Recognized as a Communist state since 1948, Czechoslovakia was under strict government control that limited citizens’ access to culture beyond its borders, including Western rock ‘n’ roll. To suppress local access to Western music, the government jammed radio signals and banned Western albums as sellable products in local markets. They even permitted Czech artists, such as Karel Gott and Jiří Korn, to cover popular Western rock ‘n’ roll songs in Czech to divert attention from the West.

However, the government’s efforts were futile.

Instead of yielding themselves to the government, Czechs developed sneaky yet effective methods to consume and circulate Western music. One method frequently used was ‘magnitizdat’-- the unofficial process of recording and copying music often distributed under the government’s nose.

Using ‘magnitizdat’ was an opportunity for Czechs to empower themselves by controlling their access to popular culture. This was considered a necessary practice as many risked the danger of persecution and imprisonment to have some semblance of self-autonomy.

Though the process of ‘magnitizdat’ and its circulation was intrinsically anti-communist, the underground music scene took a more visible political stance against the regime following the Soviet bloc invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968. This invasion dismantled the reforms established in early 1968 that loosened the government’s restriction on speech and press, and instead enforced a period of “normalization” that strengthened the Communist regime once more.

In response to this “normalization” period, Czech musical artists took it upon themselves to create their own rock ‘n’ roll music that defied the communist regime.

One of the most influential Czech rock ‘n’ roll bands recognized for their non-conformist attitude was The Plastic People of the Universe, or the PPU. Created in 1968, the group lost its government-approved license to perform music because the band lacked a Czech name and didn’t sing Czech lyrics, which was against the law. As a result, the PPU were forced to become a rebel band, performing secret, unannounced gigs at weddings, school dances, and more. While the PPU didn’t perform songs with obvious political messages, they sparked political movements and discussions by operating against the law and performing illegal shows, often resulting in police violence and imprisonment for both the band and their fans.

Beyond their music, the PPU helped form Charter 77, a manifesto signed by 242 politicians, writers, musicians, and intellectuals calling on the Czech government to honor the basic human rights conventions outlined by the United Nations and Helsinki Accords. The creation of Charter 77 ultimately served as the foundation for the Velvet Revolution in 1989, leading to the overthrow of the communist regime.

Another politically influential Czech rock ‘n’ roll band was Katapult. While the PPU opposed the communist regime through performance, Katapult’s lead singer, Oldřich Říha, was well known for occasionally speaking out against the government during shows, leading to banned performances. To combat this, Katapult sometimes performed under the name Studiova skupina Oldricha Rihy to continue playing music.

The Plastic People of the Universe and Katapult are only two out of many influential Czech rock ‘n’ roll bands who performed underground to keep their voices and artistic visions alive. By performing outside the parameters of the communist government and participating in ‘magnitizdat’, Czechs used music as a means of opposing the censorship policies imposed on the population and to, ultimately, encourage political change.

After the Communist Party ceased its control of the Czech government in 1989, music became less restricted as Czech musical artists were allowed to sing in English once more, and Western artists were allowed to perform in the country. 

Rock ‘n’ roll was a genre of music that helped to lead political change in Czechoslovakia. Today, the genre remains largely popular but with less charged political implications and, instead, embracing its freedom of expression.

Written by Ryan Banda

Sources: 

Beaumont, Mark. “The Plastic People of the Universe: How the violent suppression of a rock band led to the revolution of Czechoslovakia.” Independent, . Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Dana. “Communism in Czechoslovakia: How It All Started and Ended.” Prague Behind The Scenes, . Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

ÐorCevic, Vladimir. Sabrina P. Ramet. “The three phases of rock music in the Czech lands.” Communist and Post-Communist Studies, vol. 52, no. 1, Feb. 2019, pp. 59-70, . Accessed 01 Mar. 2025.

, Pavla. Jan Velinger. Ian Willoughby. “A brief look at ‘protest’ music plus the underground scene in Czechoslovakia from 1968-1989.” Radio Prague International, . Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Kennedy, Brian. “Underground under Communism: It wasn’t only rock ‘n’ roll – and Czechs liked it.” Radio Prague International, . Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Kot, Greg. “rock and roll.” Britannica, . Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Their remains were first found in August 2018, hidden in a storeroom within the church walls of St. Stephen in Olomouc’s Hradisko monastery. Locked away was a burial chest covered in extravagant artwork, where the identities of five out of seven skeletal remains were conclusive. They were finally identified after extensive DNA and radiocarbon test work by archaeologist Jan Frolík and his team from the Archeological Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences. It was noted that this was the first time that a whole section of the Přemyslid family was able to be identified and recorded, as preserved remains of the family are rare, and those previously found, such as in Ratibora, Poland, were found to be too contaminated for proper examination.

The Přemyslid dynasty notably first came into power in what is now Bohemia with the rise of Princess Libuse and her husband Přemysl in the 10th century. He held no royal lineage and instead previously worked as a field plowman, but his name, regardless, would come to define their family. Přemysl the Ploughsman had a legendary reputation that became a tale passed down through generations. It tells a story of how Libuse came upon a vision where she saw herself marrying a commoner instead of a noble, which came to be Přemysl. From that same vision, she would found the city of Prague at what would become the fort of Vyšehrad near the river Vltava. 

Their descendants would grow in power and reach the height of their power as kings by the mid-12th century, with their reign extending past Bohemia to cover large swaths of Europe, covering parts of Austria and extending to the edges of Hungary and Poland. Their influence was mainly consolidated in Moravia, however, with Olomouc remaining the capital of the region for centuries to come. The Přemyslid family would remain in control over Bohemia and their territories until the untimely murder of King Wenceslas III on August 4, 1306, at just 16 years old, thus ending a reign that lasted over four and a half centuries. 

Those buried included Olomouc prince Otto I the Handsome (1045-1087), reportedly named for his stunning looks, and his wife Euphemia (1050s-1111), a member of the Árpád dynasty of Hungary and daughter of Hungarian King Béla I (1015-1063). Otto I himself was born in Prague to Duke Bretislav I (1002/5-1055) and Jitka of Svinibrod (1003-1058). Although he was the youngest of his siblings, the helm of rulership as Duke of Bohemia went to him after his father passed away amid another invasion of Hungary, and later to his brother Spytihněv II, who died in 1061. Although he shared control with his brother Vratislaus II, Duke Otto I and his sibling resisted Vratislaus II's attempts to consolidate control for himself. Otto I would rule over Olomouc from 1067 until his death in 1087. 

They would go on to found the Hradisko monastery in 1078, whose church would eventually bury their remains. The monastery was established by then-Duke Otto I as a way of commemorating Saint Stephen, originally noted in the Bible as the first Christian to be killed and martyred for his service to Jesus Christ. As one of the first monasteries to be established in Moravia, it was staffed at first by Benedictine monks led by Bishop John of Olomouc. They were later expelled and replaced by members of the Premonstratensian order, sometime after Otto I’s passing. The monastery later served as a military hospital and his now a recognizable landmark to the north of Olomouc.

Other descendants of the dynasty among the remains were Otto I’s grandson, Prince Otto III Dětleb (1122-1160), whose remains were stored along with his wife Durancia Mstislavovna Rurikid (1120-1161), daughter of the Grand Prince of Kiev, Ukraine. The son of Otto II “the Black” (1085-1126), he was denied the title of Bohemian prince by Vratislav II’s grandmother in favor of her other grandson, Soběslav I (1075-1140), later fleeing Prague before perishing in battle. Otto III grew up in Russia and was only able to return to his inherited estate in Olomouc after the death of Soběslav I. He became allied with the king of Bohemia, Vladislav II (1118-1174), and joined him on several military campaigns, including the Second Crusade in 1147 before his passing. 

Additionally, the identified remains of their daughter Maria Shvarne, who passed away at 7, and one of Otto III’s sons were also found. While acknowledged as being the remains of one of his sons, testing has been inconclusive on whether it was Vladimír (1145-1200) or Břetislav (1148-1201). The two brothers were mainly known for ruling in unison over Olomouc from 1189 until their deaths, with the exception of when they were temporarily replaced by Vladislav Henry, who reigned as Margrave of Moravia for 2 years.

Written by Nestor Flores

Sources:

Jemelková, Simona, and Jiří Šindelář. “They Were Buried in the Middle of the Church.” Muzeum Umění Olomouc, 27 Aug. 2024, muo.cz/en/vystavy/they-were-buried-in-the-middle-of-the-church/. Accessed 11 June 2025. 

KG, CityHunters GmbH & Co. “Hradisko Monastery.” myCityHunt.Ie, www.mycityhunt.ie/cities/olomouc-cz-10396/poi/hradisko-monastery-30124. Accessed 11 June 2025.

Lemons, James. “Prophecies of Libuše.” Visit the �鶹��Ʒ, �鶹��Ʒ, 18 Jan. 2021, www.czechcenter.org/blog/prophecies-of-libuse. Accessed 11 June 2025. 

Mazalová, Blanka, and Danny Bate. “After Almost 1000 Years, Remains of Olomouc’s Přemyslid Rulers Identified and Laid to Rest.” Radio Prague International, 22 May 2025, . Accessed 11 June 2025. 

McEnchroe, Thomas, and Loreta Vašková. “The Přemyslid Dynasty and the Forming of the Czech State.” Radio Prague International, 25 May 2022, english.radio.cz/czech-archaeologys-greatest-discoveries-8748606/5. Accessed 11 June 2025. 

Ondrušková, Markéta. “DNA Research: There Were Remains of Premyslid Princes in Klášterní Hradisko.” Muzeum Umění Olomouc, 12 Oct. 2023, www.olmuart.cz/test/en/follow-us/dna-research-there-were-remains-of-premyslid-princes-in-klasterni-hradisko--4887/. Accessed 11 June 2025.

Škvrňák, Jan. “Ota III. Dětleb.” ����ř���DZ�ě��, 25 Jan. 2007, www.e-stredovek.cz/post/ota-iii-detleb/. Accessed 11 June 2025.

Škvrňák, Jan. “Ota I. Sličný.” ����ř���DZ�ě��, 11 Jan. 2007, www.e-stredovek.cz/post/ota-i-slicny/. Accessed 11 June 2025.

Czechoslovakia was founded in 1918 after the disbanding of the Austro-Hungarian state during the First World War. One of Hitler’s main goals as the Nazis rose to power was annexation of the Sudetenland, which was the border of former Czechoslovakia and home to a predominantly German ethnic population. Hitler promised to wage war on Europe if Germany was not given this territory; thus, the countries of Britain, France, and Italy brokered an agreement in September 1938 to cede the Sudetenland to Hitler if he cooperated and did not seek out any more territory. However, in March 1939, Hitler and his forces invaded the Czechoslovakian provinces of Bohemia and Moravia, breaking the Munich Pact and starting the Second World War. 

