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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Soviet T-54 in Prague during the invasion

On 20–21 August 1968, the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was jointly invaded by four fellow Warsaw Pact countries: the Soviet Union, the Polish People's Republic, the People's Republic of Bulgaria, and the Hungarian People's Republic. The invasion stopped Alexander Dubček's Prague Spring liberalisation reforms and strengthened the authoritarian wing of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ).

About 250,000 Warsaw Pact troops (afterwards rising to about 500,000), supported by thousands of tanks and hundreds of aircraft, participated in the overnight operation, which was code-named Operation Danube. The Socialist Republic of Romania and the People's Republic of Albania refused to participate. East German forces, except for a small number of specialists, were ordered by Moscow not to cross the Czechoslovak border just hours before the invasion, because of fears of greater resistance if German troops were involved, due to public perception of the previous German occupation three decades earlier. 137 Czechoslovaks were killed and 500 seriously wounded during the occupation. (Full article...)

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LET Aircraft Industries operated Let L-410NG (reg. OK-NGA, cn 152820/2820) at ILA Berlin Air Show 2016.

Photographer: Julian Herzog (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International)

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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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Rosický with Arsenal in 2016

Tomáš Rosický (Czech pronunciation: [ˈtomaːʃ ˈrosɪtskiː]; born 4 October 1980) is a Czech former professional footballer who was the captain of the Czech Republic national team for a ten-year period. He played club football for Sparta Prague, Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal. Currently, he serves at the sports director of Sparta Prague.

A midfielder, he started his professional career at his hometown club Sparta Prague, playing three seasons in the Czech First League before moving to Borussia Dortmund in 2001 for DM 25 million (approximately £8 million), at the time a record transfer fee paid by a Bundesliga club. In his first season in Germany, he helped his team win the league title and reach the 2002 UEFA Cup Final. Rosický joined Arsenal in 2006, and made 247 appearances for the club, including appearing in their victory in the 2014 FA Cup Final. He spent a total of ten seasons in the Premier League, affected by several long-term injuries. (Full article...)

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John Amos Comenius Petr Čech Dominik Hašek Jaromír Jágr Pavel Nedvěd Gregor Mendel 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 Sedlec Ossuary is a chapel decorated with the bones of 40,000 people?
... that in 2013, the Czech Republic plans to directly elect its president for the first time in its history?
... that footballer Petr Vrabec won six Czechoslovak league titles with Sparta Prague?
... that Czech actress Anna Letenská was killed by the Nazis for her alleged participation in the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich?

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General images

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

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

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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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