Czechs in History | All stories

The inter-war years are generally seen as a golden age by many Czechs. The first Czechoslovak Republic, which was established in 1918, was one of the world's most successful democracies until its annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938. While the contributions of brilliant statesmen like Tomas Garrigue Masaryk and industrialists like Tomas Bata to the success of the First Republic are well documented, it is not so well known that Czechoslovakia at that time had a vibrant free press, which also did much to nurture the country's democratic system. One

The nineteenth-century Czech physician and natural scientist Jan Evangelista Purkyne is perhaps best known to people today for identifying the unique nature of individual fingerprints, a discovery which has played a vital role in countless criminal investigations. Nevertheless, this is just one of many discoveries by Purkyne, who was responsible for a number of epoch-making contributions to different scientific disciplines. He was also a key figure in the Czech national revival.

This week marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Jaroslav Jezek, a man whose musical compositions from the late 1920s and 1930s have stood the test of time. Critics agree that Jaroslav Jezek belongs to the canon of the First Czechoslovak Republic, and his short life mirrors that of many of his artistic contemporaries: educated in Prague during the interwar era, Jaroslav Jezek achieved fame in his homeland before being forced to flee Czechoslovakia with the advance of the Nazis in 1938, and he spent his last years in exile in the United

Jan Spata would have celebrated his 74th birthday on October 25 if he hadn't died in August this year after a short and serious illness. A documentary maker, cameraman and professor at the FAMU film school, he made more than 300 documentaries and 107 feature films. Such as Carpe Diem, The Biggest Wish, Respice Finem, Is the Sun Shining?, Heart in Hand and many others. During his life he won 60 Czech as well as international awards.

Petr Novak's unmistakeable, delicate tenor voice is synonymous with Czechoslovak society of the late 1960s. This talented musician shot to fame in this country at the time of the Prague Spring, when his gentle love songs influenced by Western pop groups like The Beatles were hugely popular among young Czechs. His success during this era, however, proved to be short-lived and his career subsequently stagnated under the influence of communist repression and his own problems with alcohol.

In an extended special edition of Czechs in History we visit the town of Trebon, some 150 kilometres south of Prague. This is where the Schwarzenberg nobility resided until the Second World War. A dominant building in Trebon is the Schwarzenberg tomb. Join me as I take a tour with my guide Paul Stasek.

"I perceive everything as a game and maybe that is the reason why I am not a writer but a screenwriter," said Jaroslav Dietl about his life and work. 'The father of the Czech serial' as he has been labeled was often criticized because of his uncritical attitude towards the communist regime. At the same time he won the affection of viewers who loved his great skill in developing a story. No other Czech screenwriter has ever matched him.

In today's Czechs in History we are going to look at Antonin Langweil and his unique paper model of Prague. The model, on a scale of 1:480, takes up an area of two-by-two metres and shows the city as it looked 150 years ago.

Hugo Haas was one of the stars of Czechoslovak cinema's golden age of the 1930s. This versatile actor and director was hugely popular in the First Republic and he appeared in a number of classic films from that era. Despite his success, however, Haas's life and career - like that of so many other Czechs who lived during this period - was blighted by the tide of history that swept through Czechoslovakia in the 20th century.

Vaclav Kral was one of the Czech Republic's most prolific automobile designers, a veritable legend in his field. Last year, when he died unexpectedly at the age of just 69, it understandably came as a shock to his loved ones and friends, but even caught countless fans who never knew him, off guard. He had been working on a new project - Autodesign & Styling magazine, as well as a planned exhibition of some of his best work in the town of Roztoky near Prague, where he lived for many years. The exhibit was meant to mark his 70th birthday and his lifelong