prague’s Communist-era brutalist buildings have been installed in a park outside the Malostranská Metro Station. The site-specific project, featuring seven illuminated sculptures cast from concrete, was created by Czech artist Krištof Kintera for Kunsthalle Praha. I discussed the installation with its curator, Christelle Havránek, who says it is a continuation of their first exhibition, called Kinetismus.

“Kinetismus was the first exhibition at the newly opened Kunsthalle Praha. It referred to the original function of the building, which was an electricity transformer station.

“So in the framework of this collective exhibition we approached Krištof Kinetra and asked him if he would agree to produce a new work in the outdoor space in front of the building. It was really up to him to decide how he would approach our request.

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Author: Ruth Fraňková

Dumplings, poppy-seed cakes and Czech traditions help keep the memory of the “old country” alive in the community of second and third generation Canadian Czechs in Saskatchewan province, Canada. A group of local enthusiasts are now also working to restore a derelict Jan Hus church built and used by their forefathers.

The present-day community of Czech immigrants in Canada was established in several waves, and their exodus was almost always triggered by hardship and oppression. A wave of Czechs from Volhynia, predominantly farmers, arrived in Canada probably in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They founded their first settlement, Gerald, in the close vicinity of Kolín and Esterhazy and although their beginnings were difficult, they significantly contributed to the creation of an impressive Czech presence in southern Saskatchewan forming settlements in Gerald, Hanley, Broderick, Milden, Strongfield, Kenaston, Outlook, Glenside, Hawarden, Davidson and Sovereign.

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Authors: Klára Stejskalová, Daniela Lazarová

Fyield, a group of musicians from Czechia and Iceland, have just released the LP Future Landscapes. The unusual project, based on field recordings made in a variety of locations in both states, is aimed at boosting awareness of climate change. Member Václav Havelka, a well-known Czech alternative musician, outlines the spark of the endeavour.

“Two years ago, when with the director Ivo Bystřičan and his wife Tereza, I was asked if I want to be part of this idea they had, which was to study and explore the impact of humans on climate change.

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Author: Ian Willoughby

Festival Unbreakable and Sacrificed, Photo: Muzeum paměti XX. století

A film festival highlighting brave acts of resistance to the Nazi and Communist regimes and the people behind them is currently underway in Prague. Organized by the Museum of 20th Century Memory the festival offers screenings, lectures and debates about the turbulent events of the 20th century.

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Author: Daniela Lazarová

With heating bills going through the roof, many Czechs are turning back to solid fuels, stocking up on coal, firewood and in the worst-case scenario, burning household waste, including plastics. Environmental experts are warning of the multiple dangers to human health and the environment.

The dark smoke coming from many chimneys in the regions is a clear indication of what is happening. After a massive government campaign aimed at getting people to switch to EU and state-sponsored eco-friendly forms of heating, such as pellet stoves and biomass boilers, many Czechs are turning back to their old stoves and using solid fuels to heat their homes.

There has been a scramble for firewood and those who are not buying it are collecting smaller branches lying around in the forest for free, which is permissible under Czech law.

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Authors: Daniela Lazarová, Štěpánka Kadlečková