Portal:Czech Republic

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Welcome to the Czech Portal!
Vítejte na Českém portálu!

The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The Czech Republic has a hilly landscape that covers an area of 78,871 square kilometers (30,452 sq mi) with a mostly temperate continental and oceanic climate. The capital and largest city is Prague; other major cities and urban areas include Brno, Ostrava, Plzeň and Liberec.

The Duchy of Bohemia was founded in the late 9th century under Great Moravia. It was formally recognized as an Imperial State of the Holy Roman Empire in 1002 and became a kingdom in 1198. Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526, all of the Crown lands of Bohemia were gradually integrated into the Habsburg monarchy. Nearly a hundred years later, the Protestant Bohemian Revolt led to the Thirty Years' War. After the Battle of White Mountain, the Habsburgs consolidated their rule. With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Crown lands became part of the Austrian Empire.

In the 19th century, the Czech lands became more industrialized, and in 1918 most of it became part of the First Czechoslovak Republic following the collapse of Austria-Hungary after World War I. Czechoslovakia was the only country in Central and Eastern Europe to remain a parliamentary democracy during the entirety of the interwar period. After the Munich Agreement in 1938, Nazi Germany systematically took control over the Czech lands.

Czechoslovakia was restored in 1945 and three years later became an Eastern Bloc communist state following a coup d'état in 1948. Attempts to liberalize the government and economy were suppressed by a Soviet-led invasion of the country during the Prague Spring in 1968. In November 1989, the Velvet Revolution ended communist rule in the country and restored democracy. On 31 December 1992, Czechoslovakia was peacefully dissolved, with its constituent states becoming the independent states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The Czech Republic is a unitary parliamentary republic and developed country with an advanced, high-income social market economy. It is a welfare state with a European social model, universal health care and free-tuition university education. It ranks 32nd in the Human Development Index. The Czech Republic is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the European Union, the OECD, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the Visegrád Group. (Full article...)

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From top – Left: Masaryk Square, Colours of Ostrava, An amusement park in Silesian Ostrava Castle Middle: Ostrava New City Hall, Landek Park Mining Museum, Antonín Dvořák Theatre Right: Ostrava Puppet Theatre, Tribute to Mining statue

Ostrava (Czech: [ˈostrava] ^ⓘ; Polish: Ostrawa, German: Ostrau) is a city in the north-east of the Czech Republic and the capital of the Moravian-Silesian Region. It has about 280,000 inhabitants. It lies 15 km (9 mi) from the border with Poland, at the confluences of four rivers: Oder, Opava, Ostravice and Lučina. Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic in terms of both population and area, the second largest city in the region of Moravia, and the largest city in the historical land of Czech Silesia. It straddles the border of the two historic provinces of Moravia and Silesia. The wider conurbation – which also includes the towns of Bohumín, Havířov, Karviná, Orlová, Petřvald and Rychvald – is home to about 500,000 people, making it the largest urban area in the Czech Republic apart from the capital Prague.

Ostrava grew in importance due to its position at the heart of a major coalfield, becoming an important industrial engine of the Austrian empire. During the 20th century it was known as the "steel heart" of Czechoslovakia thanks to its status as a coal-mining and metallurgical centre, but since the Velvet Revolution (the fall of communism in 1989) it has undergone radical and far-reaching changes to its economic base. Industries have been thoroughly restructured, and the last coal was mined in the city in 1994. However, remnants of the city's industrial past are visible in the Lower Vítkovice area, a former coal-mining, coke production and ironworks complex in the city centre which retains its historic industrial architecture. Lower Vítkovice has applied for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. (Full article...)

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Panoramic view of Prague Castle

Photographer: Stefan Bauer; License: Creative Commons CC-BY-SA

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In this month

1 May 2004 – The Czech Republic joins the European Union
9 May 1974 – The Prague Metro begins operation
14 May 1855 – The book The Grandmother by Božena Němcová is released
27 May 1942 – An assassination attempt (pictured) on acting Reichsprotektor Reinhardt Heydrich in Prague as part of Operation Anthropoid results in him dying on 4 June – the villages of Lidice and Ležáky are razed to the ground in response
29 May 1975 – Gustáv Husák becomes President of Czechoslovakia, remaining in office until 1989

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Gustav Mahler (German: [ˈɡʊstaf ˈmaːlɐ]; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism of the early 20th century. While in his lifetime his status as a conductor was established beyond question, his own music gained wide popularity only after periods of relative neglect, which included a ban on its performance in much of Europe during the Nazi era. After 1945 his compositions were rediscovered by a new generation of listeners; Mahler then became one of the most frequently performed and recorded of all composers, a position he has sustained into the 21st century.

