World War II was longer for the Czechs than for most European nations. The Czech lands were occupied by Nazi Germany from as early as March 15, 1939, and the first Czech town was liberated from the Nazis on April 12, 1945, less than a month before the German surrender. That town was Hodonín in South Moravia.…

Fifty years have passed since Václav Havel wrote his open letter to Gustáv Husák, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, titled “Dear Dr. Husák.” But is the document merely a relic of the past, or does it still hold significance in understanding the former totalitarian regime and the value of democracy …

Legiovlak created by the Czechoslovak Legionary Community, is a faithful replica of a legionary train from WWI, when the Czechoslovak Legions were engaged in war operations on the Trans-Siberian Railway in Russia. Over the past ten years, it has attracted over one million visitors.

The name ‘Casanova’ will most likely conjure up an image of an Italian adventurer, having numerous affairs with many women and getting into trouble with the law, not an image of a librarian in northern Bohemia. Yet this is in fact how the famous Venetian Giacomo Casanova ended up and lived out his final years.…

Thursday marks exactly 550 years since the foundation stone of Prague’s Powder Tower was laid. This grand Gothic gateway, once the entrance for coronation processions of Czech kings, remains one of the city's most iconic medieval landmarks.

A major exhibition dedicated to the legendary Mongolian ruler Chinggis Khan opened this week at Prague’s National Museum. Showcasing more than 260 rare items from Mongolia, many of which are seldom seen abroad, the exhibition includes an extraordinary highlight—a unique wooden horse saddle from the Great Mongol Empire.…

Exactly fifty years ago, Olga Hepnarová became the last woman to be executed in Czechoslovakia. Her case still haunts the Czech public imagination. It was one of the most shocking crimes in Czechoslovakia's post-war history.

Even after nearly eight decades, the circumstances surrounding the death of Jan Masaryk remain unclear. The son of Czechoslovakia’s first president and the country's top diplomat died on March 10, 1948, just weeks after the Communist coup d’état.

At the height of his career in the 1960s, jazz legend Louis Armstrong embarked on a tour across eastern Europe. Czechoslovakia was both the first and longest destination for the American trumpeter and singer. In March 1965, he spent 10 days in Prague, performing nine sold-out concerts at Lucerna with his band, the All Stars. The feat was unusual fo…

Led by the Soviet Union’s Red Army, the Moravia–Ostrava offensive was the largest combat operation on the territory of modern-day Czechia. It lasted almost two months, from March 10th to May 6h 1945, and approximately 400,000 soldiers were deployed. In our anniversary series '80 years ago: How did WWII end in the Czech lands?', we look at the event…

Prehistoric mammoth hunters who moved across the Czech lands roughly 30,000 years ago are being tracked today by Olomouc scientists. By mapping ancient deposits of worked flint, they have found that the hunters could move over distances of one hundred kilometres or more.

Born Peter Löw in 1935 in Karlovy Vary, Gidon Lev survived with his mother during the Shoah, after four years of internment in Terezín/Theresienstadt, while 26 members of his family were killed. After the war, he left Czechoslovakia in 1948, first to New York, then to Toronto and settled in Israel in the late 1950s. After he published two books wit…

Jacob Mikanowski is a historian, author, and journalist who has written the book Goodbye, Eastern Europe: An Intimate History of a Divided Land. A Czech translation of the book has been published in early 2025. Mikanowski takes us through Czechoslovakia's uniquely complex but, at the same time, intriguing history. From its diverse ethnic roots at t…

The post-war expulsion of Sudeten Germans from the Czech borderlands changed the face of the region. Homes and property were confiscated, and hundreds of thousands of German graves were forcibly abandoned. Some municipalities are struggling to preserve the legacy, but most have given up on the task. Now, thanks to a multi-million crown subsidy from…

The world of aviation has long captured the imagination, but the profession is still dominated by men. That said, the field has come a long way since the first Czech woman pilot, Božena Laglerová, became the thirteenth woman pilot in the world in 1911. Fast forward one hundred years, the field is still overrepresented by men. Major Kateřina Hlavsov…

Half a century ago, it was the pride of Czechoslovakia’s maritime fleet. Now, the cargo ship Třinec, the last surviving Czechoslovak ocean vessel, is set to be scrapped. However, parts of the ship will hopefully be brought back to its homeland.