Věrka’s experience was similar to that of thousands of other European Jews. Jewish people in Czechoslovakia were forced to identify themselves by wearing the Star of David and eventually hide in their homes out of fear of being deported to ghettos or concentration camps. Věrka’s diary documents the last year of her life, which was filled with fear and uncertainty. The excerpt below from Radio Prague’s audio series about the diary emphasizes Věrka’s dread about the thought of leaving her home.

“Who will come to live in their rooms? What will happen to her things? They are housing Nazis in confiscated Jewish homes. The new arrivals are sure to throw their stuff away. Will she ever see her bookshelf again and the picture of the happy puppy that she's had since she was a little girl? She looks around the room. She's sick to her stomach. Someone rings the doorbell. A short, nervous ring. Aunt Marie's here. Věrka knows how dangerous it is for her to come to see them. Jews are not allowed to have visitors. They must not be helped.” (Radio Prague). 

On January 22, 1942, Věrka and her family were forced to leave their home in Pilsen and shipped on Transport S to the Theresienstadt ghetto in Terezin. They were kept there for about six weeks until they were moved again on March 11 to the Izbica ghetto. This was a Nazi transfer station in occupied Poland where Jews were placed before being transported to extermination camps. Věrka Kohnová died in the Izbica ghetto at 13 years old with the rest of her family. Although Věrka would never again see her home in Pilsen, her legacy lives on through the words in her diary.  

The diary was saved by her aunt, Marie Kalivodová, for 65 years, and, in 2006, published in Czech, German, and English. A new edition was edited by Jana Poncarová and Jiří Sankot in 2023. Věrka Kohonova’s story is a terrible reminder of the consequences of hate and genocide. Her first-person point of view gives the readers an insight into the effects Hitler’s invasion had on her life. Although millions of people died during the Second World War, many of their stories are lost to history. The survival of Věrka’s words gives a voice to Czech people, Jewish people, and anyone else Hitler deemed an “other.” The very existence of her diary highlights the importance of the preservation of history and the stories told by men, women, and children from all around the world who are affected by hate.

Written by: Leiana Coleman

Works Cited

“Books - Jana Poncarová.” Jana Poncarová, 12 Apr. 2025, janaponcarova.com/books.

Commemorative Plaque for Věra Kohnová. www.liberationroute.com/pois/1068/commemorative-plaque-for-vera-kohnova.

“The Czech Anne Frank: Diary of Věrka Kohnová.” Radio Prague International, 23 May 2025, english.radio.cz/czech-anne-frank-diary-verka-kohnova-8851787.

Czechoslovakia. encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/czechoslovakia.

SRO, Nux. “Věra Kohnová | Database of Victims | Holocaust.” 2013-2025, www.holocaust.cz/en/database-of-victims/victim/101234-vera-kohnova.

Wikipedia contributors. “Věra Kohnová.” Wikipedia, 31 Dec. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C4%9Bra_Kohnov%C3%A1.

Today, the Czech Republic is known for manufacturing ultralight aircraft and aerospace components, and it is one of nine countries that can make an aircraft entirely within its own territory. The Czech Republic creates aerospace components for Airbus, Boeing, Embraer, and several other aircraft producers.

For nearly the entirety of its existence, humanity has dreamed of touching the sky, and after learning to fly, we have spent over a century trying to make flying safer and more streamlined. In 2023, Honeywell launched Digital Assistance for Reducing Workload and Increasing CollaboratioN, DARWIN, an AI initiative for improving and advancing single-pilot flight operations in Europe and ensuring the same (or higher) level of safety and same (or lower) workload as operations with a full crew.

This project aims to utilize human-ai collaboration in a way that maintains the clear roles and responsibilities of human pilots as the unlimited decision-makers and leaders. As many baby-boomer generation pilots reach their late 50s and early 60s, they retire because the pilot retirement age under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, EASA, rules is 65. Presently, there are not sufficient new pilots to replace those retiring. DARWIN has the potential to reduce the number of pilots needed for safe and successful flights by adding more continuous monitoring of critical flight systems and improving workload management. Researchers in Brno, Czech Republic, may have created a new AI-powered co-pilot to do just that. 

Bohdan Blaha, a senior engineering supervisor at Honeywell, explains that the new AI system works by tracking the pilot's face contours, blinking speed and frequency, facial movements, head tilt, and where the pilot is looking. The system monitors pilot fatigue and pilot health conditions. If the system detects any pilot abnormalities, it will alert the pilot and advise on possible next steps. If the system does not get a response, it will sound an alert or a wake-up call to ensure the pilot is conscious. 

The system has been successfully tested in an Embraer 170 aircraft, and, as of this writing, the system is being tested in an Airbus A321 for additional data collection, but the alert system is not activated for these flights. In the future, the system should become a key part of the DARWIN project. The research on this system will also allow Czechia to continue to be a leading aerospace manufacturer with proper integration of AI systems; the sky's the limit for Czech engineers and manufacturers. 

Written by Asyiah Bray

Works Cited

“Brno Scientists Develop Monitoring System to Keep Pilots from Nodding Off.” Radio Prague International, 14 May 2025, . Accessed 14 May 2025.

Collins-Achong, Juliet. “Honeywell-Led Project Will Use Artificial Intelligence to Advance Single-Pilot Operations in Europe.” Aerospace.honeywell.com, 9 Nov. 2023, aerospace.honeywell.com/us/en/about-us/press-release/2023/11/honeywell-led-project-will-use-artificial-intelligence-to-advance-single-pilot-operations-in-europe.

“Czech Trade Offices - Aviation Industry.” Czechtradeoffices.com, 2018, www.czechtradeoffices.com/industry-sectors/aviation-industry. Accessed 14 May 2025.

Havel, Tomas. Establishment and Development of Airplanes Production in Czechoslovakia. 14 May 2015.

“Will There Be a Pilot Shortage in Europe? Demand, Jobs, and Opportunities for Future Pilots | Easy EASA.” Easy EASA, 6 Mar. 2025, www.easyeasa.com/post/will-there-be-a-pilot-shortage-in-europe-demand-jobs-and-opportunities-for-future-pilots. Accessed 14 May 2025

All quotations come from Jílková and her 2025 interview with Radio Prague International.

EARLY LIFE

Born in Roztoky, a town outside of Prague, Jílková’s interest in racing started during a time before she can remember. She only knows the story from her parents.

THE RACE STARTS

Once Jílková reached the minimum age requirement of 8 for junior go-kart racing, she began competing for the national championship. While she wasn’t the only girl competing, she was the first girl to win the title of Czech Republic champion for the sport.

By 2012, Jílková progressed to speed car racing. Her first race was in the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup, where she placed 53rd. Quickly, she climbed the ranks, placing 5th in the 2013 Remus Formula Renault 2.0 Cup and 9th in the 2013 Supercar Challenge Superlights - PR1 series.  

Despite her talent, Jílková and her family struggled to finance her progress within the sport. Speed car racing is an expensive sport; it requires a team of people for the crew and expensive race car equipment, which is why many racers seek sponsorships and teams to compete with.

In her interview with Radio Prague International, she talks about the financial hardships of racing and reveals the opportunity that connected her with her early sponsors. 

By winning the title for single-seater race in the Formula Star in the first season, she outshone hundreds of competitors and secured sponsorships that gave her the support to continue racing. 

HER JOURNEY

At this point, it seems as though Jílková is a natural, but her edge comes from her serious passion and dedication for racing.

In 2014, Jílková had a serious accident while racing in Austria during a Clio Cup race. She was only nineteen at the time and had broken multiple vertebrae. And despite the accident, Jílková was committed to continue racing.

Fortunately, she would not need to have surgery, but the inactivity in her racing career led many sponsors to rescind their support offers. Yet again, she would not let the hard situations deter her.

By 2016, just two years after her accident, she started competing again. Due to the lack of traction in her racing career, she would also take on jobs as a test-driver and give driving lessons.

With unsuccessful trials as a test-driver and the start of the global COVID pandemic in 2020, Jílková channeled her love for motor racing into the virtual realm. She started sim racing and streamed her games to hundreds of viewers on the social streaming platform Twitch. This is where her social media handle @QuickGabi was born.

THE RACE CONTINUES

Despite her growing social media presence, Jílková was quick to get back on track with her racing career. 

She returned to racing in 2021, receiving the opportunity to race for Zakspeed, a motor racing team from Germany. With her new team and her Mercedes AMG GT3, Jílková won the title of GT Winter Series Champion of 2021, the event that would mark the beginning of Jílková’s big break. This shocking title secured her races with teams in future championships and opened doors to becoming a test driver again.

Jílková trained hard to come back to the racing scene after a major accident, a proud accomplishment for any athlete, and she did it during a pandemic.

As of this writing, she is competing in the GT4 European Series and is an official Porsche contracted driver.

On Saturday, May 17, 2025, Gabriela Jílková raced with the all-female Matmut Evolution team for the Pro-Am championship battle at the GT4 European Series in Zandvoort Circuit in the Netherlands. The team finished fourth, and Matmut Evolution now sits sixth in the Pro-Am Championship. The next race will take place from June 26-29 at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.

For more on Jílková’s experiences competing as a woman in a male-dominated sport, I highly recommend you check out .

Written by Baycha Isik

SOURCES

“A need for speed: Racing driver Gabriela Jílková on women in motorsport, her love for driving, and electric race cars.” Radio Prague International, Czech Radio, 02 Apr. 2025, .

Böcker, Mika. “GT4 Europe: Gabriela Jílková and Cindy Gudet Fight Back to Fourth in Class in Zandvoort.” News, Racers Behind The Helmet, 20 May, 2025, .

Harvey, Sophie. “Woman Spotlight Wednesday: Gabriela Jílková.” Formula E, DIVEBOMB Motorsport, 25 Oct. 2023, .

“Gabriela Jílková.” Drivers, Driver Database, .

“Gabriela Jílková.” Wikipedia, .

Bedřich Smetana is regarded as the founder of modern Czech music. Smetana developed his musical talent at a young age, starting his career as a pianist and composing pieces in his high school years. Born in the early 19th century, Smetana’s artistic style was influenced by famous classical composers such as Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, and Liszt. Smetana and Liszt formed a friendship that changed the path of Smetana’s artistic career, with Liszt encouraging Smetana to create distinctly national music and pushing him to pursue orchestral compositions. At the time, Smetana was working in Sweden to develop his career as a conductor and composer.

