Intervision began as the Eastern bloc alternative to Eurovision, initiated by Czechoslovakia鈥檚 national television broadcaster. Though the initial contest lasted four years, it was abruptly ended by 鈥淣ormalization鈥 in Czechoslovakia. The Intervision concept gets picked up by Poland鈥檚 broadcaster for their Sopot International Festival, where it lasts four more years before being interrupted by political upheaval, yet again. Though the future of Intervision is uncertain, its past is worth a look for the intersection between art and politics.
Letna Carousel
Casanova's time in Bohemia
Giacomo Girolamo Casanova, a man whose name has become synonymous with womanizing, spent his final years and composed a rich autobiography in Bohemia. His life began in Venice, Italy where he spent most of his childhood, including the discovery of romance, with the daughter of Gozzi. Due to the trouble Casanova ran into in Venice, he eventually settled in Prague, where he met Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Edvard 叠别苍别拧 (28 May 1884 - 3 September 1948)
Edvard 叠别苍别拧 was born in Kozlany, Bohemia during the Austro-Hungarian Empire鈥檚 rule, but by October 14, 1918, he lived in a different nation, as the empire collapsed in place of the then-new Czechoslovakia. He served as the council chairman for the League of Nations to support the balance of powers in Eastern Europe, creating the 鈥淟ittle Entente.鈥 Eventually, 叠别苍别拧 would succeed Masaryk as the Czechoslovakian president, faced with the threat of Germany, and the rest is history.
Palach Week
Jan Palach was a Charles University student who protested the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia and the Warsaw Pact by self-immolation. His protest inspired further protests, including a hunger strike in Wenceslas Square. These protests further inspired resistance throughout the rest of Prague, and then Europe.