On February 14th 1945, a deadly bombing raid claimed hundreds of lives when the city of Prague became an unexpected target of the US Army Air Forces. In this first part of our series '80 years ago: How did WWII end in the Czech lands?', we examine the events of that terrible day in Prague’s twentieth-century history.…

Antonín Fajkus, a war veteran and fighter pilot from World War II, has died at the age of 101. A native of South Moravia, Fajkus spent most of his life in the U.S., and served in the legendary U.S. Air Force's 40th Fighter Squadron, known as the “Red Devils”. His extraordinary story remained unknown to the public until last year.…

For the first time ever, one of the world’s most famous fossils is coming to Europe. The fossilized remains of Lucy, a 3.18-million-year-old human ancestor, will go on display at Prague’s National Museum in August, giving visitors a unique opportunity to see these priceless relics up close.

Noah Breuer is an American artist with a personal connection to Czech history. His ancestors owned a textile factory in Dvůr Králové, which was confiscated during World War II, and most of his Jewish family perished in the Holocaust. In 2016, Breuer discovered fabric swatches from the factory in Czech archives, inspiring a series of artworks in tex…

Archaeologists in Ústí nad Labem in northern Bohemia have made a unique discovery: a mammoth hunting camp from the Old Stone Age. The site, covered with thousands of animal bones, includes remains of at least 13 woolly mammoths and other Pleistocene fauna, along with artefacts crafted by prehistoric people.…

Police have reopened the case of the death of former Foreign Minister Jan Masaryk who died on the eve of March 10, 1948. Originally believed to be a suicide, the Office for Documentation and Investigation of Crimes of Communism (ÚDV), a unit of the Czech Police, now suspects murder, based on newly obtained documents from the diplomatic archives of …

Prague may be known for its many gothic structures, medieval alleyways, quaint parks, and bustling pubs. But “the city of a hundred spires” has a darker side too. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, brutal murders and prostitution shocked the capital’s residents. Tour guide for Prague City Tourism Marek Kovář took Radio Prague for a tour of…

Eighty years ago, Allied forces reached and entered the now-infamous Auschwitz concentration camp. The event provided the date for the modern International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which offers Czechia a chance to reflect on the horrors of the Holocaust, and to consider what work still needs to be done.…

Archaeologists in Jindřichův Hradec have made a unique discovery. During reconstruction work at the castle brewery, they uncovered exceptionally well-preserved furnaces dating back to the late 18th century.

Jiří Klůc is a young historian with a profound interest in World War II history and particularly in forgotten war heroes scattered the world over. With time fast running out for the last remaining survivors, he feels compelled to find them and tell their stories to the public. When he visited Radio Prague’s studio we talked about what sparked his i…

Archaeologists in Prague have uncovered one of Europe's largest mass burial sites from the Seven Years' War. The discovery, made in the courtyard of the historic Břevnov Monastery, reveals the skeletal remains of over 1,000 soldiers, offering a rare glimpse into the harsh realities of 18th-century warfare.…

A newly restored historic Mevro tram, a distant relative of the legendary trams in Milan, can now be seen roaming the streets of Prague. The 76-year-old veteran is running along one of Prague's historic routes, attracting tourists and locals alike.

Archaeologists in northern Bohemia have announced a unique discovery. While conducting a rescue excavation during the construction of an emergency services call centre, they uncovered evidence of a Neanderthal settlement, dating back between 126,000 and 115,000 years BC.

On Thursday, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský received the seal and stamp symbolizing the termination of the Warsaw Pact from Hana Hlaváčková, President of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute, which has been their custodian until now. The handover took place at the opening of the Foreign Ministry's traditional year-end event, held to thank partners, in…

On Thursday, Czech Radio Vltava will premiere the documentary Postscriptum of Bedřich Smetana. Created by Tomáš Dufka, head of the radio archive, the project examines pivotal political and social events, such as the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, through the lens of Smetana's music, which left a powerful legacy after the composer's death. The d…

A unique racing car from the early 1900s, built by Laurin & Klement—the company that later became Škoda—is set to be auctioned off in Miami next year. The Type S2 Sportswagen, with its groundbreaking design, has been preserved in its original, unrestored condition, making it a rare find for collectors.…

Antonín Dvořák, one of the most celebrated composers of the 19th century, is not only associated with his birthplace Nelahozeves but also with Vysoká u Příbrami, where he spent many summers. During these stays, he was a regular visitor to the nearby church in Třebsko, attending morning mass. In 1894, Dvořák donated a set of organ pipes to the churc…

With less than a year to go before the general elections, President Petr Pavel is calling on Czechs to listen more to one another.