At the same time, the October Diploma of 1860 was declared, creating a rise in interest in Czech culture. Smetana moved back to Prague in 1861 and began composing operas to Czech texts. Due to political control, Czech music was not developed freely during Smetana’s lifetime and was constantly influenced by outside cultures; therefore, he faced the challenge of laying the foundations of modern Czech music. Smetana became the principal conductor of the Czech Provisional Theatre in 1866, where his first two Czech operas debuted. At the peak of his career, Smetana began developing hearing loss that eventually led to his being fully deaf. It was during this period that he composed his most iconic piece, Má Vlast. 

Má Vlast consists of six symphonic poems that function as a love letter to Smetana’s homeland, which was then known as Bohemia. The first poem, Vyšehrad, references the large castle that overlooks the city of Prague. The most famous poem, “Vltava,” is an homage to the river of the same name that passes through the Czech capital, and is based on two events from Smetana’s life. The third poem is based on the legend of Šárka, and the fourth poem reveres the forest and lowland regions of the country. The final poems, Tábor and Blaník, were intended to be performed as a complementary pair and reference the story of the Hussites fighting against the crusades.

Bedřich Smetana’s legacy continues today through the Prague Spring International Festival, specifically its opening ceremony. Each year, the honor of performing this famous piece falls to a different orchestra; this year it will be performed by the Czech Philharmonic under conductor Semyon Bychkov. Smetana’s Má Vlast is embraced as a symbol of Czech culture and, more importantly, of independence and national freedom.

Written by Eva Cheng

Sources:

Bate, Danny. “Prague Spring Music Festival turns 80 with rich programme of international talent.” Radio Prague International, 13 May 2025, . Accessed 21 May 2025. 

Helfert, Vladimir. “Bedřich Smetana (1824--2 March--1924).” The Slavonic Review, vol. 3, no. 7, 1924, pp. 141–55. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4201826. Accessed 21 May 2025. 

Philip, Robert. “BEDŘICH SMETANA: (1824–84).” The Classical Music Lover’s Companion to Orchestral Music, Yale University Press, 2018, pp. 753–58. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv9b2wqr.59. Accessed 21 May 2025.

The earliest evidence of Czech puppetry can be found in the 16th century in a woodcut print. It is inferred that around this time, elements of puppet theater were used in religious ceremonies and folk customs such as fairs and festivals. During the 17th century, pan-European theatre troupes traveled to Czech regions (known as Bohemia at this time) and–alongside live action performances– showcased marionettes, or puppets that were controlled by strings. This inspired amateur Czech puppeteers to adopt the craft and begin performing with their troupes.

These productions led to foundational developments in artistic expression in the region, such as carving puppets from wood in the style of Baroque religious art, stylized set designs, and expressive performances through voice acting.  When Bohemia was under the government of Austria-Hungary, ruled by the Habsburg monarchy, there was a push for the Germanization of the region in even the smallest ways, such as performing productions in German in populated towns to enforce the idea that the Czech language and culture was inappropriate. Over time, the Germanization of Bohemia gained negative sentiment across various sectors. Due to the puppet theatre being seen as “non-legitimate,” it created a loophole for Czech puppeteers to spread Czech nationalism, push revolutionary ideas, and disseminate knowledge, including the Enlightenment, to the Czech countryside, where the Habsburg monarchy couldn’t reach them. 

With plays depicting the battle of good versus evil, puppetry expressed grievances of the Habsburg government through exaggerated characters such as Kašpárek, a humorous jester who had the freedom to undermine the ruling government due to his puppet status and characterization. Kašpárek and similar characters were vital during the Czech National Revival, the period in the 18th and 19th centuries that pushed to re-establish the Czech language, culture, and national identity. Kašpárek was there for the fall of the Austria-Hungary empire, and similar characters would find themselves there for other oppressive governments. 

When the Czechs found themselves once more occupied with a new government helmed by the Nazi regime, prominent puppeteers such as Josef Skupa created productions such as allegorical comedy called “Merry-go round with Three Floors” that gave Czech audiences patriotic boosts and faith that the Nazi regime would not last. Even though Skupa was arrested and his theater company disbanded, Skupa and others like him had puppeteering flourishing in the Czech region. 

While the idea of wooden puppets jumping around a scaled-down stage and having absurdist personalities being used as a political tool for nationalists sounds fictional, it demonstrates that artistic expression can have an influence, no matter the art form.

Written by Gabriella Falcon

Sources:

Bernátek, Martin. “The Renaissance of Czech Puppetry and the Cinema.” Theatralia, no. 2, 2015, pp. 135–167, https://doi.org/10.5817/TY2015-2-4. Accessed 15 May 2025

Billing, Christian M., and Pavel Drábek. “Czech Puppet Theatre in Global Contexts: Roots, Theories and Encounters.” Theatralia, no. 2, 2015, pp. 5–31, doi:10.5817/ty2015-2-1. Accessed 15 May 2025.

Dubská, Alice, and Nina Malíková. “Czech Republic.” World Encyclopedia of Puppetry Arts, wepa.unima.org/en/czech-republic/. Accessed 15 May 2025.

Dubská, Alice. “Czech Puppeteers under the Nazi occupation.” Marionettes.cz, https://www.marionettes.cz/en-USD-USA/Czech-Puppeteers-under-the-Nazi-occupation. Accessed 15 May 2025.

Dubská, Alice. “History of Czech Puppetry.” UNIMA, https://unima.idu.cz/en/history-of-czech-puppetry/. Accessed 15 May 2025.

Keyes, William. "We Were - And We Shall Be: Puppetry and Czecho-Slovak Politics, 1860-1990." Czechoslovak-American Puppetry, edited by Vit Horejs, GOH Productions, 1994, pp. 72–88.

Nance, Kevin. “Czechs With the World on Their Strings.” Wall Street Journal, 1 Mar. 2013, https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323978104578330362615403592. Accessed 15 May 2025.

Stephenson, Cheryl. “Revolutionary Kašpárek: The Life Cycle of the Radical Puppet”. FOLKLORICA - Journal of the Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Folklore Association, vol. 25, July 2022, pp. 1-20, https://doi.org/10.17161/folklorica.v25i1.18331.

On April 15, 1945, eleven separate US infantry, armor, and cavalry divisions under the command of General Patton began their offensive from the west and south to liberate Czechoslovakia from its six-year-long Nazi occupation. In a coordinated and overwhelming assault on what remained of German forces, US troops overwhelmed German divisions and defenses within days. In the major offensive, lasting just three days, US troops liberated over 3,400 square miles of Czechoslovakian territory in the western regions of Plzeň, České Budějovice, and Karlovy Vary. 

With the Soviet forces continuing to push through from the east, German divisions were either completely wiped out or forced to surrender. The multi-pronged assault led to a complete collapse of German forces, rapidly destroying any German resistance.

On the 8th of May, 1945, German High Command formally surrendered to the allied forces, thus finally ending the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia and the Second World War. 

During the fighting, US forces experienced relatively few casualties, with rough estimates being fewer than 1,000 American soldiers killed or wounded in action. Soviet forces were not so lucky, taking the brunt of the casualties from the Germans with almost 50,000 dead or wounded. However, German forces faired the worst, with between 200,000 and 250,000 casualties and over 860,000 soldiers surrendering to Allied forces.

Following the liberation of Czechoslovakia, Allied forces were greeted with joy, gratitude, parades, and exuberant celebrations. People filled the streets cheering, waving flags, and showering soldiers with flowers and food.

U.S. forces would remain in Czechoslovakia for eight more months following the war in an effort to help rebuild and stabilize the nation. During this time, they helped to reestablish a working government as well as government services, rebuild critical infrastructure, and maintain peace and order throughout the country until the government could do so on its own. In early December of 1945, U.S. forces began their withdrawal from Czechoslovakia, officially returning the nation to its former sovereignty.

Today, the liberation of Czechoslovakia is still remembered and celebrated in the Czech Republic. Annual festivals and celebrations are held to honor and remember those who fought and gave their lives during the Second World War for the freedom of the Czech people. 

These events not only serve to commemorate the liberation of Czechoslovakia but also as a reminder of the powerful bonds that are created during the crucible of war.

Written by: Samuel Mlinka

Sources:

Soviet troops in Prague, Czechoslovakia, May 1945. World War 2 Database, https://ww2db.com/image.php?image_id=18130. Accessed 13 May 2025. 

Field Marshall Wilhelm Keitel, signing the ratified surrender terms for the German Army at Russian Headquarters in Berlin. Germany, May 7, 1945. National Archive Catalog, https://catalog.archives.gov/id/531290. Accessed 13 May 2025. 

Monroe, Randis. Convoy of Liberty- 80th Year Liberation Anniversary of Pilsen. 6 May 2025. DVIDSHUB, Training Support Activity Europe, https://www.dvidshub.net/image/9017312/convoy-liberty-80th-year-liberation-anniversary-pilsen. Accessed 13 May 2025. 

Dickerson, Bryan J. “The U.S. Army in Czechoslovakia 1945: An Operational Overview.” Military History Online, www.militaryhistoryonline.com/WWII/USArmyCzechOpOverview. Accessed 13 May 2025. 

“Prague Offensive.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 May 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_offensive. Accessed 13 May 2025.

The kroj (pl. kroje) is a traditional Czech and Slovak outfit originating from the 15th century. From daily use to social gatherings, the kroje are specially designed for all kinds of occasions such as work, festivals, weddings, and more. The kroj became such an integral component of Czech tradition that the kroj remains an iconic representation of Czech culture worn during special occasions.

The basic foundational components of a kroj typically include a blouse, vest or jacket, skirt or trouser, apron, headwear, and other accessories. However, kroje varies from town to town as each region developed its own style. 

Some examples of regional kroje are shown through these dolls. Each doll dons a unique kroj representative of a particular region, celebrating the various artistic expressions of Czech culture through traditional folk costumes.

Beyond their outfits, the dolls also demonstrate diversity in their manufacturing style. Some dolls have a pronounced rosiness to their cheeks, while others have accentuated blue eyes. A few dolls are able to “sleep” when they lie on their backs, suggesting their functional use as a toy. On the other hand, some dolls were created to stand on a pedestal, encouraging a proper presentation of the doll. Overall, the various production designs of these dolls highlight their multifunctional displays of kroje that best reflect their respective companies' missions.

One company identified as a manufacturer of several dolls is Lidova Tvorba Uhersky Brod. Established in 1936 in Uherský Brod, this co-op prides itself on the hand-production of traditional Moravian-Slovak folk costumes through dolls.

Lidova Tvorba Uhersky Brod participated in the 1937 Slovak Region Exhibition in Uherský Hradiště during their second year of activity. This exhibition was primarily initiated by the Slovacko Museum to promote local cultural interest in the history, tradition, and beauty of the Slovacko region. At this exhibition, Lidova Tvorba Uhersky Brod earned a gold medal for their creative display of kroje on dolls.

