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Current AffairsCrossing the great divide on All Souls Day
The Czech Republic may be one of the most secular nations in Europe but All
Souls Day - the day of remembrance for the departed – is a sacred family
tradition handed down from generation to generation. As the holiday
approaches the country’s cemeteries –well-tended throughout the year
– are ablaze with candles and flowers as Czechs pay their respects to the
dead. More
From the ArchivesA. J. P. Taylor: faith in socialist Czechoslovakia
A. J. P. Taylor (1906-1990) was one of the best-known and most influential
British historians of the 20th century. He is remembered in particular for
his provocative left-wing political views and his conviction that German
history made the country uniquely inclined towards aggression and
expansionism. This made him an ardent opponent of attempts to rebuild
Germany’s economy after the war, and a strong supporter of
Czechoslovakia’s growing alliance with the Soviet Union. In July 1946,
just after elections which saw the Communists emerge as the strongest
single party, Taylor visited Czechoslovakia. More
Czech HistoryIn the footsteps of their father: The journey of Mary and George Jaksch
In 1939, the chairman of the German Social Democratic Workers Party in the
Czechoslovak Republic, Wenzel Jaksch, saw himself forced to escape his
native land after it was invaded by Germany – staying would have put him,
who opposed the growing influence of the Nazis in Sudeten-German politics,
in grave danger. Wenzel Jaksch successfully escaped to London, via the
Beskydy Mountains and Poland. He later shared his amazing story – and
based on his written account, his children, George and Mary Jaksch, have
set out for a pilgrimage in their father’s footsteps, over 70 years
later. More
Current AffairsNew documentary opens up sensitive chapter in country's post-war history
In the run-up to the 66th anniversary of the end of WWII Czech public
television featured a documentary throwing more light on events that have
received little publicity in the past – the atrocities committed on
German civilians in post-war Czechoslovakia. The subject has been avoided
for years, but film director David Vondráček says Czechs need to hear
about what happened and face up to events they may not be proud of. More
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