Olga Hepnarová, the last woman to ever be executed by the Czechoslovakian government, was put to death for killing 8 people with a truck on July 10th, 1973. Background Olga Hepnarová was born on June 30, 1951, to a middle-class family in Prague. Her father was a bank clerk, her mother a dentist. She did quite well at school but as she grew older she found it hard to communicate with her parents and classmates. Later she claimed that she could hardly approach people and that the world was her enemy. In 1964, at the age of 13, she attempted suicide by taking an overdose and spent a year in a psychiatric hospital. The rest of her teens passed without incident, but, as a young adult, she became obsessed by feelings of hatred for both her family and society as a whole, and was reported to have heard voices, according to several sources. The crime. Prior to the murder, on June 7th, 1973, Olga had sent a letter to two newspapers explaining her action as revenge for all the perceived hatred against her by her family and the world. But due to the slowness of the postal system, the letter...
Part of Prague’s allure is its varied history—the city has been the center of countries and wars. But Prague’s other standout feature is its beauty: short white buildings with red roofs, sky-high ancient church spires, green trees dotting the landscape, and a river lined with bridges. From hundreds of years ago until now, the truly breathtaking sights of Prague have made it a favorite city of people from all backgrounds. Here, 10 visual reasons why. The pictures are credited to Zikmund Reach, photographer, and antiquarian book store owner.
Dršťková Dršťková is a traditional Czech tripe soup consisting of beef tripe braised in generous amounts of onions and sweet paprika. Although it has numerous regional varieties, this hearty soup typically has a thick consistency, a light red color, and a slightly spicy flavor. Occasionally, pieces of smoked meat or sausages are incorporated into the soup. Tripe soup is often served in traditional pubs and usually comes accompanied with slices of crispy buttered bread. In Slovakia, it appears in a similar form and is better known as držková polievka. Křížaly This popular Czech snack is prepared with pitted and sliced apples that are slowly air-dried or dehydrated in the oven. Depending on the size and cut, their texture varies from thin and crispy to thick and chewy. Although they are most commonly enjoyed as a quick and healthy snack, křížaly can be used as a nutritious addition to porridges and various desserts, or as festive Christmas decorations. Tuzemák This traditional Czech drink was invented in the 19th century as a substitute for the original Caribbean rum. It is usually distilled from potatoes or sugar beets to create a base that is then enriched with rum essence. The drink was initially...
Jaroslav Hašek, the bohemian who became famous as the author of one of the most famous and later the most translated Czech books – The Good Soldier Švejk – died 100 years ago. The Prague-born Jaroslav Hašek, who wrote hundreds of short stories and feuilletons, is rightly considered one of the most significant Czech humorists. He led a very turbulent life and travelled half of Europe. During his life, he had many adventures and wrote down many incredible stories, which he drew on for his writing. His crowning achievement is the 1921 novel The Good Soldier Švejk. This brilliant work, which booksellers refused to sell officially because they considered it “vulgar, unintelligent and rude”, was eventually translated into almost 60 languages. Hašek did not have time to finish the second part of the book nor to celebrate his 40th birthday. He died on 3 January 1923 in Lipnice nad Sázavou in the Vysočina Region. The character of Švejk was created before the First World War. The first play, written by J. Hašek, was called “Fortress”, and it featured some hard-working but foolish servant of Emperor Charles IV, Josef Švejk, trying to take over the fortress of Monfalcone. He obeyed every...
Prague City Tourism (PCT) will celebrate its 65th anniversary and hold several cultural and educational events for residents and visitors to the city. One of them will be guided tours of Prague’s main towers, which can be visited for the symbolic price of CZK 65. The campaign will start on February 11, 2023, from the Old Town Hall tower and will run gradually every weekend until Easter, April 10. For CZK 65, you can visit seven of Prague’s main towers, as well as the mirror maze on Petřín: Lesser Town Bridge Towers New Mill Water Tower Petřín lookout tower Powder Tower Old Town Bridge Tower St Nicholas Bell Tower Old Town Hall Tower + Mirror Maze on Petrin Hill Part of the visit will include a free guide who will explain guests the history of a particular site. The detailed schedule of the event will be published by PCT at a later date. The entrance fee to one of the Prague towers is 150 CZK on a regular basis.
Prague is set to see the goodbye concert of Kiss, a return of Maroon 5 and the first-ever visit of Jack Black’s Tenacious D. He is breaking musical records and rewriting the history of what is possible in the music business – for example, when he sold out 100,000 tickets in ten minutes before the release of his debut album. We are talking about the British singer Lewis Capaldi, who will perform at Prague’s O2 Arena on 17 February. The same location will host on 21 February, the English singer-songwriter and guitarist George Ezra. After three years, Maroon 5 will return to Prague with their charismatic singer Adam Levine. For their concert this year, they chose the airport in Prague’s Letňany. They will perform there on 21 June. Less than two months later, the five-time Grammy Award-winning Canadian R&B singer The Weeknd will attract tens of thousands of fans to the same venue. He will bring to the capital a world show called After Hours til Dawn. June will see Kiss perform its 10th concert in the Czech Republic and, since this is part of the legendary band’s End of the Road World Tour, it’s guaranteed to be an epic...
