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Current AffairsWenceslas square’s notorious sausage stands to be removed by end of year
For years, Prague councilors have been announcing the end of the sausage
stands on Wenceslas Square, which for some have become an institution,
albeit a greasy and noisy one. Now, City Hall officials are set to serve
eviction notices to all of the fast-food stands on the city’s main
thoroughfare, ahead of a major makeover next year. In the future, Wenceslas
Square may be sausage-free – but not if Prague 1 mayor Oldřich Lomecký
has his say. More
From the ArchivesStalin and Gottwald: together in life and death
When Joseph Stalin died on March 5 1953, it sent shockwaves round the
world. In Czechoslovakia his personality cult had been almost as
overwhelming as in the Soviet Union itself. At the time of his death, work
was already well under way to build the biggest statue of the Soviet
dictator in the world – unveiled two years later in Letná Park. Stalin
had a close ally and kindred spirit in the Czechoslovak President, Klement
Gottwald, and Gottwald ignored warnings from his doctors in order to attend
his friend and protector’s funeral. Before leading the Czechoslovak
delegation to Moscow, he had a few words for his country’s citizens. More
From the Archives“My first love was a drill”: building the socialist state
After the communist coup, Czechoslovak Radio was at the political vanguard
and transformed into a tool of propaganda. One of the first big changes at
Radio Prague was that our familiar call signal from Dvořák’s New World
Symphony was replaced by a stirring socialist anthem – “Ku předu
levá”. The words are simple: “Left foot forwards, left foot forwards,
and never a backwards step.” All broadcasts acquired a political hue.
Here, for example, is a factory worker, talking about his first love: More
From the ArchivesFebruary 1948: a new political order enters by the back door
In last week’s programme we heard about the Communist-led government that
emerged from Czechoslovakia’s elections in May 1946. Although the number
of parties allowed to take part had been limited, Czechoslovakia was still
a multi-party democracy. But the governing coalition was an uneasy one,
with the non-communist parties pushed into ever greater isolation, while
the communists, with the weight of the Soviet Union behind them, gained an
ever stronger foothold. More
Current AffairsThousands sign petition against planned demolition of building on Wenceslas Square
The planned demolition of an Art Nouveau building on Prague’s Wenceslas
Square is drawing increasing opposition in the form of an on-line petition,
while seeing hundreds take part in a protest meeting on Tuesday on the
square itself. The building in question, 1601 Opletalova, is not itself a
heritage site but is located within a protected area. The owners and
developers want to tear the structure down (as well as gut the interiors of
two adjacent buildings) to make room for a new commercial centre. Other
than the petition, few obstacles stand in their way: both City Hall and the
culture minister, Jiří Besser, have already given the green light. More
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