Used as a propaganda tool by the Nazis and Soviets during the Second World War and Cold War, the remains of a 10th-century male, unearthed beneath Prague Castle in 1928, have been the subject of continued debate and archaeological manipulation. The mysterious skeleton and associated grave goods, including a sword and two knives, were identified as Viking by the Nazis, as a Slavonic warrior by the Soviets and became part of the Czech independence movement in more recent years. The remains were discovered under the courtyard of Prague Castle in July 1928 as part of an excavation project by the National Museum of the newly established Czechoslovakia to discover the earliest phases of the castle. The body was located on the edge of an old burial ground from when a hill fort was built on the site, likely dating to AD 800–950/1000. It was discovered by Ivan Borkovský, a Ukrainian who fought for both the Austro-Hungarians and the Russians in the early 20th century, before escaping to Czechoslovakia in 1920 but he did not immediately publicize or publish anything about the remains or the artifacts. Under the Nazi regime, the remains became “proof” for the Germanic, rather than Slavic, origin...
A team of scientists from the Technical University in Prague have said they found a method of extracting water from air using an autonomous solar-powered system. The first prototype of Solar Air Water Earth Resource (SAWER) has the capacity to produce 100 liters of drinking water per day anywhere on the planet, even in the desert. The experts installed SAWER in the United Arab Emirates’ town of Sweihan, located about 70 km east of Abu Dhabi. “It is not a revolutionary process, but an unusual one,” civil and environmental engineering professor Tomáš Matuška told Efe news, adding it used dehumidifiers that are often employed in the food industry. Matuška explained that the two-stage system consists of a desiccant that holds water molecules on its surface and then an air heater produces water vapor to be taken back to the surface. A group of 12 scientists started the project in Prague in 2017 and created the first prototype that can be transported in two six-meter-long cargo containers. One of the containers holds the production unit including distilled water equipment, while the second contains the accumulators to boost heat and cold processes, as well as energy control systems. Photovoltaic modules are placed on...
Maybe after watching movies or reading books like Gone with the Wind, Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice, you might want to dive into 19-20 centuries the same as I usually do. But how can you do it? For Praguers, there is an excellent opportunity to go to the Old Times Museum, which is located in one of the most popular areas in Prague – Mala Strana. The exhibition Gentle Beauty of Cruel England runs until the 13th of October and illustrates the original costumes, accessories and other details of people particularly from 1850 to 1920. Moreover, the objects originally are not only from England but also from the US, Czech Republic, Australia, France, Canada, etc. The guides also turn on the old music related to those times, creating the atmosphere, as they also provide guests with imaginary situations, for example, tea-party in Victorian style. “People are usually surprised that they can be so close to everything and feel those times better,” says Zdenka Plchova the owner of the Old Times Museum. And they can also see how memorial cards looked like, or even a sample of the marriage certificate issued in the Kingdom of Scotland in the 19th century...
Prague-born Jewish novelist’s literary estate, including exercise book in which he practiced Hebrew, had been held by his sisters until Israel’s National Library won the ownership battle The National Library of Israel said on Wednesday it received the last part of a collection of Franz Kafka’s writings that it planned to put on line, after winning an ownership battle for part of the Prague-born Jewish novelist’s literary estate. The papers had been held by sisters Eva Hoffe and Ruth Wiesler, who argued they had legally inherited them from their mother, Esther Hoffe. She was secretary to Kafka’s friend, biographer and executor Max Brod, who ignored the German-language author’s dying wish to burn all his unpublished work. In one of his notebooks — revealed to the public for the first time in Jerusalem on Wednesday — he sketched a man lying in bed, perhaps depicting his own terminal illness and auguring the end. The drawing was a fitting, if grim, coda to a yearslong, labyrinthine legal battle over the author’s legacy nearly a century after his untimely death. Stefan Litt, the library’s curator of humanities, said the collection also included drawings. “Parts of them are known, others aren’t so – that’s maybe...
The picture above is not showing Hanavský pavilon, but the view from Hanavský pavilon. There is actually a restaurant in this peculiar structure, but I warn you right here not to try it. It is totally overpriced and in my experience, the personnel is not very friendly. And, on top of it, the view you can enjoy without going into the restaurant. However, the structure of the pavilion and its history are quite interesting. The structure was built as a promotion of an ironwork factory for the exhibition in 1891 and was considered a temporary structure which should last only for the time of the exhibition. However, it was considered a valuable technical development, and after the exhibition, it was disassembled and rebuilt in a present location in Letná park. It is the first structure in Prague built from a cast iron, concrete, and glass. It was designed in baroque style and it is surviving more than 128 years longer than originally planned. So I recommend visiting this place when the sun goes down because Prague during the last light of the day or just after sunset is beautiful. To check whether you would be interested in the pavilion structure itself, you...
Prague is a city filled with hidden gems, many of which harbor dark secrets. One such site is Dům U Zlaté Studně or ‘The House at the Golden Well.’ Today the building stands as a proud example of Prague’s rich cultural and artistic history, with its magnificent gardens and intricate frescoes. The name of the House at the Golden Well is derived from an old legend about the building. According to the legend, the well located beneath the building held hidden gold. The water in the well, which was located in the cellar, was rumored to have a strange golden glow and people believed that gold was hidden there. A housemaid named Ľubomíra was cleaning in the basement and she bent over to look down the well and get a better glimpse of the golden glow. But she slipped on the wet floor and fell down the well. Her desperate cries for help went unheard and she drowned in the well. After she was found, the law required that the well be cleaned. Cholera and plagues were common during this time and, therefore, the well had to be emptied and thoroughly cleaned to prevent disease. It is believed that the master of the...