Reduta Jazz Club is an iconic music venue in Prague with a wide international reputation. The first of its kind in Europe, Reduta’s history tells of the enduring and passionate traits of Czech culture. We take a look at the history of this revolutionary venue. Reduta Jazz Club was born out of the turbulent 20th century in the then Czechoslovakia. During these dramatic years, Europe faced two World Wars, The Cold War and many more conflicts that destroyed, repressed and severely altered the cultural landscapes of the area. In the middle of this, the Czech Republic was forced to continually reinvent itself, redefining its borders and political allies, and it was from this atmosphere of uncertainty that Reduta came to life. The first of its kind in Europe, Reduta opened its doors in 1957 through a commitment to art from the owner and other aspiring artists in Prague. From its opening onwards, Reduta Jazz Club became an icon in Prague. It represented a place of expression in a time of political conformity, and this bred some of the most exciting jazz and cabaret performances of the time. The signature performance style here was the ‘Text-Appeals’: literary cabaret that fused improvisations in both words and...
Veselé Vánoce! It’s Christmas Eve, traditionally the most important day for Czechs in this holiday season of good cheer. It is on this day that Christmas presents are exchanged – left under the tree by Ježíšek (the Baby Jesus) – following a meal of fried carp and potato salad. Known as Štědrý den, or “generous day”, December 24 is traditionally a day for fasting before feasting (in that no meat is served). And for generations of Czechs, it is also a time for enjoying televised fairytales about princes and paupers, damsels and devils. During the totalitarian regime, the Soviets attempted to foist a Russian Christmas character upon the Czechs. This kindly gent, known as “Grandfather Frost”, held a position similar to that of Santa Claus. Grandfather was thoroughly rejected in the country, and now, the Czechs are waging the same sort of battle against Jolly Old St. Nicholas. While they have no objection to Santa Claus being the center of holiday celebrations in other countries, the tradition here is for Ježíšek to bring presents to children. Eventually, families round off their dinner by singing carols at the table and then move towards the Christmas tree. However, the children will have...
Everybody in the Czech Republic knows about this custom: who fasts on Christmas Eve will see a golden pig in the evening. But what are its origins? Adherence to traditions belongs to Christmas. With them, the holidays gain their charm. Perhaps every Czech knows the Christmas custom of the apparition of the Golden Pig. What does the Golden Pig symbolize? The origin of this symbol of Christmas has been shown back to pre-Christian times when pagans celebrated the winter solstice instead of this Christmas. Typical symbols of the solar cult included a pig, which people connected with abundance and prosperity. The golden colour is a symbol of the departure of winter and the rule of the Sun. Only those who fasted all day long can view the Golden Pig on Christmas Eve. The pig usually appears with the first star in the sky, when the family is also to sit down for Christmas dinner. Before dinner, parents usually show children a piggy bank using reflections of light from a mirror. The Golden Pig is a Christmas classic, even in the form of Christmas decorations. It is mostly children who try to not eat anything all day long and wait impatiently for that moment when they finally see the Golden Pig. On the other hand, adults usually give up the attempts and...
According to the State Veterinary Administration spokesman Petr Vorlíček, about 3000 points of sale have been registered in the Czech Republic. Compared to last year the number has slightly increased. There are approximately 210 points in Prague. The country’s largest fish farms in South Bohemia have raised prices for Christmas carp by an average of CZK 10-30. It is a forced measure associated with an increase in production costs amid high inflation. The industry leader, Rybářství Třeboň, has recommended its wholesale customers to set the retail price at CZK 140 per kilo (CZK 20 more than last year). The company published a list of addresses of certified retailers. You can find it here. For the first time, supermarket chain Lidl is not selling this year live carps in front of its stores for “humane reasons”. The tradition of eating carp for Christmas is particularly alive and well in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland. But some families in Hungary, Austria, Germany and Croatia may also be fond of it and indulge in that delicacy at Christmas time. According to most, this tradition dates back to the Middle Ages. “Fish became popular for Christmas Eve dinner during the 13th century, because Catholics considered fish as...
Every European country has its own spin on the classic Christmas cookies, but in the Czech Republic, they’re a time-honored (and time-intensive) tradition. If you’ve ever been to a Czech home over the holidays, chances are you’ve been inundated with plate upon plate of fresh, homemade Czech Christmas cookies made from recipes dating back generations of grandmothers. But seasoned pros know you don’t just go diving in: delicious as each may be, not all Czech Christmas cookies are equal. 10. Vanilkové rohlíčky (Vanilla rolls) If you’ve ever come across a tray of Christmas cookies after it has been picked clean, chances are a bunch of these are still there. There’s a reason for that: while Vanilkové rohlíčky are easily the most common Czech Christmas cookies, they are also live up to their name: typically dry and somewhat bland (though good with a cup of coffee) they can pale next to some of their more interesting companions. 9. Máslové kokosky (Coconut Cookies) Traditional butter cookies usually made with a hearty helping of the namesake ingredient, these can move up higher on the list based on your fondness for coconut. Chocolate base not usually present. 8. Pracny Alongside Vanilkové rohlíčky, these seem...
A 2022 survey by the Swiss international education company EF Education First, which measures the English proficiency of people in 112 non-English speaking countries and regions, found that over the last year Czech had improved their English, most notably those in their forties. The Czech Republic ranked 23rd with 575 points. The survey gathered and analyzed data from free tests taken online by a total of 2.1 million people worldwide for EF’s English Proficiency Index. By region, 35% of test takers were from Europe, 24% from Asia, 20% from Central and South America, 20% from Africa, and 12% from the Middle East. The median age was 25. After a significant drop from 19th place last year to 27th, Czechs have returned to the level they have been at since the first survey. This shows that they have been stagnating in English for at least the last eleven years. The level of proficiency is still generally high, so Czechs can present themselves in English at work, understand TV programs, or read newspapers without particular difficulty. However, all neighboring countries rank significantly higher than the Czech Republic, with Austria ranking third. Slovakia ranks 15th, – just one step away from moving into...
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