In the same year, the company won a silver medal at the World Exhibition in Paris. They later presented themselves at an international exhibition in New York in 1940. Based on this company’s repeated effort to proactively participate in regional and global exhibitions, they demonstrate their impetus in promoting Czech culture through their dolls.

Though Lidova Tvorba Uhersky Brod is globally recognized for their work, other Czech doll companies, too, produced carefully crafted kroje on dolls. They provide meaningful exposure of traditional Czech costumes through an easily digestible medium of toys, which can be bought and gifted. Thus, these doll companies contributed to broadening the exposure to Czech culture beyond exhibitions through the commodification of Czech dolls, encouraged to be bought and exchanged by locals and tourists.

These dolls are currently on view on the first floor at the CCMH.

Written by Ryan Banda

Sources:

“Czechia: Uhersky Hradtiste Region, Southern Moravia.” National Costume Dolls. https://babogenglish.wordpress.com/2023/11/21/czechia-uhersky-hradiste-region-southern-moravia/. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

“Folk Art - Uhersky Brod Artistic Production Cooperative.” SLOVACKO, Tradicni vyrobek SLOVACKO. https://www.tradicnivyrobek.cz/znacka/lidova-tvorba/. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

Jancar, Josef. “The Slovak Exhibition of 1937 and the Development of Folk Production in Slovakia.” Regional Folk Art Center in Straznicka, Ethnic Historical News, vol. 10, no. 1, 1973, pp. 27-31, https://na.nulk.cz/1973/1/Nr.html#03. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

KYTKA. “Czech Dolls in Traditional Folk Dresses.” Tres Bohemes, Czechs in America, https://www.tresbohemes.com/2016/10/czech-dolls-in-traditional-folk-dress/. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

Eurovision began in 1956 as a technical experiment in television broadcasting, where viewers could watch a live song contest in seven different nations: the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, and Italy. Although Eurovision began as an experiment, it’s shaped up to be an international, show-stopping competition that unites the European nations to listen to one another’s songs, to one another’s souls. Eurovision demonstrates all sorts of cultural and ethnic styles of music, costumes, languages, and even dances.

The Czechoslovakian connection to Eurovision is fascinating. Czechoslovakia was never able to participate in Eurovision due to being a part of the Eastern bloc. Because of this, a rival Intervision contest took its place, broadcasted from various venues around Czechoslovakia during its first four years. Interestingly, Czechs have historically gotten some involvement in Eurovision, such as multi-Intervision Golden Clef winner and Prague native Karel Gott participating in the contest, placing thirteenth for Austria in the London 1968 Eurovision Song Contest with his song “Tausend Fenster.” Although uncommon, Eurovision competitors from one nation can represent another. This was also the case for Norwegian singer Wenche Myhre, who represented Germany during the same year and placed 6th. The winner of London 1968, however, was Spanish singer Massiel with her song “La la la.”

It would be over a decade before Czechoslovakia would once again participate in Eurovision in some fashion, as the Prague Theatre of Illuminated Drawings would perform their interval act in Luxembourg 1984.

Lastly, right before the “Velvet Divorce, ” Czechoslovakia’s national broadcaster, Czechoslovak Television (ČST), was a part of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the group that runs Eurovision.

After the dissolution of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Slovakia was the first of the two nations to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. Slovakia’s journey through Eurovision began in 1994, with Slovak vocalist Maťo Ďurinda and his band Tublatanka. They performed “Nekovecná Piesen (Neverending Song)” and placed ninteenth in Dublin 1994. After one year of absence, Slovakia’s next entry, Marcel Palonder, achieves Slovakia’s current highest placing, eighteenth, with his song “Kým nás máš (As long as you have us)” in Oslo 1996. For the last time in the 1990s, Slovakia was represented by Katarína Hasprová and her song “Modlitba (Prayer),” placing twenty-first in the grand final of Birmingham 1998.

After the 1990s, Slovakia was represented in Eurovision four more times. Unfortunately for the nation, they never again made it to the grand final. In Düsseldorf 2011, the TWiiNS, with their song “I’m Still Alive,” placed thirteenth in the semi-final. After Baku 2012, Slovakia has never participated in another Eurovision, due to the financial issues facing Slovakia’s national broadcaster, Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS). RTVS has attempted to reenter for 2025, but was ultimately unable to due to continuing financial issues.

Ironically, while Slovakia’s national broadcaster, now called Slovak Television and Radio (STVR), faces issues due to finances right now, this is what also stopped the Czech Republic’s current broadcaster, Czech Television (ČT) from participating in the 1990s. As of Latvia 2003, ČT was unable to participate due to financial issues. The costs associated with Eurovision, then and now, even just to broadcast it, are incredibly high, just as it was for the Czech Republic. There are a lot of considerations to make, such as pay for: lyricists, singers, recorders, organizers, judges, venues, etc. That is just for choosing a representative for the Czech Republic in Eurovision.

Now, the Czech Republic does not have this problem. In fact, its introduction to the Eurovision Song Contest began with Helsinki 2007, where the band Kabát represented the nation with their song “Malá dáma (Little lady).” How did they get to Eurovision? Kabát, among 10 acts, were chosen by the public to represent the Czech Republic. In the Czech Republic’s first foray, Kabát scored last place in the semi-final. It was the same way with Gipsy.cz’s “Aven Romale” in Moscow 2009. After their 2010 to 2014 hiatus, the Czech Republic reentered the contests. Stockholm 2016 was the first time the Czech Republic qualified for the finals, led by Gabriela Gunčíková and her song “I Stand,” which made it to 25th place. The Czech Republic’s best performance was given by Mikolas Josef, who sang “Lie to Me” and earned the 6th place spot, even after a back injury months before.

In 2023, the Czech Television registered with the new name of their nation, “C���𳦳󾱲�.” That same year, Vesna was chosen to represent Czechia with “My Sister’s Crown,” a song sung in English, as a majority of Czech entries have been sung, Ukrainian, as a reflection of the concurrent invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Czech, for the first time in 16 years, and Bulgarian. All four of the languages chosen also reflect the diversity of the folk band members. “My Sister’s Crown” earned 10th place, Czechia’s second top ten, so far!

While Slovakia’s competed 7 times so far, Czechia’s competed 14 times, despite the late start. Not that it’s a competition! In fact…

Czechia’s next representative brings Czechs and Slovaks back together! Adonxs was born in Myjava, Slovakia as Adam Pavlovčin. If he wins this year’s Eurovision, he’ll have done so already so accomplished. So far, he’s won on the reality show SuperStar, is a five-time Slovak IDO street dance champion, Cena Inakosti Award winner for LGBTQ+ activism, and even campaigned successfully to include all gender and sexual identities in the Slovak definition of “love.” Much of his success, though, almost did not happen due to the lost confidence in his voice, since puberty caused him to go from the tenor range, a high-pitched voice, to the basso profondo, an intensely low-pitched voice. Because of the change in his voice, he chose to dance but only began singing again due to the help of his accomplished singing instructor, Hana Pecková, a retired opera singer. Recently, Adonxs has revealed his song, called “Kiss Kiss Goodbye,” which will be sung in English. Earlier, the singer unveiled the acoustic version of his song.

And he’s on March 7th, the music video of his potential winning song was finally unveiled.

Good luck to Adonxs in Basel 2025!

Written by Emanuel Linton

Sources:

“London 1968.” Eurovision, European Broadcasting Union, eurovision.tv/event/london-1968. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.

“Final of London 1968 - Eurovision Song Contest.” Eurovision, European Broadcasting Union, eurovision.tv/event/london-1968/final. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.

��ٱ��DZ����쾱��.” Eurovision, European Broadcasting Union, eurovision.tv/country/slovakia. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.

“C���𳦳󾱲�.” Eurovision, European Broadcasting Union, eurovision.tv/country/czechia. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.

Granger, Anthony. “🇸🇰 Slovakia: RTVS Will Not Participate in Eurovision 2025 Due to Budget Cuts.” Eurovoix, Eurovoix World, 8 Apr. 2024, eurovoix.com/2024/04/08/slovakia-will-not-participate-in-eurovision-2025/.

Vuletic, Dean. “No Eurovision for the Czech Republic?!” Radio Prague Int., Radio Prague International, 23 May 2003, english.radio.cz/no-eurovision-czech-republic-8074142.

“Checking in on Czechia: Their Top 5 Eurovision Placings To ...” Eurovision, European Broadcasting Union, 20 Sept. 2024, eurovision.tv/story/czechia-top-5-eurovision.

Farren, Neil. “🇨🇿 Czechia: Adonxs to Eurovision 2025.” Eurovoix, Eurovoix World, 26 Dec. 2024, eurovoix.com/2024/12/11/czechia-adonxs-to-eurovision-2025/.

Adventis, Evgenia Klochay Klochay. “Adam Pavlovčin: Trvalo Mi Několik Let, Než Jsem Si Začal Svého Hlasu Vážit.” DailyStyle.Cz – Online Lifestylový Magazín, Dailystyle.cz, 1 June 2022, dailystyle.cz/adam-pavlovcin-trvalo-mi-nekolik-let-nez-jsem-si-zacal-sveho-hlasu-vazit/.

Because of the European schism between the USSR and every other nation within the continent, as Eurovision commenced, the Soviet nations could not readily participate in the contest. While some would assume the leaders of the Soviet Union would start a counter-contest, it was not they who organized and maintained the contest.

The first era of Intervision, the Intervision Golden Clef or Zlatý klíč Intervize, began in 1965 as a part of the second annual Golden Prague International Television Festival, produced by the International Radio and Television Organization. It was during this era that Eurovision stars such as Udo Jurgens and Sandie Shaw performed as interval acts, likely to give the Golden Clef legitimacy among critics. It is not known exactly when they performed, but Jurgens and Shaw likely performed a few months after their respective Eurovision 1966 and 1967 wins, considering the Eurovision contests would take place months before the same year’s Intervision contests. All of the contests were held in Czechoslovakia during this era, though they moved cities twice, beginning with Prague, then Bratislava, staying an additional year, and lastly Karlovy Vary.

The very first Golden Clef took place in the Karlin Music Theatre on June 12, 1965. That year, Czech singer and future Eurovision competitor Karel Gott won his first Golden Clef with his song “Tam, kam chodí vítr spát (Where the Wind Goes to Sleep).”

The second annual Golden Clef moves to the Slovak city of Bratislava, now part of the Bratislavská lyra music festival. That year, the non-Soviet nation of Finland joined the contest, a foreshadowing of the international, bridge-crossing aspects of future Intervision contests. This time, Lili Ivanova, representing Bulgaria, wins her Golden Clef with the song “Adagio.” The 1967 Golden Clef went to Eva Pilarová, another Czech singer, with her song “Rekviem (Requiem).”

