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SpecialA tale of two brothers, and the building of a nation

For the occasion of September 28, I’m here at a place that some people actually call the real centre of the Czech Republic. Not the geographic centre to be sure, but certainly the focal point for much of the Czech Republic’s rocky modern-day history. It’s a statue of a man on a horse (which people call ‘the horse’ when they arrange one of the hundreds of meetings that take place here each day). But it’s of course the man on the horse that has overseen everything over the last hundred years from the declaration of Czechoslovak independence to the various political demonstrations that gravitate here today. Above me is of course Saint Václav, or Wenceslas, from which the surrounding square takes its name, and his likeness has adorned this place for at least three hundred years, in different incarnations. Legend has it that when worse comes to worst for the Czech lands he will come un-petrified, and ride away to quash their enemies – a disconcerting prophesy when one considers the parades of Nazis and Communists that the statue saw come and go. But even in that, there is a good point to be made: this symbol of Czech statehood is indomitable; the legacy of St. Václav rides on through the ages, now for about the 1,076th year. More

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Current AffairsAdmission fees re-introduced at St Vitus Cathedral – but not for believers

After four years when entrance was free, visitors now have to pay admission fees again at St Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle. The castle’s operators say charging should make the magnificent cathedral more peaceful. But not everyone has to pay. If you come to pray – and you look the part – you can still enter for free.  More

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Current AffairsCatholic Church and state end 18-year-long legal battle over St. Vitus’ Cathedral

Prague’s famous St. Vitus’ Cathedral, home to the country’s coronation jewels and the final resting place of Czech kings, has long been an issue of contention between the Catholic Church and the state. On Monday President Václav Klaus and Archbishop Dominik Duka announced that they had agreed to end the 18-year-long legal battle over ownership rights and signed an amicable agreement on joint administration of the cathedral.  More

SpecialThe bells of Prague

Prague is sometimes romantically called the City of a Hundred Spires. You can probably count even more overlooking the capital from Prague Castle or hills offering a view of the Vltava valley. Looking down on the city, the spires and towers rise up, and of course many of them have bells inside.  More

Current AffairsCzech Cardinal Vlk casts critical eye on years in office

Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the Czech Republic at the weekend may have been a success but the occasion nevertheless prompted some to take a hard look at their own careers in the Church. Speaking to Czech Television on Sunday, Cardinal Miloslav Vlk – whose mandate ends in the autumn – cast a harsh eye on his 20 years in office, saying he had achieved very little. Not for a lack of trying, he suggested, but often because of a difficult political climate.  More