Radio Prague International - Topic «History»

Apr 11 2025 73 ep. 6 mins 1.1k

Radio Prague International - Topic «History» Podcast artwork

Radio Prague International - Topic «History»

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April 12, 1945: First Czech town liberated from Nazi occupation

Apr 11 2025 5 mins

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.

50 years since Havel’s “Dear Dr. Husák”: How Czech archive keeps memory of Communism alive in 21st century

Apr 08 2025 2 mins

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 today?

Legionary train replica sets off on annual tour of Czech towns and cities

Apr 02 2025 3 mins

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.

Lover, libertine, Czech librarian? Exploring Giacomo Casanova’s final years in Bohemia with Professor Leo Damrosch

Apr 01 2025 11 mins

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.

Prague’s Powder Tower celebrates 550 years

Mar 20 2025 3 mins

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.

Chinggis Khan exhibition brings rare Mongolian treasures to Prague

Mar 13 2025 3 mins

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.

Olga Hepnarová: the last woman executed in Czechoslovakia

Mar 12 2025 3 mins

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.

British, French, and US archives help reopen Jan Masaryk’s death investigation

Mar 11 2025 5 mins

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.

60 years ago, Louis Armstrong captivates Prague on European tour

Mar 10 2025 3 mins

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 for the famed musician’s career an

80 years ago: The Moravia–Ostrava offensive, the bloodiest battles on Czech soil

Mar 10 2025 12 mins

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 events and the significance of this