Portal:Czech Republic

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Welcome to the Czech Portal!
Vítejte na Českém portálu!

The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country 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 Estate of the Holy Roman Empire in 1002 and became a kingdom in 1198. Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526, all of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown 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; further, in 1918, most of the country 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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Voskovec and Werich (1938)

Osvobozené divadlo (1926–1938) (Liberated Theatre or Prague Free Theatre) was a Prague avant-garde theatre scene founded as the theatre section of an association of Czech avant-garde artists Devětsil (Butterbur) in 1926. The theatre's beginnings were strongly influenced by Dadaism and Futurism, later by Poetism (a specific Czech art movement). The theatre was very leftist oriented, but it could also be critical of the Communists. One of the founders, Jiří Frejka, came up with the name in 1926. In the theatre both authorial plays and works by well-established modern authors; such as G. Apollinaire, A. Jarry, J. Cocteau, A. Breton, F. T. Marinetti, and V. Nezval were performed. The modern conception of the scene also laid more emphasis on lighting and the theatrical conception adjured more cooperation and contacts between actors and audience. (Full article...)

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The Maiden by Gustav Klimt, 1913. Collection of the National Gallery Prague.

Source: Národní Galerie v Praze, PD

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In this month

11 December 1949 – The Číhošť miracle takes place: during a church service of Josef Toufar in the village of Číhošť, the crucifix moves several times over the pulpit, prompting an intervention by the StB
15 December 1230 – Wenceslaus I succeeds Ottokar I as King of Bohemia
16 December 1992 – The Czech National Council adopts the Constitution of the Czech Republic
18 December 1935 – Edvard Beneš is elected second President of Czechoslovakia
22 December 1966 – Construction begins on the Stalin Monument (pictured), the largest representation of Stalin in the world

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Hašek with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008

Dominik Hašek (Czech pronunciation: [ˈdomɪnɪk ˈɦaʃɛk], audio; born January 29, 1965) is a Czech former ice hockey goaltender who mostly played for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). Widely regarded as one of the best goaltenders of all time, Hašek also played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, and Ottawa Senators in his 16-season National Hockey League (NHL) career before finishing his career in Europe. While in Buffalo, he became one of the league's finest goaltenders, earning him the nickname "The Dominator". His strong play has been credited with establishing European goaltenders in a league previously dominated by North Americans. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, both with the Red Wings, winning his first one as the starting goaltender, and his second one as the backup goaltender.

Hašek was one of the league's most successful goaltenders of the 1990s and early 2000s. From 1993 to 2001, he won six Vezina Trophies, the most under the award's current system of voting for the best individual goaltender. In 1998 he won his second consecutive Hart Memorial Trophy, becoming the first goaltender to win the award multiple times. During the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, he led the Czech national ice hockey team to its first and only Olympic gold medal. The feat made him a popular figure in his home country and prompted hockey legend Wayne Gretzky to call him "the best player in the game". While with the Red Wings in 2002, Hašek became the first European-trained starting goaltender to win the Stanley Cup. In the process, he set a record for shutouts in a postseason year. (Full article...)

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John Amos Comenius Petr Čech Jaromír Jágr Pavel Nedvěd Gregor Mendel Tomáš Rosický Franz Kafka Bedřich Smetana Emanuel Moravec Gustav Mahler 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 the Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc was inscribed on the World Heritage List as "one of the most exceptional examples of the apogee of Central European Baroque artistic expression"?
... that the leftist Czechoslovak Chemical Workers' Union was expelled from the OSČ trade union centre in 1922?
... that Jan Maroši scored directly from a corner for Sigma Olomouc in a 1992–93 UEFA Cup match against Juventus?
... that Miroslav Tyrš, the founder of Czech national sport movement Sokol, was born into a German family?

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General images

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

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