Born in Bohemia (then part of the Austrian Empire) to Jewish parents of humble origins, the German-speaking Mahler displayed his musical gifts at an early age. After graduating from the Vienna Conservatory in 1878, he held a succession of conducting posts of rising importance in the opera houses of Europe, culminating in his appointment in 1897 as director of the Vienna Court Opera (Hofoper). During his ten years in Vienna, Mahler—who had converted to Catholicism to secure the post—experienced regular opposition and hostility from the anti-Semitic press. Nevertheless, his innovative productions and insistence on the highest performance standards ensured his reputation as one of the greatest of opera conductors, particularly as an interpreter of the stage works of Wagner, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky. Late in his life he was briefly director of New York's Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic. (Full article...)

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John Amos Comenius Petr Čech Dominik Hašek Jaromír Jágr Pavel Nedvěd Gregor Mendel Tomáš Rosický Franz Kafka Bedřich Smetana Emanuel Moravec Fredy Hirsch Antonín Kinský Vlastimil Koubek Petra Kvitová Martin Miller (actor) Vratislav Lokvenc Vladimír Remek Leoš Janáček Libor Michálek Vojtěch Jarník Markéta Vondroušová Zdeňka Wiedermannová-Motyčková

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Did you know?

...that in 1990, Czech and Slovak politicians "fought" the Hyphen War, a political battle over whether "Czechoslovakia" should be spelled with a hyphen?
... that the World War II idea of Polish-Czechoslovakian confederation was eventually discarded by the Czechs, whose leader chose instead to believe in the Soviet Union promises of alliance?
... that footballer Petr Vrabec won six Czechoslovak league titles with Sparta Prague?
... that Czech Karel Robětín was not only an Olympian and national tennis champion but also an international paper industry tycoon?

