Velvet Revolution

Karel Zeman: Czech Film Director and Animator

Legendary Czech film director, screenwriter, artist, and animator, Karel Zeman is known for creating fantasy and science fiction films.

Jiřina Šiklová: Sociologist, Gender Studies Professor, and Dissident

Jiřina Šiklová was a Czech leader in the communist Party of Czechoslovakia. She is known for her bold opinions on politics and humanism, and co-founded the Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University.

Oldřich Kulhánek and the Czech Koruna

Oldřich Kulhánek was a Czech artist and critic of the Communist Regime best known for his work on designing the current Czech banknotes.

A History of Czech Feminism

The once egalitarian, agrarian society of Bohemia became ruled by the Hapsburg Dynasty, causing a regression in women’s rights until Christianity helped improve their lives. The National Revival brought the creation of Czechoslovakia and greater rights for women. When communism came, rights improved in some ways and did not in others. The change to a capitalistic democracy brought further changes.

Karlovy Vary Film Festival

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, or KVIFF, hosts about 200 films from around the world and is the oldest film festival. Located in Karlovy Very, Czech Republic, the film festival is held annually in July and is the most prestigious festival in Central and Eastern Europe, boasting a popular feature film competition.

Meda Mladkova

Meda Mladkova was a patron of the arts who helped support Czech artists stuck behind the Iron Curtain. She trained to be a dancer but decided to leave Czechoslovakia after witnessing how terribly the Germans who remained in the country were treated at the end of the Second World War.

Czech Beer : A Brief History

Czech Beer : A Brief History

From the Brevnov Monastery to the modern-day Pilsner, the Czech people have been enjoying beer for over a thousand years. Known as the beer of tradition, Czech beer is ingrained into history itself.

Vaclav Havel

Vaclav Havel

Czechoslovakia’s First President: an Author and an Activist

Mother's Day in Czechia: Charlotte Masaryk

Mother's Day in Czechia: Charlotte Masaryk

Learn more about the Inspiration for Mother’s Day in the Czech Republic

Ten Popular Breweries in the Czech Republic

Ten Popular Breweries in the Czech Republic

Ten small breweries in the Czech Republic that you should Czech out!

The Dancing House of Prague

The Dancing House of Prague

The architectural style of Prague is typically characterized by gothic spires and neo-classical buildings, yet one structure stands apart from the rest. The Dancing House has a much more modern exterior, made up of curving lines of glass and concrete.

Věra Čáslavská: Athlete and Activist

Věra Čáslavská: Athlete and Activist

Athletes have long been using their high-visibility platforms to comment on social issues and raise awareness. Věra Čáslavská, a gymnast from the now Czech Republic, is not only famous for her unparalleled success at the Olympic Games but her strong stance against the Soviet invasion of her country.

Prague Spring

Prague Spring

In January of 1968, a season of reformation had begun to blossom in a country located in the Iron Curtain's shadow. This movement in Czechoslovakia where government leaders pushed for greater freedom for its citizens came to be known as Prague Spring.