In 1968, the competition moved one more time, to Karlovy Vary, the Czech part of Czechoslovakia. That same year the Prague Spring took place, which allowed Intervision to expand, including new competitors from outside the Iron Curtain, such as Austria, Belgium, Finland, Spain, Switzerland, West Germany, and Yugoslavia! All of these nations have competed in prior Eurovision contests. But did the new competition matter to Czechoslovakia? Considering Karel Gott’s second Golden Clef, won with his song “Proč ptáci zpívají? (Why do birds sing?),” not really. In fact, it’s Gott’s second Golden Clef, but he actually won three Clefs, earning his Silver Clef in 1966, while also earning second place in the Golden Lyre award in a different competition at the same Bratislava festival.

Due to the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Soviet forces in August 1968, Intervision would no longer take place, never to be produced by Czechoslovak Television again.

One humorously incorrect assumption about the first contest has to do with the voting process, where rumor had it that voting was done by the electrical currents running through the viewers homes, determining if the TV or lights were on or off during a competitor’s performance. The truth is that, just as in Eurovision, juries determined who the winner was.

For a brief moment, hidden in history, the Golden Clef temporarily returns. As a part of the 1971 Děčín Anker Festival, the Golden Clef acted as a non-competitive gala featuring many great singers of the Iron Curtain. Representing Czechoslovakia was 1967 Golden Clef winner, Eva Pilarová. It’s unknown whether the event was associated with Intervision or even televised, and current information is quite sparce.

In 1977, the Golden Clef came back in full swing, though it was not hosted in Czechoslovakia. Rather, it was Poland who brought the competition back to the airwaves, with Polish Television wanting to make Intervision part of their Sopot International Song Festival, which takes place in Sopot, Poland. One major change between the Czechoslovak era and the Polish era was the addition of record companies, including Western companies, in their own competitive category.

Interestingly, the first year’s winner of the Sopot Intervision competition was a Czech, singer Helena Vondráčková, with her winning song being “Malovaný džbánku (Painted mug).” The next year, Russian singer Alla Pugacheva won with her song “Vsyo mogut koroli (Kings can do anything).” The year after, Polish singer Czesław Niemen won with his song “Nim przyjdzie wiosna (Before comes Spring)." And in the final year of the Intervision Song Contest edition of the Sopot International Song Festival, Finnish singer Marion Rung won with her song “Hyvästi yö (Good night).”

Unfortunately, due to martial law, the song festival was canceled for the next four years, only to return with the Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix, taking Intervision’s place.

Surprisingly, this is not the end for Intervision. Its second revival happened very briefly, lasting just one year, 2008, when the Russian state, in an effort for a Soviet Re-Union, invited former Soviet nations to participate. Some did, but some could not, such as Uzbekistan due to making a late pick for a singer and Georgia due to the War in South Ossetia. Lithuania refused their invitation. Neither former Czechoslovak nation, the Czech Republic nor Slovakia, were invited. This 2008 edition took place in Sochi, future venue for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

The format the competition utilized was three nights of competitive singing, the first for an “Original Song” written for the competition, the second for a “Retro Hit” from the 20th century, and the third for a “World Hit,” where the audience would telecast their votes. The winner of the 2008 Intervision contest was Tahmina Niyazova from Tajikistan with her song “Zangi Telefon (Telephone Ring)” and her renditions of “Tsvety Pod Snegom (Flowers in the snow)” and “Hero.” Due to Tahmina’s win, Tajikistan won the right to host the next year, but this was not to occur.

After the 2008 contest, there have been two revival attempts, the current one seemingly more successful than the first. The first attempt began after Conchita Wurst’s 2014 Eurovision win, due to Russian officials taking umbrage with Conchita’s LGBT identity and activism. This contest would’ve returned to Sochi and taken place in October, but the Annexation of Crimea delayed and ceased the return of Intervision. Beginning in 2023, due to Russia’s exclusion from Eurovision as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the nation’s officials restarted efforts to revive Intervision. Now, the supposed 2025 edition of Intervision will take place later in the year.

Despite the winding road of decisions made down the line for the Intervision song contest, it’s best to remember its lofty beginnings as a bridge over the Iron Curtain, built in Czechoslovakia.

Written by Emanuel Linton

Sources:

Vuletic, Dean. “The Intervision Song Contest.” Music and Democracy, 5 Nov. 2021, pp. 141–156, https://doi.org/10.14361/9783839456576-006.

Johnston, Raymond. “The ‘other’ European Song Contest: Czechoslovakia’s Intervision Was Meant to Rival Eurovision.” Expats.Cz, Howlings s.r.o., 21 May 2021, www.expats.cz/czech-news/article/the-other-european-song-contest-czechoslovakia-s-intervision-was-meant-to-rival-eurovision.

Vuletic, Dean. “The Many Myths of the Intervision Song Contest - the First Attempt to Produce a Regional Version of Eurovision.” Wiwibloggs, wiwibloggs.com, 22 Aug. 2020, wiwibloggs.com/2020/08/20/the-many-myths-of-the-intervision-song-contest-the-first-attempt-to-produce-a-regional-version-of-eurovision/256850/.

UzReport. “Five Stars Intervision to Open in Sochi.” UzReport - Information Agency, Information Agency of Uzbekistan, 20 Aug. 2008, web.archive.org/web/20140714163035/news.uzreport.uz/news_9_e_49317.html.

“Intervision Song Contest 2008.” Eurovoix, Eurovoix World, 25 Feb. 2024, eurovoix-world.com/intervision-song-contest-2008/.

Adams, William Lee. “Following Outrage over Conchita, Russia Is Reviving Its Own Straight Eurovision.” Newsweek, Newsweek, 23 Feb. 2016, www.newsweek.com/2014/08/01/following-outrage-over-conchita-russia-reviving-its-own-soviet-eurovision-260815.html.

Granger, Anthony. “Intervision: 2014 Contest Is Cancelled.” Eurovoix, Eurovoix World, 1 Sept. 2014, eurovoix.com/2014/09/01/intervision-2014-contest-is-cancelled/.

“More than 16 Countries Will Take Part in the Music Contest ‘Intervision.’” РИА Новости, МИА “Россия сегодня,” 8 June 2024, ria.ru/20240608/shvydkoy-1951601188.html.

“Putin Signs Decree Creating Russian Eurovision Alternative.” The Moscow Times, The Moscow Times, 3 Feb. 2025, www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/02/03/putin-signs-decree-creating-russian-eurovision-alternative-a87845.

Since its emergence in the 1950s, rock and roll has been associated with rebellion. However, the stakes for rock bands were dramatically higher behind the Iron Curtain. For one band, The Plastic People of the Universe (PPU), music was a vehicle for political revolution.

Historical Context

On January 5th, 1968, Alexander Dubček became First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and with his position, planted the seed for the revolution in decades to come. Dubček’s objective was to restore Czechoslovakia and create "socialism with a human face," a system blending the socialist framework with increased political, economic, and cultural freedoms. Under Dubček, citizens experienced increased freedom of speech and press, as well as economic and political reforms that encouraged individual autonomy. For a brief moment, cultural third spaces appeared where citizens gathered to openly discuss art, politics, and ideas. With this era of relaxed restrictions, known as Prague Spring, came a flourishing of the arts and an influx of Western influence- one of which being rock music.

Dubček’s new policies were designed to humanize the current political and economic framework of the Soviet Union- not oppose it. Despite this, the Soviet government was concerned that the loosening of their policies would result in rebellion and encourage other nations to follow suit. Prague Spring came to a striking end on August 20th, 1968. On this day, the Soviet government sent Warsaw Pact troops to invade Czechoslovakia and return the state to a conservative pro-Soviet government. Dubček was immediately expelled and replaced by Gustáv Husák, who immediately reversed all of Dubček’s reforms. Under Husák’s “normalization” policies, censorship tightened and previous freedoms were stripped away.

Just three weeks after the invasion, The Plastic People of the Universe was formed.

Rock-N-roll in the Period of Normalization

All aspects of Czechoslovakian life, including music and live performance, were impacted by Gustáv Husák’s “normalization” policies. In order to obtain a license to perform in Husák’s Czechoslovakia, bands were required to comply with the following regulations:

1. They were required to play soft pop music (not hard rock) and follow “gentle melodic lines” (Ramet, 2019).

2. Lyrics had to be submitted for approval

3. Performers were mandated to maintain a conservative appearance. (e.g., no long hair for men)

4. Bands were not allowed to sing in English.

5. Bands were not allowed to play music genres with “life destroying effects” and “unacceptable excessive levels of noise”(Ramet, 2019).

Bands that violated these rules and performed publicly without a license were charged with “illegal business activity” and “disturbing the peace” (Ramet, 2019).

Plastic People of the Universe (PPU)

PPU was formed by bassist Milan “Mejla” Hlavsa in 1968, just three weeks after the invasion of Czechoslovakia. The band was heavily inspired by Frank Zappa and the avant-garde band Velvet Underground.

Though their lyrics had no overtly hostile or anti-government sentiment, their refusal to comply with Husák’s “normalization” policies rendered them political. They sang in English, they continued to rock long hair, and they refused to change their English band name. By 1970, the government revoked their license to perform and confiscated their state-owned instruments. However, the band was not deterred. They continued to perform at illegal underground venues and private parties. Oftentimes, their shows were framed as “lectures” on The Velvet Underground to evade detection. Despite precautions to hide the locations of their performances, police frequently raided their events, sometimes subjecting attendees to beatings and interrogations.

Tension escalated at the 1976 Second Music Festival of the Second Culture, an alternative music festival hosted and promoted by PPU’s own manager, Ivan Jirous. What began as a celebration of independent alternative art set off a chain of events that ultimately contributed to the downfall of the Soviet regime.

The Final Straw

For their participation in the Second Music Festival, police arrested all members of PPU. One member, Paul Wilson, was expelled from the country. Four members faced trial and were sent to prison for singing “vulgar lyrics” and “organized disturbance of the peace” (Ramet, 2019). Their imprisonment sparked domestic and international outrage and drew attention to the oppressive nature of Husák’s policies.

Playwright Václav Havel emerged as one of PPU’s most prominent supporters. He recognized the broader implications of the band’s persecution, stating: “an attack on the Czech musical underground was an attack on the most elementary and important thing, something that bound everyone together... The freedom to play rock music was understood as a human freedom and thus as essentially the same as the freedom to engage in philosophical and political reflection, the freedom to write, to express and defend the social and political interests of society" (Sterling, 2016). Havel's support for PPU mobilized public dissent and unified citizens around the shared values of free speech and expression.

