Section Archive Panorama
The National Museum presents Czech inventors and inventions
An exhibition titled Czech inventors and inventions is currently underway
at the National Museum in Prague. It introduces visitors to the life and
work of more than 20 Czech or Czech-born inventors who made their mark in
the world. The exhibition covers achievements in many fields of human
activity - engineering, medicine, agriculture, biology, chemistry, as well
as in the humanities. But you will also find curious and somewhat absurd
creations which never went beyond the prototype stage. I asked Pavel
Douša, who heads the museum’s cultural heritage department, to show me
round and we started our tour in the entrance hall where a group of people
were admiring an enormous snowmobile. More
Czech scientists present HemaGel: an effective cure for acute and chronic wounds
One hears a great deal about the importance of fighting free radicals, but
it is not often that one sees the benefits of this in practice. Czech
researchers from the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of the Czech
Academy of Sciences have an outstanding success story in this respect. They
have developed a gel that has proved exceptionally effective in healing
both chronic and acute wounds with the aid of free-radical-binding
technology. More
Panorama
In this week’s Panorama: how walled-in windows can be a big attraction,
the Vltava river gets a symbolic lighthouse and, the nation’s fierce
one-eyed commander is back on his horse on Vítkov Hill - facing a new
enemy. More
Panorama
In Panorama this week: mistletoe is associated with Christmas good cheer
–in the Czech lands it is believed to bring good health, good luck and
prosperity –but what happens when it turns into a killer? A Czech
hospital discovers the magical properties of Kiwanis dolls in treating
children and, the country’s new hero Super Václav is unmasked. More
Panorama
In Panorama this week – military history buffs invited to take their pick
from Warsaw Pact era equipment and facilities. Will Karlovy Vary get a
life-size statue of Peter the Great? And why producing a stuffed elephant
can be a tall order. More
Czech volunteers help save stray dogs in Slovakia
A group of Czech volunteers are helping to save stray dogs in neighbouring
Slovakia where there is a widespread practice of exterminating them. Over
two thousand animals a year are legally put down in this manner, regardless
of the fact that many are perfectly healthy or only puppies. Prior to their
extermination, which usually takes place within a week of their capture,
they are placed in overcrowded, dirty kennels and in most cases left
hungry. These dog shelters are often referred to by the locals as
“concentration camps for canines” and their tragic fate has prompted a
network of volunteers on both sides of the border to develop a fast-alert
system which would get them out in time. Iva Mullerova, who is actively
involved in the project, explains how it works. More
Czechs make their voice heard for fair trade
A booth on Prague’s Jungmann Square is making people stop and stare.
Individuals walk inside, close the door and yell at the top of their lungs
– to come out smiling moments later, as someone else takes their place.
What you hear there is not a frustrated employee letting off steam after a
bad day at work –it’s a voice raised in support of fair trade and
making companies observe human rights and give people decent work
conditions in countries where it is easy to abuse them. The Czech NGO Na
Zemi has launched a campaign to raise awareness of how many people in the
developing world work in shocking conditions for large multinational
companies and try to put a stop to the practice. Anna Lazorova from Na Zemi
is one of the organizers. More
My Neighbor, My Enemy : problems of coexistence
In this week’s Panorama :a play at Prague’s National Theatre highlights
the problems of coexistence between ethnic Czechs and the Roma minority,
Karlovy Vary protesting against too many foreign language signs, and, Czech
politicians make headlines from here to Belgrade. More
Michal Thoma – Traveller, photographer, writer – Part 2
Michal Thoma – like his father Zdeněk – is a well-known Czech
photographer, traveller, and author focussing on countries in Asia,
including India and Nepal. In Part 2 of this special Panorama, we focus on
Manang – a village in the Himalayas which was unchanged for centuries
when Zdeněk Thoma visited and photographed there in 1979. Thirty years
later, his son Michal followed in his father’s footsteps and has since
put together a joint-exhibition about Manang which you can see at The House
at the Stone Bell in Prague. More
Michal Thoma – Traveller, photographer, writer – Part 1
Michal Thoma – like his father Zdeněk – is a well-known Czech
photographer, traveller, and author focussing on countries in Asia,
including India and Nepal. Publishing in Czech alternatives to National
Geographic like Lidé a Země and Koktejl, Michal and his father and mum,
have made travel writing and photography in exotic countries pretty much a
family business and the Thoma name something of a ‘trademark’. In Part
I, of this special Panorama Michal talks about how he got into photography
and travel, beginning with his father’s career. More
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