Related articles
Women in WarA hidden transmitter spelled death
My grandmother Marie Velingerova, the daughter of a Czech industrialist,
was 27 years-old when the Nazis occupied Czechoslovakia in March of 1939:
like most Czechs, she was filled with dread. Married, a mother of two, she
worked as a clerk at her family's store, and for some time life went on as
normal. Then came the assassination of the Nazi
"reichsprotektor" Reinhard Heydrich by Czech patriots. Here she
recalls the mood that day and some personal events that followed.
More
Current AffairsMilitary buffs fear for the future of the Czech 'Maginot Line'
The prospect of going to war with Germany came as no surprise to the
Czechoslovak government of the 1930s. Prague had, in fact, been preparing
for war seriously for years: by some estimates, over half of all
government spending from 1936 to 1938 was for military purposes. Much of
this went towards the construction of an elaborate system of bunkers and
other defences in the Sudetenland, the border region shared with Germany.
The Czech Army today is cutting costs and plans to sell these
fortifications to regional governments and private bidders. As Brian
Kenety has been finding out, some Czech military history buffs are up in
arms over the move. More
SpecialHeroes or cowards? Czechs in World War II
There are two widely held stereotypes of Czechs during the war: while some
see a plucky little nation that heroically struggled to survive under the
Nazi jackboot, others have argued that Czechs buckled and failed to resist
the force of Hitler's Germany. But inevitably history is a great deal more
complicated than the stereotypes, and in the course of today's programme,
we'll be trying to unravel some of these complexities.
More
ArtsOne World: Raising Human Rights Awareness through Film
During the past eight days Prague inhabitants have had a chance to see a
number of good documentary films from different parts of the world. The
One World human rights film festival which is organized by the Czech
charity organization People in Need has again featured many documentaries
bringing from different crisis spots worldwide, reminding us that our
comfortable life here in the Czech Republic is not a matter of course
everywhere in the world. More
Current AffairsWWII veterans reflect on liberation of Pilsen
The City of Pilsen, the University of West Bohemia and the US embassy
hosted their annual Pilsen Talks conference on Thursday. This year's topic
focused on the liberation of southwest Bohemia and the transatlantic
alliance. The conference officially opened celebrations throughout Pilsen
to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII.
More
PanoramaAn English village revisits its Czech history: The Benes years in Buckinghamshire
During the Second World War, the former Czechoslovak President Edvard Benes
and his government were in exile in England. Originally they were based in
London, but in late 1940, due to the blitz, the President and his Cabinet
moved to a small village called Aston Abbotts, in the southern English
county of Buckinghamshire.
In addition to the government personnel, Czech,
Slovak and Ruthenian presidential guards also stayed in the village.
President Benes and his wife, along with the entire Czech community of the
time left a deep impression in Aston Abbots and sixty years later, the
villagers and diplomats came together to celebrate this history. Kate
Barrette was in Aston Abbots for the Czechoslovak memorial festival. More
Women in WarZuzana Ruzickova
Zuzana Ruzickova is one of Europe's most renowned harpsichord players, and
has made dozens of recording during a career spanning over a half a
century. But 60 years ago, after three hellish years in Nazi concentration
camps, she feared she might never play again. Here she recalls coming home
from the War to her hometown of Pilsen in west Bohemia, when she was 18.
More
Current Affairs"One World" human rights' documentary film festival opens in Prague
On Wednesday the seventh year of the human rights' documentary film
festival "One World" began in Prague. It is organized by the
Czech humanitarian organization "People in Need", and over seven
days it will feature 120 documentary films from 35 countries.
More
Women in WarOne ordinary night in Prague
The retired teacher Ludmila Seidlova was a teenager during the Second World
War. In her choice of profession she was inspired by her father who was
headmaster at the so-called "Teachers' Institute" in Panska
Street, just off Prague's famous Na Prikope Street. Ludmila Seidlova lived
with her family right in the school, originally built by the Piarist Order
in the 18th century.
More
+1
+10