From Charter 77 to the Velvet Revolution

Motivated in part by the imprisonment of PPU band members, scores of intellectuals united under Havel to compose Charter 77- a manifesto condemning the Czechoslovak government for violating the human rights provisions outlined in the constitution and the Helsinki Final Act. Though the signatories of Charter 77 explicitly stated that they were a humanitarian cause and not an organizational political opposition, the Czechoslovakian government reacted with intense repression. Signatories were subject to harassment, and the leaders of Charter 77, including Václav Havel, were imprisoned.

Despite these challenges, Charter 77 laid the groundwork for broader resistance and unity. By the late 1980s, cracks in the communist regime began to show. Inspired by movements across the Eastern bloc, Czechoslovakia witnessed growing protests which ultimately culminated in the Velvet Revolution of 1989. During mass demonstrations, citizens demanded political reform, and the communist government finally collapsed.

Havel, once imprisoned for his activism, became the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic. By then, the members of the PPU were free, and their role in inspiring resistance was cemented in history. Today, the PPU’s story is a testament that music, whether intentionally or not, can inspire change.

Written by: Lucilla Chavez

References

Beaumont, Mark. “The Plastic People of the Universe: How the violent suppression of a rock band led to a revolution in Czechoslovakia.” The Independent. The Independent, 15 Mar. 2021. https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/features/plastic-people-of-the-universe-czechoslovakia-revolution-b1816340.html

Ramet, Sabrina P., and Vladimir Ðorđević. “The Three Phases of Rock Music in the Czech Lands.” Communist and Post-Communist Studies, vol. 52, no. 1, 2019, pp. 59–70. JSTOR, . Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

Severo, Richard. “Alexander Dubcek 70 dies in Prague.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 9 Nov. 1992,

Sterling, Bruce. “‘The Power of the Powerless’ by Vaclav Havel.” Medium, Medium, 28 Sept 2017, https://bruces.medium.com/the-power-of-the-powerless-by-vaclav-havel-84b2b8d3a84a

“Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia, 1968” U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of State,

“The Plastic People of the Universe” The Plastic People of the Universe, plasticpeople.cz.

Anny Ondra was a prominent Czech actress who starred in various films, or picture shows, as they were called in the 1920s, throughout her career. She not only acted in Czech films but also in German and English films. She established herself as a leading actress early on in her acting career, and with the invention of talking pictures, Ondra was able to remain in the public limelight and movie audiences were able to witness her artistic skill sets in sound films. Ondra is remarked as one of the trailblazing actresses of her time possessing the ability to entertain movie audiences in both silent and sound films. 

Before the public fully knew of and fell in love with Anny Ondra —the dazzling blonde actress recognized for her international performances in both silent and speaking films— there was first Anna Sophie Ondráková, a young talented girl who had her sights set on making herself known in picture films. 

On 15 May 1903, Ondra was born to Czech parents, Anna Mracek and Bohumír Ondráková, an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army. Due to the nature of her father’s work, Ondra’s family traveled with him throughout Europe to where he would be stationed. Anna became exposed to different cultures and learned to speak several languages, including German, French, English, as well as her native Czech. The early part of Ondra’s childhood was spent traveling between Tarnów, Pula, and Prague. 

During her teenage years, Ondra made her stage debut at the age of 15 in a local Czech theater. Ondra’s comedic timing, charisma, and acting talents were applauded by audience members and her performances would go on to be noticed by an industry film employer who hired her to act in a film. At the age of 17, Ondra made her silent film debut in Gilly in Prague for the First Time under the direction of Karel Lamač, an up-and-coming actor who also starred in the film. Upon the completion of the film, Lamač and Ondra would go on to have a romantic relationship. 

The concluding outcome of the film would meet Ondra with an upsetting ending. Once her family had discovered that she had voluntarily acted in a picture film, her parents, especially her father, Bohumír Ondrák, were greatly upset with Ondra. She and her father had a shouting match over her involvement in the film, and her father gave Ondra a beating for allowing herself to think that acting was a suitable career choice for herself.

With her father’s employment as an officer, her parents wanted her to pursue a career that was more socially accepted, as working as an actress during the 1920s was seen on par with being a beggar. Her father sought to not have Ondrea seek acting as a career through sending her to a convent school in hopes of straightening out his daughter. He even found her a job in a governmental position so that Ondra would stop considering a career in acting. Upon seeing the lack of support from her family, Ondra realized that if she truly wanted to become a successful actress, she would have to leave her household to make her dreams a reality. Upon this realization, Ondra moved in with her boyfriend Karel Lamač, determined to become an actress.

Ondra went on to star in over 20+ movies alongside Lamač, who would also direct and star in the majority of their films together. Their collaboration in the film industry helped to establish Ondra as a European star, introducing her to audiences in Czechoslovakia, France, and Germany, as well as gaining the attention of Alfred Hitchcock, a prominent English film director during the 20th century. 

Hitchcock was not only taken by Ondra’s performances in both comedy and drama films but also by her magnetic ability to entertain audiences from various parts of the globe. Ondra was cast as the lead actress in Blackmail, which would go on to become the first successful European talking picture in 1929. 

However, not everyone in the making of the movie was thrilled to have Ondra cast in the starring role. While Ondra was able to speak in English, she spoke it in a Czech accent, which producers of the film felt was not suitable for the English film. This caused disagreement amongst the filmmaking team as Hitchcock did not want to make the film without Ondra starring as the leading actress. 

To alleviate the situation, producers hired British actress Joan Barry to dub the voice of Ondra in the film. While sound films were slowly increasing in popularity over silent films during the early part of the 1930s, their newness still provided filmmakers with certain filmmaking obstacles. 

The only solution that producers were able to come to was to have Ondra lip-synch her lines while Barry spoke the dialogue off-camera. Inadvertently, this act of dubbing led for Ondra to become the first foreign-language dubbed actress in filmmaking history and Barry the first voice actress. 

The release of Blackmail was met with critical and commercial success, with critics praising the use of sound in the film. Blackmail has since gone on to be regarded as a landmark film and in recent years has been ranked as the 59th best British film in Time Out magazine. 

Upon the release of the movie, Ondra left England and settled down in Germany, where she and Lamač formed their own production company, Ondra-Lamač Films. Sadly, their romantic relationship would come to an end with both of them parting but remaining lifelong friends and continuing to work with each other in several films. 

Later in 1933, Ondra married the love of her life, Max Schmeling, a German heavyweight champion boxer. Their marriage caused a rapid sensation throughout Europe, with tabloids writing about Ondra and Schmeling as the fairytale couple of the 30s. During World War II the Nazi regime noticed the popularity of their marriage and tried exploiting the couple by having them support Nazi Germany. However, the couple refused as they did not support them. 

Throughout her marriage to Schmeling, Ondra continued to act and made over 90 films throughout her career. Of those films, 40 were made during the sound era. Ondra’s legacy is remembered as a young girl who believed in her talent and followed her dreams which eventually became a reality.  Her bravery and courage for starting in the film industry when films were transitioning from silent to sound will forever be remembered.

Written by Elizabeth Arebalo

Sources: 

“Anny Ondra.” Wikipedia, . Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

“Blackmail (1929 film). Wikipedia, . Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

Baker, Rob. “Anny Ondra, Alfred Hitchcock, a Nazi Heavyweight Boxer and the First Actress to the Bishop Joke.” Flashback, . 9 May 2020.

“Fist Czech actress to conquer Europe born 120 years ago.” Radio Prague International, . 15 May 2022.

“Anny Ondra.” Alcetron, . 10 Oct. 2024.

“Anny Ondra - Biography.” IMDb, . Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

Everyone has a bedtime routine: eat dinner, take a shower, put on some pajamas, brush your teeth, and finally hop into bed to relax. For people from the Czech Republic, especially kids, their bedtime routine is never complete without �ձ�č����Ծ�č���. This is a children’s bedtime story show showcasing a character in the intro and outro called �ձ�č����Ծ�č���. It always plays before seven o’clock and features one ten-minute long story. �ձ�č����Ծ�č��� was created by a team, drawn by Radek Pilař and animated by Antonín Bureš, the music composed by Ladislav Simon, and the show directed by Václav Bedřich. This group collaborated with many other talented authors, leading today to the wide selection of stories �ձ�č����Ծ�č��� offers. 

The beloved character, �ձ�č����Ծ�č���, is portrayed as a young boy with blue hair, sporting a shirt, yellow pants, and shoes, with his signature triangle paper hat made from newspaper. The intro to �ձ�č����Ծ�č��� shows the boy going through the night sky using a variety of different types of transportation while throwing pages left and right, symbolizing that there is a story about to be told. Right from there is where the ten-minute bedtime story begins, culminating with �ձ�č����Ծ�č��� making an appearance once more to say “Dobrou noc!” which means “Good night!” in English. 

One popular kid’s cartoon that was broadcasted on �ձ�č����Ծ�č��� is “Maxipes Fík”, created by Václav Bedřich, about a dog who grows to be very large causing “terror’ on the neighborhood, but inside he is a truly kind and caring animal who ends up venturing out in the world with the help of his family. Another popular cartoon was called “Bob a Bobek” which is made by multiple people but directed by Václav Bedřich, Miroslav Walter, and Ivo Hejcman. The show follows the adventures of two rabbits that live in a magician’s hat. Next up on the list is “Mach a Šebestová” which is written by Miloš Macourek and Jaroslav Doubrava and illustrated by Adolf Born. This cartoon shared stories about two children, Mach and Šebestová, who possess a magical phone that fulfills their wishes, taking them anywhere and allowing them to encounter interesting situations. Lastly, another very good and popular story broadcasted on Večerníček is Krteček by Zdeněk Miler. This cartoon is very widely known and may be the most popular. Krteček showcases stories about a little mole who experiences a variety of adventures with his woodland friends in the forest and several other places. Krtek became a major cultural symbol of the Czech Republic and is known in households worldwide.

With the help of these collaborators providing their diverse cartoons, �ձ�č����Ծ�č��� remains the longest broadcasted show in the Czech Republic. �ձ�č����Ծ�č��� also claims its importance in gaining cult status and becoming a part of the Czech cultural heritage and the nation’s identity. �ձ�č����Ծ�č��� is the bedtime routine for not only children but everyone in the Czech Republic.

Written by: Lucy Vanecko

Works Cited

Petra. “Večerníček - Czech Bedtime Stories.” Czechology, 17 Feb. 2025, . 

Romandash, Written by Anna, et al. “Long Live Večerníček: The Enduring Appeal of a 55-Year-Old Czech Children’s Television Show.” Global Voices, 2 Jan. 2020, . 

“Vecernicek Celebrates 40 Years.” Radio Prague International, 7 Apr. 2021, . 