In the ’30s, there used to be happy crowds, sportsmen and many parties here. Now it’s a jungle taking over a place that used to be a pool and the only thing visible is the devastated diving tower. And everybody knows Bazén Barrandov was here. I have seen the diving tower many times from a train or a car, and when I finally got here, I was really surprised. The pool used to be really big and deep (of course because of the tower) and even if there are wild plants and basically jungle all over the place today, you can still feel the old glory. This place used to be a top spot for the high society of the ’30s in Czechoslovakia. At the top of the hill, there used to be a nice restaurant called Barrandovské terasy and there used to be swimming competitions held in Bazén Barrandov, so many people used to come here for a trip from Prague, for a coffee or a bite or to watch the competition or just for a swim. After WW2, the glory of the pool slowly died, the water was too cold and it was too far away for everyday...
Prague Independent Film Festival (PIFF) opens its doors for the fourth time on August 5th. During 4 days visitors and residents of Prague will be able to see some of the best new films from all over the world presented by international filmmakers. Prague Independent Film Festival will be held for the fourth time in the Kino Pilotů cinema. The festival will screen films in a variety of different genres and styles. The festival will begin with an independent American film “Night Walk”, directed by Aziz Tazi, a Moroccan director from Los Angeles. It is a thrilling crime drama about a man wrongly imprisoned for the murder of his wife, with major film stars, such as Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, and Sean Stone. The film will be presented by the director himself. The film “Away from the Shore” from award winning Bulgarian director Kostadin Bonev, is a drama about a talented theater director who has been expelled from the capital for two years and has been sent to a small provincial theater. He aims to stage a play about people who are under constant surveillance and living in fear of punishment. Gradually, the nightmares of the play begin to take...
Located in a whimsical part of Prague that many tourists do not venture to, is the abandoned Vyšehrad Train Station. This Art Nouveau gem sits quietly in her old grandeur, a crumbling boarded up beauty laden with grafiti just waiting (like many other gorgeous structures in the city of Prague) for a new facelift. The neighborhood is beautiful as well as it is surrounded by the Cubist homes of Vyšehrad such as the Kovarovic Villa, the ancient Vyšehrad fortress, the fabled Vltava River and the Charles University Botanic Gardens. As it is no longer in use as a train station it could more than likely be used for a social complex with cafes, kiosks and gallery space. A bit of history… The project to build a railway station in the Vysehrad district was set up in 1867 in connection with the proposal to build the Prague connecting line. It was to connect the Smichov railway station with the railway station of Franz Joseph (today the main railway station). It was completed in 1870 and two years later, the operation on the intersection was commenced. In 1960, it was turned into a dump and since then the station building has been unused. After 1989...
New Town Hall and the Municipal District Prague 2 have prepared an interesting programme for the anniversary of the First Defenestration of Prague, running until the 31st of July. You can take part in guided tours, an open-air cinema in the New Town Hall courtyard and other events in Karlovo náměstí. As part of this notable commemoration, three guided tours of the New Town Hall will take place. During these tours, you will be able to visit places that are not commonly accessible to the public, such as the former prison and the Large Hall, whose windows the councillors were thrown from. You will also be able to visit ‘Konšelský salonek’ (a lounge for city councillors of the time), the historical Maazhaus, the Chapel and other areas of the tower, including a former tower guard’s apartment. If you succeed in climbing all 221 steps, you will be rewarded with an amazing view from the observation deck. From the almost-70-metre tall tower, you can even see Prague Castle. On the 30th of July, you will be able to step back in time to the year 1419 in Charles Square. Historical markets, Hussite weapons, traditional dance and music, and historical fencing performances will...
If you noticed a few works of modern art suddenly on the streets of Prague, you have stumbled across Sculpture Line, a project now in its sixth year.
From July 4trh to September 19th, Wallenstein Garden hosts classical music concerts every Thursday at 5.00 p.m. until September 26, 2019. You can listen for free to performing brass bands, choral groups, jazz bands and many others. The garden was created at the same time as the Wallenstein Palace in the early 17th century, in the lower part of the Malá Strana District. It displays a fine example of Mannerist layout and decoration, with very diverse sections. It is dominated by an aisle lined with bronze sculptures, an impressive Sala Terrena, and an amazing artificial grotto. During the last renovation in 2012, the appearance of the gardens was restored into the original state from 1920’s. July programme 4. 7. Chamber and ensemble variations by the Elementary Art School Odry – under the auspices of senator Jitka Seitlová 11. 7. Summer gospels by the ,,Duše zpívej” from Zlín under the baton of Roland Cham and Kevon Stevy Claire – under the auspices of senator Tomáš Goláň 18. 7. Veselá muzika Ratíškovice – under the auspices of senator Anna Hubáčková 25. 7. Anna Lukášová & Litera – under the auspices of senator Miroslav Adámek 27. 7. Commedia dell′arte from 4.00, 5.30 and 7 p.m. an open-air theatre and music performance, Chorea Historica and Enrico...
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