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PanoramaHarry Pollak, the man who saved Aston Martin
When Harry Pollak left Czechoslovakia for France in the autumn of 1938, he
had no idea what the future would hold for him. As a teenager, he joined
the exile Czechoslovak army fought the Nazis who murdered his family,
before fleeing his country again after the communist coup of 1948, and
build a career in England from scratch. Mr Pollak gives an account of his
extraordinary life in his recently published memoirs. In this edition of
Panorama, we talk to Harry Pollak about how a boy from a south Bohemian
village ended up saving the famous British car-maker Aston Martin. More
PanoramaHarry Pollak, the man who saved Aston Martin
When Harry Pollak left Czechoslovakia for France in the autumn of 1938, he
had no idea what the future would hold for him. As a teenager, he joined
the exile Czechoslovak army fought the Nazis who murdered his family,
before fleeing his country again after the communist coup of 1948, and
build a career in England from scratch. Mr Pollak gives an account of his
extraordinary life in his recently published memoirs. In this edition of
Panorama, we talk to Harry Pollak about how a boy from a south Bohemian
village ended up saving the famous British car-maker Aston Martin. More
PanoramaGreat WWII pilot Karel Kuttelwascher remembered by his home town
On September 1, the world remembered the outbreak of the worst conflict in
history. For Czechs, however, the war started earlier than September 1939.
By the time Nazi troops stormed Poland and France and the UK declared war
on Germany, thousands of Czechs had already left their country, ready to
join the fight against the Nazis. One of them was Karel Kuttelwascher, who
became a famous night fighter with the RAF, and the most successful Czech
fighter pilot of the war. Recently his daughters came from England and
together with the people of his native town marked the 50th anniversary of
Karel Kuttlewascher’s death.
More
Current AffairsNew exhibition highlights fascinating story of Czechoslovak legions in Russia during and after WWI
The activities of Czechoslovak armed units on the side of the Allied powers
during World War I helped Czechs and Slovaks win consent to form their own
state when the conflict ended in 1918. The legions that had been fighting
in Russia, however, became embroiled in that country’s civil war, and
didn’t get home until two years later. Their fascinating story is the
subject of a new exhibition in Prague.
More
Current AffairsCzech Legion Project rediscovers glorious story of Czechoslovak independence
There are many military clubs and associations in the Czech Republic
honouring the Czech soldiers who fought in the wars of the 20th century,
but only a few are active outside the country. A US-based project is now
trying to revive the memory of the Czechoslovak legions from the First
World War, whose contributions were purposely overlooked in communist
Czechoslovakia.
More
Current AffairsWWII bunkers for sale
The Czech Republic still has an extensive system of fortifications built in
the 1930s that was intended to prevent an attack by neighboring Nazi
Germany. You can often come across of these concrete "bungalows"
in Czech forests near the borders. While some consider the structures ugly,
historians point out their great historical value. Most of the bunkers are
still the property of Czech Army but they have rapidly become a burden.
The Ministry of Defense has now decided to get rid of them to sell them to
private buyers.
More
Current AffairsU.S. Civil War Battle re-enacted on the banks of the Vltava River
Hundreds of Czechs spent Saturday afternoon watching an elaborate,
realistic re-enactment of a Civil War Battle in Branik in the south of
Prague. The battle was staged by the Czech American Civil War Association,
which holds at least one or two of these events every year.
More