The Czech Republic can trace its poetry and literary origins to the 9th century when its texts were written in the Old Church Slavic language. The Old Church Slavic language is the oldest documented language and was created by Saints Cyril and Methodius. Cyril and Methodius were brothers born in the early 9th century and were recognized as saints for influencing Slavic people's religious and cultural development. Both brothers worked as missionaries to educate the Slavic people, teaching them Old Church Slavic by translating the texts from the Bible. The creation of the language was also used to fight against Frankish (German) influence. 

The earliest Czech poems were of songs written in Old Church Slavic, “Legends of King Wenceslas” and “Hospodine, pomiluj ny” (Lord Have Mercy on Us), and date back to the 10th century. It would not be until the 13th century that Czech hymns, religious songs, or poems began to appear. Czech hymns were written later in this period, including the courts of the Přemyslid Kings of Bohemia. 

At the start of the 14th century, verses in Czech were more prominent in literary works consisting of chivalrous romances, epics, legends, and biographies of saints. In regards to the genres of poetry, epic poems were more widespread during this time. There were two types of epic poetry: poems of mythical legends and tales of knights' battles. Both of these epics contained traces of religious elements throughout the poems. 

The Great Divide on Religion 

As literary works in Czech began to appear more, Jan Hus —a Czech theologian and philosopher— set in motion in the early 15th century the Hussite movement. This movement challenged the authority of the Roman Catholic Church and addressed the grievances of the Czech people. The Hussite movement went on to create a definite break in the Czech literary works and finally allowed the Czech to form a new beginning within literature. The divide between Latin and Czech writing remained rampant throughout the later ends of the 15th century with poetry and intellectual prose being written in Latin whereas popular prose was written in Czech or German. The Hussite period developed the genre of Czech religious songs as a replacement for Latin hymns and liturgy.  

Hus is not only credited with inspiring the Hussite movement but also creating rules of grammar and spelling that would be implemented in Czech literature in the 17th and 18th centuries. 

The middle of the 15th century was when the Hussite movement came to a halt with the election of the sixteenth King of Bohemia, George of Poděbrady, who ruled from 1458 to 1471. George was born out of wedlock to a Bohemian nobleman, at the height of the Hussites movement he served as a leader, but he was more tolerant of the Catholic faith. Due to his toleration of the Catholic faith he was chosen unanimously by the estates of Bohemia in 1458 to be king. His ruling was marked by his attempts at peace between the Hussites and Catholics in the religiously divided land of Bohemia. This earned him the nicknames of “King of Two Peoples” and “Friend of Peace.” 

The people's religious divide remained evident in the literary works after the crowing of King George, where competition amongst Catholics writing in Latin and Protestants writing in Czech proceeded. 

The Austrian-Habsburg Takeover

Czech literary works faced a further change in 1620 after the Battle of White Mountain which was due in part to the religious divide that the Czech lands were still faced with that resulted in the Austrian Habsburg control for the next 300 years. Under the Austrian Habsburg crown, the literary traditions of the past two centuries were banned. This led to the re-Catholization and Germanization of Bohemia, in turn splitting the literature into two groups: Catholic and Protestant. 

It was through Czech exiles that the literary works were able to survive. One among them was Jan Amos Comenius, whose written works in Czech divulged him as a prominent writer throughout Europe. His Labyrinth of the World and Paradise of the Heart stands as one of Czech’s greatest prose literary works. 

The Arrival of the Romanticism Movement 

The end of the 18th century brought the wave of the Romanticism movement in literary works, arts, music, and architecture. The Romanticism movement sought to express people’s emotions, visions, and imaginations. Offering the creativity to explore and indulge in fantasies and romance. This wave of excitement and feeling of limitless opportunity catalyzed the Czech people to begin reviving their literary works. This working effort to inaugurate Czech literature was in tandem with both scholars and literary artists. 

The Greatest Czech Poem Ever Written 

Of the Czech poets who came about during the Romantic period, the most celebrated and recognized of them was Karel Hynek Mácha. His poems were known for their lyrical intensity and usage of flawless language. Of them, the most famous poem that Mácha wrote was ��á�� (May). Upon publication in 1836, the poem was met with unfavorable views with people finding Mácha’s poem confusing and not following the national views of the time. 

It would not be until later in the 1850s after Mácha’s death that the poem was reintroduced to the younger generation of poets and novelists it was met with critical acclaim for its existentialism, alienation, isolation, and surrealism. 

The ��� Poem and its Poetic Impact

��á�� pays homage to the beauty of spring and was heavily inspired by the nature and architecture of the Czech Republic. The poem is set on an open land landscape and features a lake called Big Pond which is now renamed Lake Mácha after the poet. Castles such as Bezděz, Karlštejn, and Křivoklát also influenced the poem’s setting as well. 

The poem tells the tragic love story of Vilém, a bandit who is in love with Jarmila, a kind and pure girl, but has committed a murderous crime and is to be killed for his horrible acts. The crime he committed was murdering his father who attempted to seduce Jarmila while Vilém was away. Upon awaiting his execution, Vilém reflects on his life and ponders the beauty of nature. 

Since the rediscovery of ��á��, poets who followed in the footsteps of Mácha published their writing in an almanac titled ��á�� after Mácha’s poem. These writers were known as the ��á�� Circle or the May Generation and sought to incorporate Czech literature into European culture. Their literary works focused on the simplicity of the 19th century and commented on the invasion of the Industrial Revolution. 

The Poetic Waves That Swiftly Followed 

The later part of the 19th century saw new waves of poets arriving after the conclusion of the May Generation. The first wave was the Neo-Romantics who furthered the efforts of the romantic works through their literary writing. Their poems not only focused on the romantic traditions of the Romantic movement but incorporated contemporary styles of realism, decadence, and symbolism. 

The next wave was Naturalism, and poets of this period sought to explore the Czech lands through their writing by emphasizing the morals of the people, especially those of the lower classes. 

The final wave came near the end of the 19th century with the introduction of Modernism. The characteristics of the Modernists were known for their particular style of writing and having critical views on the work of past generations. These characteristics of the Modernists lead to the birth of the literary critic as not only a working profession but also helping new up-and-coming writers. This was seen as a helpful tactic in garnering feedback on a writer’s literary works before publishing the final piece for the public to read. 

20th Century and Beyond 

The establishment of Czechoslovakia as an independent nation is when Czech literature began to thrive. Czech artists revolutionized written areas such as plays, novels, and poems. Between 1918 and 1945 poets like František Halas, Vítězslav Nezval, and Jaroslav Seifert were writing in a wide range of poetic genres. 

After World War II, Czechoslovakia was overtaken by communism which impacted the literary freedom of writers and led Czech literature to decline amongst the public. During the communist regime, the standard style of poetry was drab social realism. The 1960s saw the communist reigns loosen, leading poetry to undergo yet another renaissance. Among the new generation of poets were Jiří Sotola, Miroslav Florian, Miroslav Holub, and Karel Siktanc who sought to write poetry on ‘everyday life.’

After the Warsaw Pact invasion in 1968, conditions again became harsh for writers. Many left the Czech Republic, while others stayed and wrote for the underground samizdat press or had their manuscripts smuggled to the West.

The end of the communist era allowed Czech poetry to finally thrive and reach audiences throughout the world, allowing Czech writers and poets to write freely in any style of writing and connect with others through their literary works. 

Written by Elizabeth Arebalo

Sources: 

“Czech Literature.” Britannica, . Accessed 7 Feb. 2025. 

“Saints Cyril and Methodius.” Britannica, . Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.

“Czech literature.” Wikipedia. . Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.

“Old Church Slavic Online.” The University of Texas at Austin - Linguistics Research Center, . Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.

O’Hara, Natalie. “Czech Poetry.” expats-cz, 30 April 2007,  

Stehlíková, Olga. Zedník Ladislav. “Contemporary Czech Poetry.” Czech Lit, 13 Feb. 2017, .

As the second of three daughters of painter Vojtěch Preissig, Irena Bernášková was born on February 7, 1904, in Prague, Bohemia. She and her family lived in Boston, during the First World War. Their home became an important place for politicians and statesmen fighting for Czechoslovak independence to meet.

Bernášková herself was a resistance member actively fighting against German occupation. Alongside that, she was a Czechoslovak journalist. After the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918, Bernášková and her sisters returned to Prague in 1921 where they went to study with their Aunt. Here she met her cousin Eduard Bernášek, whom she fell in love with and married at the age of 21. Her father was angry with her decision and did not support their marriage in any way, and therefore, cut off contact with Bernášková for four years.

During this time, the couple had a home in the Spořilov area of Prague. These years of marriage were not happy as her husband, Eda, did not want a strong woman but rather one to control. Arguing day by day, her husband started to come home later and later giving him time to spend with a certain widow. To top things off, Bernášková had a miscarriage followed by a difficult procedure which led to her inability to have more children. The marriage had fallen apart.

Bernášková’s father returned to Czechoslovakia in the late 1930s where he ultimately decided it was time to reconnect with his daughter. With their political views matching one another's, their bond was strengthened once again. They both joined the anti-Nazi resistance while Bernášková volunteered as a nurse in the Red Cross and treated refugees from the occupied Czechoslovak border.

The German troops marched into the rest of former Czechoslovakia in 1939, when Bernášková and her father had started collaborating on publishing the largest illegal magazine “V boj” with Josef Škalda. Bernášková rewrote the texts on a typewriter and distributed her copies while her father, who was a member of the editorial board, painted the covers and did translations. With every issue made, a copy was sent as provocation to the Gestapo. After the summer of 1939, where the State Secretary KH Frank received several copies directly, the Gestapo started going after resistance fighters on orders from the highest ranks. When most of the leading publishers were arrested, Bernášková and her father escaped and moved production to her apartment. 

The Gestapo was still after her. Receiving a warning from an anonymous person saying, “The Gestapo has requested your papers. You must not stay at home any longer, you are in danger of arrest. A friend from the police.” Bernášková decided to go underground. She slept in the winter garden below her father’s studio, dyed her hair, wore glasses, and only went out with false documents. Unfortunately, the Gestapo were already on her tail, and they arrested her on September 21, 1940, alongside her father and many other collaborators.

Bernášková endured three days of interrogation by the Gestapo, but she did not break. She took all the blame for herself, only giving out names of those who were imprisoned or already dead. In doing so she saved the lives of many others, but as the head of a resistance organization, she was sentenced to death and executed on August 26, 1942. Due to her honorable actions, in 1946, Bernášková received the Czechoslovak War Cross in memorial, and a Medal for Bravery in 1998.

Written by: Lucy Vanecko

Sources:

“Irena Bernaskova.” Prabook.Com, .  Accessed 31 Jan. 2025. 

http://www.publix.cz, PubliX software -. “Portal of Prague 2.” The Borough of Prague 2: Irena Bernášková, .  Accessed 31 Jan. 2025. 

