Portal:Czech Republic

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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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Goral men's choir from Jablunkov during the parade of the Jubileuszowy Festiwal PZKO 2007 in Karviná

The Polish minority in the Czech Republic is a Polish national minority living mainly in the Trans-Olza region of western Cieszyn Silesia. The Polish community is the only national (or ethnic) minority in the Czech Republic that is linked to a specific geographical area. Trans-Olza is located in the north-eastern part of the country. It comprises Karviná District and the eastern part of Frýdek-Místek District. Many Poles living in other regions of the Czech Republic have roots in Trans-Olza as well.

Poles formed the largest ethnic group in Cieszyn Silesia in the 19th century, but at the beginning of the 20th century the Czech population grew. The Czechs and Poles collaborated on resisting Germanization movements, but this collaboration ceased after World War I. In 1920 the region of Trans-Olza was incorporated into Czechoslovakia after the Polish–Czechoslovak War. Since then the Polish population demographically decreased. In 1938 it was annexed by Poland in the context of the Munich Agreement and in 1939 by Nazi Germany. The region was then given back to Czechoslovakia after World War II. Polish organizations were re-created, but were banned by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. After the Velvet Revolution Polish organizations were re-created again and Trans-Olza had adopted bilingual signs. (Full article...)

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Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor

Source: www.bildindex.de; License: Public domain

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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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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 in 2005 UNESCO proclaimed the Moravian male recruit dance verbuňk as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mankind?
... that the report Public Finance Balance of Smoking in the Czech Republic found that the "effect of smoking on the public finance balance in the Czech Republic in 1999 was positive"?
... that, having played 465 league matches, Jaroslav Šilhavý holds the record for the most appearances in top-flight Czech football?
... 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 1A panorama of Zittau (from Bohemia)
Image 2Grand Café Orient in Prague (from Czech architecture)
Image 3Monument to Master Jan Hus, a religious reformer and philosopher in Prague (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 4Europe after the Congress of Vienna in 1815 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 5Church of Saint Agnes of Bohemia (Spořilov) (from Czech architecture)
Image 6Svíčková na smetaně (Marinated tenderloin), served here with dumplings and cream (from Czech cuisine)
Image 7Fried bramboráky (potato pancakes) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 8An 1892 map showing Bohemia proper outlined in pink, Moravia in yellow, and Austrian Silesia in orange (from Bohemia)
Image 9Bohemia (westernmost area) in Czechoslovakia 1918–1938 (from Bohemia)
Image 10Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, philosopher, Czechoslovak president in the years 1918-1935 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 11Bronze sword, Urnfield culture, c. 1200 BC (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 12Detailed map of Bohemia, 1742 (from Bohemia)
Image 13Bohemia as the heart of Europa regina; Sebastian Münster, Basel, 1570 (from Bohemia)
Image 14Territory under the control of the Přemyslids, c. 1301 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 15Adria Palace (Prague) (from Czech architecture)
Image 16The coat of arms of the Přemyslid dynasty (until 1253–1262) (from Bohemia)
Image 17The extent of the Protestant Reformation (1545–1620) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 18The radical Hussites became known as Taborites, after the town of Tábor that became their center (from Bohemia)
Image 19House of the Black Madonna (from Czech architecture)
Image 20Apple strudel with raisins (from Czech cuisine)
Image 21Stone sculpture of a Celtic man, found in Mšecké Žehrovice (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 22Kačina Castle in Chotkov (from Czech architecture)
Image 23Baroque St. Nicholas Church in Malá Strana, built between 1704 and 1755 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 24Venus of Dolní Věstonice, the oldest ceramic article in the world (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 25St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle, John of Luxembourg laid the foundation stone in 1344 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 26Svíčková na smetaně served with dumplings, whipped cream and cranberries (from Czech cuisine)
Image 27Rotunda of St. George from the beginning of the 12th century on Mount Říp (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 28A "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 29Map of protected areas of the Czech Republic: national parks (grey) and protected landscape areas (green) (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 30Vladislaus Hall at the Prague Castle, built from 1490 to 1502 by Benedikt Rejt (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 31Pilsner Urquell in a branded mug (from Czech cuisine)
Image 32Fried cheese, served with tartar sauce and side salad (from Czech cuisine)
Image 33Nakládaný hermelín (marinated cheese) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 34Russian occupation in 1968 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 35Iconic brutalist Transgas building, demolished in 2019 (from Czech architecture)
Image 36Vepřo-knedlo-zelo (Roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 37Czech kings Ottokar II, Wenceslas II and Wenceslas III from the Přemyslid dynasty (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 38Korozluky Castle (from Czech architecture)
Image 39Monument to the village of Lidice murdered by the Nazis (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 40Semi-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 41Christmas cookies (vánoční cukroví) (from Czech cuisine)
Image 42Václav Havel, playwright, dissident and president from 1989 to 2003 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 43Emperor Francis Joseph I. (reigned 1848–1916) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 44Cubist lamp by Emil Králíček, Jungmannovo náměstí, next to the Gothic Church of Our Lady of the Snows (Prague) (from Czech architecture)
Image 45Hroby Nature Monument in Radenín (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 46Dacian Influence over Bohemia (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 47The Kingdom of Bohemia in 1618 with other Bohemian Crown lands within the Holy Roman Empire (1618). (from Bohemia)
Image 48Beheading of 27 Bohemian nobles at the Old Town Square in Prague, 1621 (contemporary illustration) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 49Saint Wenceslas, Czech prince (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 50A panorama of Kłodzko, the capital city of Kłodzko Land, which is referred to as "Little Prague" (from Bohemia)
Image 51Duchy of Bohemia, around 1029 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 52Bohemian city Karlovy Vary (from Bohemia)
Image 53Obložené chlebíčky, a type of snack or appetizer (from Czech cuisine)
Image 54The First Czechoslovak Republic (1918-1938) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 55Emperor and King Charles IV. Luxembourg (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 56Empress Maria Theresa (reignet 1740–1780) (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 57Great Moravia during the reign of Svatopluk I (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 58Řežabinec a Řežabinecké tůně National Nature Reserve (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 59The National Theater from 1881 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 60Copper engraving of the Second Defenestration of Prague from Theatrum Europaeum by Matthäus Merian. (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 61Territories ruled by Ottokar II of Bohemia in 1273 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 62Writer Božena Němcová (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 63King George of Podebrady, one of the first promoters of united Europe (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 64Zelňačka (from Czech cuisine)
Image 65Lands of the Bohemian Crown (until 1635), map by Josef Pekař, 1921 (from Bohemia)
Image 66Entrance to Moravian Karst PLA (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 67Cubist architecture in Prague (from Czech architecture)
Image 68The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Bohemia (from Bohemia)
Image 69Library of Clementinum, a former Jesuit College, built in 1722 (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 70Frgál, a type of koláč baked in Moravian Wallachia (from Czech cuisine)
Image 71Linguistic map of interwar Czechoslovakia (c. 1930) (from Bohemia)
Image 72Buděticko Nature Park with Rabí Castle (from Protected areas of the Czech Republic)
Image 73John Amos Comenius (1592-1670), Czech philosopher and school reformer (from History of the Czech lands)
Image 74Prague-style beef goulash (from Czech cuisine)

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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