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SpecialMusic of the First Republic
The independence of Czechoslovakia, which we celebrate each October 28, was
the result of a movement of many decades, and when at least it came, in
1918, after four hard years of war, the joy must have been very palpable.
There are so few alive today who can remember that period, but it is
certainly not lost to us, and one of the ways we can relive it is through
the music of the day.
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Czech HistoryJaroslav Preiss: banking and business colossus of inter-war Czechoslovakia
The name Jaroslav Preiss does not create many ripples when it is thrown out
today. Perhaps one Czech in a hundred could identify who he was. But at the
birth of Czechoslovakia and in the 1920s and 1930s, Preiss was an economic
and business colossus and contributed to making the country into a major
industrial player between the wars. Chris Johnstone looks at the life of
the controversial figure. More
One on OneJaromíra Kostlánová – still working as a tour guide at the remarkable age of 92
Though 92 years of age, Jaromíra Kostlánová is still working as a tour
guide, introducing the sights of Prague to visitors from around the world.
If that were not remarkable enough, the good-humoured nonagenarian is also
one of the oldest students in the Czech Republic. More
PanoramaNews from the regions
In this week’s Panorama: a dispute over a Carpathian wooden church ends
in a surprising manner, home-made folk music instruments and an almond
orchard in Moravia. More
From the ArchivesNessie sighted on a Czech breakfast table
Recent editions of this programme have been rather full of doom and gloom,
as we have approached the Second World War in our archives. So this week we
look at something a bit more cheerful. Here is a Scottish visitor to Prague
in 1938. After singing the praises of Czechoslovakia, he suddenly changes
tone – making a rather curious observation. More
Czech HistoryKarel Kramář: first Czechoslovak PM but flawed popular politician
Karel Kramář earned his place in history as the first prime minister of
Czechoslovakia. But his political career spanned more than four turbulent
decades. We look at a life than included a death sentence, assassination
attempt and birth of a new state. More
Current AffairsTown marks 150th anniversary of birth of Czechoslovakia’s first prime minister
The town of Vysoké nad Jizerou this week marked the 150th anniversary of
the birth of notable Czech politician Karel Kramář. As an MP within the
Austro-Hungarian Empire, Kramář fought for Czech national interests,
leading to his arrest for treason by the Austrian authorities during World
War I. He was tried and sentenced to death, galvanising Czech public
opinion, and although the sentence was reduced to imprisonment, Kramář
became a national hero. Eventually he was released as part of a general
political amnesty in 1917. The flood of support pushed him further into the
spotlight and he was named the first prime minister of the newly-founded
Czechoslovakia a year later, on November 28, 1918. More
Czechs in HistoryJaroslav Preiss: banking and business colossus of inter-war Czechoslovakia
The name Jaroslav Preiss does not create many ripples when it is thrown out
today. Perhaps one Czech in a hundred could identify who he was. But at the
birth of Czechoslovakia and in the 1920s and 1930s, Preiss was an economic
and business colossus and contributed to making the country into a major
industrial player between the wars. Chris Johnstone looks at the life of
the controversial figure.
More
Czechs in HistoryKarel Kramář: first Czechoslovak PM but flawed popular politician
Karel Kramář earned his place in history as the first prime minister of
Czechoslovakia. But his political career spanned more than four turbulent
decades. We look at a life than included a death sentence, assassination
attempt and birth of a new state. More
Czech BooksCzech history through a glass darkly
Hello and welcome to Czech Books. This week we're discussing the novel The
Glass Room, by Simon Mawer, one of this year's nominations for the
prestigious Man Booker prize. The novel, which has already been translated
into Czech and had a very positive local reception, is inspired by the
functionalist masterpiece, the Tugendhat Villa in Brno, and covers over
half a century of Czech history, focusing mainly on the fates of the Jewish
industrialist Victor Landauer and his wife Liesel. I met with a professor
of English Literature at Charles University's Education Faculty, Dr. Anna
Grmelová, to discuss in particular the book's depiction of the rich and
diverse cultural life of the First Czechoslovak Republic.
More
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