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General images

The following are images from various Czech Republic-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Church of Saint Agnes of Bohemia (Spořilov) (from Czech architecture)
Image 2Iconic brutalist Transgas building, demolished in 2019 (from Czech architecture)
Image 3Vladislaus Hall at the Prague Castle, built from 1490 to 1502 by Benedikt Rejt (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 4Vepřo-knedlo-zelo (Roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 5Baroque St. Nicholas Church in Malá Strana, built between 1704 and 1755 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 6Monument to the village of Lidice murdered by the Nazis (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 7Svíčková na smetaně served with dumplings, whipped cream and cranberries (from Czech cuisine)
Image 8John Amos Comenius (1592-1670), Czech philosopher and school reformer (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 9Bronze sword, Urnfield culture, c. 1200 BC (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 10Venus of Dolní Věstonice, the oldest ceramic article in the world (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 11Buděticko Nature Park with Rabí Castle (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 12Kačina Castle in Chotkov (from Czech architecture)
Image 13Great Moravia during the reign of Svatopluk I (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 14Hroby Nature Monument in Radenín (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 15Writer Božena Němcová (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 16Empress Maria Theresa (reignet 1740–1780) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 17Bohemia as the heart of Europa regina; Sebastian Münster, Basel, 1570 (from Bohemia)
Image 18Czech kings Ottokar II, Wenceslas II and Wenceslas III from the Přemyslid dynasty (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 19Prague-style beef goulash (from Czech cuisine)
Image 20Obložené chlebíčky, a type of snack or appetizer (from Czech cuisine)
Image 21Václav Havel, playwright, dissident and president from 1989 to 2003 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 22Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, philosopher, Czechoslovak president in the years 1918-1935 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 23Beheading of 27 Bohemian nobles at the Old Town Square in Prague, 1621 (contemporary illustration) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 24Frgál, a type of koláč baked in Moravian Wallachia (from Czech cuisine)
Image 25Svíčková na smetaně (Marinated tenderloin), served here with dumplings and cream (from Czech cuisine)
Image 26Semi-detached villa in Brno by Otto Eisler, according to MoMA's Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, is a defining building of the International style. (from Czech architecture)
Image 27A panorama of Zittau (from Bohemia)
Image 28An 1892 map showing Bohemia proper outlined in pink, Moravia in yellow, and Austrian Silesia in orange (from Bohemia)
Image 29Zelňačka (from Czech cuisine)
Image 30Apple strudel with raisins (from Czech cuisine)
Image 31Dacian Influence over Bohemia (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 32Bohemia (westernmost area) in Czechoslovakia 1918–1938 (from Bohemia)
Image 33Entrance to Moravian Karst PLA (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 34Emperor Francis Joseph I. (reigned 1848–1916) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 35Linguistic map of interwar Czechoslovakia (c. 1930) (from Bohemia)
Image 36Territory under the control of the Přemyslids, c. 1301 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 37Copper engraving of the Second Defenestration of Prague from Theatrum Europaeum by Matthäus Merian. (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 38Cubist architecture in Prague (from Czech architecture)
Image 39Duchy of Bohemia, around 1029 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 40The extent of the Protestant Reformation (1545–1620) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 41A "traditional Bohemian platter" at a restaurant in central Prague, consisting of roast duck, roast pork, beer sausage, smoked meat, red and white cabbage, bread, bacon and potato dumplings. (from Czech cuisine)
Image 42Map of protected areas of the Czech Republic: national parks (grey) and protected landscape areas (green) (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 43Saint Wenceslas, Czech prince (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 44Emperor and King Charles IV. Luxembourg (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 45Řežabinec a Řežabinecké tůně National Nature Reserve (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 46Stone sculpture of a Celtic man, found in Mšecké Žehrovice (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 47Adria Palace (Prague) (from Czech architecture)
Image 48Europe after the Congress of Vienna in 1815 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 49Cubist lamp by Emil Králíček, Jungmannovo náměstí, next to the Gothic Church of Our Lady of the Snows (Prague) (from Czech architecture)
Image 50Pilsner Urquell in a branded mug (from Czech cuisine)
Image 51Rotunda of St. George from the beginning of the 12th century on Mount Říp (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 52The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Bohemia (from Bohemia)
Image 53The National Theater from 1881 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 54Fried bramboráky (potato pancakes) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 55Grand Café Orient in Prague (from Czech architecture)
Image 56House of the Black Madonna (from Czech architecture)
Image 57A panorama of Kłodzko, the capital city of Kłodzko Land, which is referred to as "Little Prague" (from Bohemia)
Image 58Detailed map of Bohemia, 1742 (from Bohemia)
Image 59St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle, John of Luxembourg laid the foundation stone in 1344 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 60Lands of the Bohemian Crown (until 1635), map by Josef Pekař, 1921 (from Bohemia)
Image 61The First Czechoslovak Republic (1918-1938) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 62The Kingdom of Bohemia in 1618 with other Bohemian Crown lands within the Holy Roman Empire (1618). (from Bohemia)
Image 63Bohemian city Karlovy Vary (from Bohemia)
Image 64Monument to Master Jan Hus, a religious reformer and philosopher in Prague (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 65King George of Podebrady, one of the first promoters of united Europe (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 66Territories ruled by Ottokar II of Bohemia in 1273 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 67The coat of arms of the Přemyslid dynasty (until 1253–1262) (from Bohemia)
Image 68Library of Clementinum, a former Jesuit College, built in 1722 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 69Russian occupation in 1968 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 70Korozluky Castle (from Czech architecture)
Image 71Christmas cookies (vánoční cukroví) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 72Nakládaný hermelín (marinated cheese) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 73Fried cheese, served with tartar sauce and side salad (from Czech cuisine)
Image 74The radical Hussites became known as Taborites, after the town of Tábor that became their center (from Bohemia)

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Topics

Czech lands: Bohemia • Moravia • Czech Silesia

History: Únětice culture • Boii • Marcomanni • Samo • Great Moravia • Přemyslid dynasty • Lands of the Bohemian Crown • Czech lands (1526–1648) • 1648–1867 • 1867–1918) • Czechoslovakia • Czech Republic

Geography: Lakes • Protected areas • Regions • Rivers

Law: Judiciary • Law enforcement • Supreme Court of the Czech Republic

Politics: Administrative divisions • Government • Constitution • Elections • Foreign relations • Army • Parliament • Political parties • President • Prime Minister

Economy: Banks • Czech koruna • Energy • Oil and gas deposits • Stock Exchange • Tourism • Transport

Culture: Architecture • Art • Cinema • Cuisine • Demographics • Education • Language • Literature • Media • Music • Philosophy • Prostitution • Public holidays • Religion • Sport • Television • Video games

Symbols: Flag • Coat of arms • National anthem (Kde domov můj)

Lists: Outline of the Czech Republic • List of Czech Republic–related topics

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WikiProjects

WikiProject Czech Republic

WikiProject Europe

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Featured and good content

	Featured articles		Dominik Hašek • Earth-grazing meteoroid of 13 October 1990 • Franz Kafka • Gustav Mahler • Bedřich Smetana • The Bartered Bride
	Good articles		Patrik Berger • FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 • Reinhard Heydrich • Leoš Janáček • Vlastimil Koubek • Libor Michálek • Pavel Nedvěd • Panzer 35(t) • Polish minority in the Czech Republic • Prague Spring • Punch-up in Piestany • Randy Blythe manslaughter case • The Brothers Grimm (film) • Winton Train • Zaolzie