On Sunday November 17th, within the splendour of the National Theatre in Prague, five individuals were honoured as this year’s recipients of the Memory of Nations Awards. President Pavel was also in attendance at the gala event.

In October, the team at Charles Games, the creators of such games as Playing Kafka and Attentat 1942, released Velvet 89, an immersive and educational experience that invites players to turn investigator in five cities across Czechoslovakia. Ahead of the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Velvet Revolution on November 17th, Danny Bate spoke to designe…

Eighty years ago, U.S. pilot William L. Kiggins was killed during a combat mission over Brno, becoming the only American soldier to die in the Moravian capital during World War II. On Wednesday, the American Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Bijan Sabet received the skeletal remains found at the crash site a few years ago, believed to belong to the…

Archaeologists from the Moravian city of Brno have reported an unprecedented discovery. During a rescue excavation in the broader city center, they unearthed the bones of at least three mammoths, alongside remains from other animals. They also discovered tools from prehistoric people who hunted these animals approximately 15,000 years ago.…

Czechia approaches the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution and end of Communism in 1989. To commemotrate the historic milestone, Freedom Week kicks off in Prague.

November 11th is Armistice Day, the international commemoration of the end of the First World War, which offers us today an opportunity to remember and honour those who have given their lives in combat. In the United Kingdom, the day is accompanied by Remembrance Sunday, and its distinctly British acts of remembrance will be taking place in Prague …

This October marks 80 years since the Battle of the Dukla Pass, a fierce World War II clash on the Polish-Slovak border, where Nazi Germany and Soviet forces fought for control of the Dukla Pass. Nearly 2,000 Czechoslovak soldiers, fighting alongside the Soviets, died in the battle, but over 600 of them remain unlisted on any memorial.…

On October 28th, Czechia celebrates 106 years since the declaration of Czechoslovakia as an independent state. Historian and political scientist Jan Adamec walked us through the history of the new country's heads of state, from its first to its last.

Archaeologists at the Comenius Museum in Přerov have revealed to the public an ancient sword from the Bronze Age, found by accident in a field close to the city. The sword was a star exhibit at the museum’s recent exhibition about metal detecting.

Archaeologists from the Olomouc Archaeological Centre have announced a unique discovery. While conducting a rescue excavation along the future route of the D35 motorway, they unearthed the largest Early Bronze Age burial site of the so-called Nitra culture unearthed to date in Central Moravia.

In the German state of Brandenburg, a mighty circular fortress, a replica of a Slavic castle from the ninth or tenth century, has been acquired by a Czech owner. Care of the historical attraction has passed into the hands of David Chmelík, who emigrated from Czechoslovakia in the 1990s.

To mark the 600th anniversary of the death of the famous Czech warrior Jan Žižka of Trocnov, an international scientific team led by Brazilian 3D expert Cícer Moraes has created a digital model of his face. As a basis, experts used the so-called Čáslav calva, part of a skull considered to be an authentic relic of the Hussite warlord.…

A unique songbook marking the upcoming anniversary of the Velvet Revolution has just been released in Czechia. Initiated by the NGO Díky, že můžem or Thanks, that we can, it contains 17 tracks that capture the spirit of their time, from underground and protest songs to communist-era mainstream hits.

Czechia has given the world many notable figures. However, no Czech has garnered as much respect worldwide in recent history as Prague-born Václav Havel.

A Plzeň building partly designed by the modernist architect Adolf Loos, in which the surrender of the German garrison occurred on May 6th 1945, is set to be renovated and repurposed. The dilapidated building is set to become a new museum all about the events of that fateful year in Plzeň.

Her life story is a story of courage and survival. Jaroslava Skleničková was just 16 when she was sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp by the Nazis with her mother and older sister. Her father was executed, along with the other men from Lidice. Despite this terrible experience, which haunted her for the rest of her life, she found the strengt…