Portal:Czech Republic

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Welcome to the Czech Portal!
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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A monument to the battle on the Slovak side of the Dukla Pass.

The Battle of the Dukla Pass, also known as the Dukla, Carpatho–Dukla, Rzeszów–Dukla, or Dukla–Prešov offensive, was the battle for control over the Dukla Pass on the border between Poland and Slovakia on the Eastern Front of World War II between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in September–October 1944. It was part of the Soviet East Carpathian strategic offensive that also included the Carpathian–Uzhgorod offensive. The operation's primary goal, to provide support for the Slovak rebellion, was not achieved, but it concluded the full liberation of the Ukrainian SSR.

The German resistance in the eastern Carpathian region was much stronger than expected. The battle which began on 8 September would not see the Soviet forces on the other side of the pass until 6 October, and German forces would stop their heavy resistance in the region only around 10 October. Five days to Prešov turned into fifty days to Svidník alone with over 70,000 casualties on both sides. Prešov that was to be reached in six days remained beyond the Czechoslovaks' grasp for four months. The battle would be counted among the most bloody in the entire Eastern Front and the history of Slovakia; one of the valleys in the pass, near the villages of Kapišová, Chyrowa, Iwla and Głojsce, would become known as the "Valley of Death". (Full article...)

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The town of Litoměřice with the cathedral of St Stephen, in the Ústí nad Labem Region

Photographer: Karelj; License: Public domain

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In this month

2 June 1541 – A fire destroys much of Malá Strana and the northern part of Prague Castle
10 June 1348 – The foundation stone of Karlštejn Castle (pictured) is laid
20 June 1976 – The Czechoslovakia national football team win UEFA Euro 1976
23 June 1955 – The first national Spartakiad is held, marking ten years after the nation's liberation at the end of World War II
30 June 1945 – State security service StB is established

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Bedřich Smetana (/ˌbɛdərʒɪx ˈsmɛtənə/ BED-ər-zhikh SMET-ə-nə, Czech: [ˈbɛdr̝ɪx ˈsmɛtana] ^ⓘ; 2 March 1824 – 12 May 1884) was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style that became closely identified with his people's aspirations to a cultural and political "revival". He has been regarded in his homeland as the father of Czech music. Internationally he is best known for his 1866 opera The Bartered Bride and for the symphonic cycle Má vlast ("My Fatherland"), which portrays the history, legends and landscape of the composer's native Bohemia. It contains the famous symphonic poem "Vltava", also popularly known by its German name "Die Moldau" (in English, "The Moldau").

Smetana was naturally gifted as a composer, and gave his first public performance at the age of six. After conventional schooling, he studied music under Josef Proksch in Prague. His first nationalistic music was written during the 1848 Prague uprising, in which he briefly participated. After failing to establish his career in Prague, he left for Sweden, where he set up as a teacher and choirmaster in Gothenburg, and began to write large-scale orchestral works. (Full article...)

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