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From the ArchivesAfter 1945: something like normality
In From the Archives this week we carry on where we left off at the end of
August in our chronological journey through the Czech Radio archives. We had
reached the point just after the end of World War Two; after the initial
euphoria, the hard work of rebuilding the country began: not least at the
Czechoslovak Radio building itself, which had been shot to pieces in the
Prague Uprising and received a direct hit from a German aerial torpedo. More
From the ArchivesPrague Uprising: “Do not let Prague be destroyed!”
In last week’s From the Archives we heard about radio’s central role in
the Prague Uprising against the German occupation at the end of World War
II. Not only did the signal for the uprising to begin come over the air,
but the radio also helped to co-ordinate the fighting. It also played a
third role. At the time the Red Army was already approaching Prague from
the east, and General Patton’s Third Army was in Plzeň just a few dozen
kilometres to the west. Many of those fighting in the streets of Prague
were untrained and had few weapons, and the scale of the German resistance,
especially the SS units, took many by surprise. The radio appealed to the
Americans, British and Russians for help. More
From the Archives“Calling all Czechs!”: the Prague Uprising begins
“Calling all Czechs! Come quickly to our aid! Calling all Czechs!” It
is May 5 1945, and with these words Prague radio appeals to Czechs to join
the uprising against the German occupation. This was to be one of the last
European battles of World War Two and the greatest moment in the history of
Czechoslovak Radio. For some time radio staff had been working secretly
with the Czech underground to prepare the ground for the uprising. Their
radio appeal marked the beginning of the battle. In the confusion of the
following three days with street battles going on around the city, radio
was to play an important role, and the radio building also became the focus
of much of the fighting. On some recordings that survive you can still
clearly hear gunfire in the background. More
Current AffairsCommemorative ceremony at Czech Radio building marks 66th anniversary of Prague Uprising
A now famous appeal broadcast from the Czech Radio building on May 5, 1945,
sparked the Prague Uprising. After hearing it on the air, thousands of
people took to the streets to fight the Nazi oppressors. On Thursday,
several events were held to mark the 66th anniversary of the start of the
Prague Uprising, including a ceremony in front of the Czech Radio building. More
Czech BooksStephen Weeks: a story of Prague on the edge of a cliff
The British writer, director and film producer, Stephen Weeks, is
fascinated by the past and he relishes exploring the unexpected and
sometimes uncomfortable details that tend to be left out of the history
books. This is certainly the case in his novel Daniela, which is set mainly
in Prague in the last months of World War Two, and is steeped in historical
detail. In the week’s Czech Books Stephen Weeks talks to David Vaughan
about the book. More
SpecialVeterans gather to remember Patton’s “greatest, but most terrible sport”
This week marked the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Plzeň and West
Bohemia by General Patton's Third Army. In a special programme to mark the
anniversary, Rob Cameron travelled to the spa town of Konstantinovy
Lázně, former headquarters of the US Army's 16th Armoured Division,
where
he spoke to George Thompson - a veteran of the fighting in West Bohemia,
Charles Noble - son of the commander of the 16th Armoured Division’s
Combat Command B, and George Patton Waters, grandson of the legendary
General George S. Patton. More
Current AffairsDocumentary to show post-war mass murder of German civilians in Prague
Public broadcaster Czech TV will screen a documentary film on Thursday
entitled Zabíjení po česku, or ‘Killings Czech style’. It features
unique footage of a massacre of over 40 ethnic Germans that took place in
Prague in May, 1945, shortly after the end of the war. The authors say they
want to draw attention to the atrocities committed on German civilians in
post-war Czechoslovakia, though some historians believe this particular
murder was carried out by Soviet troops.
More
Current AffairsPresident shares own childhood memories of 1945 Prague Uprising at Czech Radio ceremony
Wednesday is the 65th anniversary of the start of the Prague Uprising, when
thousands of people took to the streets in an attempt to liberate the city
from Nazi occupation, just days before the arrival of the Red Army. Several
events have been held to mark the date, including a memorial at Czech
Radio, which made a dramatic call on citizens to fight the occupiers on the
morning of May 5, 1945.
More
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