Monika Kuncová “Inka Bernášková: Zasnoubena Se Smrtí.” Novinky, Novinky, 31 Oct. 2021, 

Early Life

Born in 1912 in Pilsen, Bohemia (now Plzeň, Czech Republic), Jiří Trnka’s artistic destiny was shaped early on under the guidance of Josef Skupa, a celebrated Czech puppeteer and his art teacher. Skupa’s influence ignited Trnka’s enduring passion for puppetry. 

Though puppetry was his calling, Trnka initially worked as a children's book illustrator, bringing the stories of Czech fairy tales, the Brothers Grimm, and Shakespeare to life. Trnka is credited with illustrating over 100 novels throughout his career. In 1945, Trnka shifted into animation. His first puppet film premiered in 1947, marking the start of a groundbreaking chapter in his career. From that point on, puppets became his primary medium of storytelling.

While his illustrations catered to children, Trnka’s puppet films explored mature themes, most of his films targeted towards adult audiences. His magnum opus, The Hand, remains a haunting allegory of oppression and power, proving that stop motion, animation, and puppetry - traditionally seen as children’s mediums - could deliver profound messages as effectively as any other art form.

The Walt Disney of Eastern Europe?

Western critics often labeled Trnka as the “Walt Disney of Eastern Europe,” a comparison quite misleading and which oversimplifies his unique contributions to animation. This label reflects the global dominance of Disney’s name rather than the true nature of Trnka’s work. In this new era of animation, Disney’s influence was so prevalent that any notable animator was inevitably compared to him. For many, it was nearly impossible to view animation through any lens other than Disney's.

Yet, Trnka’s creations stood apart—his films drew deeply from Czech puppetry traditions and offered a cinematic language entirely his own. Far from imitating Disney’s formulaic approach, Trnka redefined animation’s potential. Critics of his time recognized his challenge to Disney’s dominance. American critic Stephen Bosustow even hailed Trnka as “the first rebel against Disney’s omnipotence.” (Balz, 2007)

Trnka embraced stop-motion puppetry as his medium, crafting deeply personal and visually stunning films that told stories Disney didn’t. Each of his films had a unique style and distinct vision. This is largely due to Trnka’s artistic vision and, more importantly,  his ability to inspire and cultivate the talent of his team of animators.

Studio Bratři v triku

Jiří Trnka was a founding member and leader of the film studio Bratri v triku. Established in 1945, the studio became a fertile ground for artistic innovation, even as the Communist Party’s rise to power in 1948 reshaped every facet of Czech life. Remarkably, Bratři v triku appeared insulated from the control and ideological pressures that were imposed on other art forms. 

The studio’s relative protection stemmed from two key factors. First, the Communist Regime benefited from the prestige and revenue that the studio brought. In 1947, one of its films, based on a popular Czech fairy tale and directed by Trnka, won the award for best animated short film at Cannes, launching the studio’s reputation across Europe. Over the years, Trnka himself would garner even more accolades, including the Gold Medal at the Venice International Film Festival, the Méliès Award for best animated film, and the Special Prize at Cannes, cementing his status as a celebrated artist on the global stage. This international acclaim reflected favorably on the Communist regime, which touted Trnka’s achievements as evidence of Czechoslovakia’s cultural sophistication creating a paradox where Trnka’s success served both his artistic integrity and the state’s propaganda narrative.

Second, animation proved to be a medium the regime found difficult to manipulate. “We were protected from communism for the simple reason that nobody understood anything about animation,” shares filmmaker Zdena Deitchová. (Falvey) Trnka’s work was so richly metaphorical and imbued with poetic imagery that it was impossible to infuse with propaganda. After all, how do you censor a film that has no dialogue? It also helped that many of Trnka’s films were often based on fairytales and Czech folktales. Thus, the studio’s films were mostly safe from direct interference from the state.

This meant that the studio had at least some degree of freedom of artistic expression that was unattainable in any other medium while under Communist rule be it theater, television, or live-action film. Thus, the preservation of Czech art and its advancement was in the hands of Bratri v Triku. As one observer noted, “Throughout a long, bleak and often frightening period of totalitarianism, Bratří v triku built a colourful world of tenderness and artistic brilliance that remains the hallmark of Czech children’s films today.” (Falvey) In Trnka’s hands, the studio became more than just an entertainment hub — it safeguarded the soul of Czech culture.

Czech Puppetry

The relative flexibility that Trnka and his studio experienced under the Communist Party is fascinating, especially when viewed through the lens of Czech history.

In the 17th century, during Habsburg rule, Bohemians (now the Czech Republic) were forced to speak German, and the Czech language faced complete erasure. However, puppet theater provided a unique loophole: the rules didn’t apply to puppets- only people. Through public performances, puppeteers preserved the Czech language and identity, offering a cultural lifeline during a time when both were at risk of being lost.

Centuries later, Trnka carried this legacy forward, operating in a vastly different political climate but with a similar mission. His stop-motion films, steeped in Czech folklore and mythology, became cultural cornerstones. What makes Trnka’s work even more remarkable is how he bridged tradition with innovation. His puppets were not mere carriers of old stories - they were modern works of art that elevated the medium of puppetry. 

Through his work, Jiří Trnka carried forward the spirit of Czech puppetry as a form of resilience and cultural preservation. His films served not only as artistic achievements but also as a reminder of the enduring power of storytelling to sustain a nation’s identity, even in the face of profound oppression.

The Hand

While the animation studio benefited from a degree of flexibility, both Trnka and his animators were fully aware that their artistic freedom, though greater compared to other mediums like theater and live-action film, was far from absolute.

Trnka's position was both advantageous and precarious. The Soviet state funded his projects, providing the resources necessary for his groundbreaking films, but this support came at the cost of complete independence. Zdena Deitchová, a colleague at the studio, reflected on this compromise: “Now you can do whatever you want, but you have no money. In those days [1950s-60s], you were restricted, but you had money... so what’s better?”. (Osmond, 2003) 

As one of Czechoslovakia’s most celebrated cultural figures, Trnka became both an emblem of national pride and a tool of the Communist state. The regime viewed his global acclaim as evidence of its cultural sophistication. “As an artist, [Trinka] needed absolute freedom, and to a great extent, he had it,” one observer noted, “but he was also part of the Communist machinery, and he knew this full well.” ("A Very Famous Man")

This tension reached its peak in The Hand (1965), Trnka’s haunting stop-motion allegory about authoritarian control. Widely regarded as one of the most subversive works in Czech cinema, the film depicts a puppet artist coerced by a menacing hand into abandoning his own creative vision to craft works that glorify the hand itself. The film’s sparse, dialogue-free narrative brims with symbolic resonance, making its critique of power and oppression both unmistakable and universal.

Though The Hand initially escaped immediate censorship, it was officially banned after Trnka’s death in 1969. By then, it had already cemented its legacy as a work of defiance. Trnka’s final masterpiece remains a powerful testament to his ability to navigate and challenge the oppressive constraints of his era.

Trnka’s Legacy

Trnka’s influence is so deeply embedded in the craft that it’s nearly impossible to watch a stop-motion film today without encountering echoes of his genius. What is perhaps most remarkable is how seamlessly his style and techniques have been absorbed into contemporary animation, so much so that many animators today may not even realize they are working under his influence.

The following prominent figures in animation have credited Trnka: 

• Jan Pinkava: Czech animator and director of Geri’s Game — Pixar’s first short featuring a human protagonist, which won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short — and co-writer of Ratatouille.

• Kihachirō Kawamoto: Japanese puppet master and filmmaker 

• Rebecca Sugar: Creator of Steven Universe 

• Henry Sellick: Director of The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, Coraline, and Wendell & Wild

Jiří Trnka's films are inextricably tied to the Czech identity in a way few animators have ever achieved. He was a celebrated artist who, despite his fame and position, could never escape the political forces that sought to control him. Yet, in the face of these challenges, he produced work that transcended political boundaries and continues to inspire. His ability to create films that were both personal and universal, political and deeply human, is what solidified his legacy as one of the most influential animators of the 20th century. 

Trnka died in 1969 at the age of 57, his entire film career conducted under the shadow of totalitarian rule. One can’t help but wonder what new artistic territories he might have explored had he been given full artistic freedom. Nevertheless, his ability to create beautiful, deeply poetic, and at times defiant films under oppressive circumstances speaks to the spirit of his artistry.

Written by: Lucilla Chavez

References

Animation Obsessive. "A Very Famous Man." Animation Obsessive, Substack,. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.

Balz, Adam."Jiří Trnka." Not Coming to a Theater Near You,. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.

Falvey, Christian. "Studio Bratři v Triku: Cradle of Czech Animation." Radio Prague International,. Accessed 20 Nov. 2024.

Gene Siskel Film Center. "Five Questions with Irena Kovarova, Programmer of The Puppet Master: The Complete Jiří Trnka." Medium,. Accessed 20 Nov. 2024.

Jackson, Richard. "Political Oppression and Resistance in Jiří Trnka’s Ruka (The Hand) (1965)." Fantasy/Animation,. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.

Osmond, Andrew. "Czech Animation: Two Perspectives." Animation World Network,. Accessed 20 Nov. 2024.

Puppets in Prague. "Czech Puppet History." Puppets in Prague,. Accessed 20 Nov. 2024.

Shehadi, Sammy. "Why Czechs Don’t Speak German." BBC Travel,. Accessed 20 Nov. 2024.

"The Grandmaster of Stop-Motion." Animation Obsessive, Substack,. Accessed 20 Nov. 2024.

Zita of Bourbon-Parma, born a royal, was the last empress of the Austria-Hungary Empire. She was born on 9 May 1892 at the Villa Pianore in the Italian Province of Lucca. Her father, Robert I, Duke of Parma, lost his crown during the Italian Unification, becoming a duke in name only. Her mother, Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal, was born in exile after her father, Infante Miguel, usurped the Portuguese throne, which caused his brother, Pedro I of Brazil, to banish him from Portugal for his treason against the crown.

While Zita didn’t grow up in a palace, she was still raised in a luxurious lifestyle. She was also raised Catholic, which shaped her life throughout. She attended boarding school in Germany and was able to speak multiple languages such as her native Italian, Spanish, French, English, German, and Portuguese.

While in boarding school, Zita received news that her father had suddenly passed. After this tragic news, her maternal grandmother Adelaide of Lowenstien-Wertheim-Rosenberg arranged for Zita to finish her schooling at a covenant on the Isle of Wight. 

Chance love encounter 

Upon completing her education, Zita visited her maternal aunt, Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria, where she became reacquainted with her distant cousin, Archduke Charles of Austria-Este, the future emperor of Austria and her soon-to-be husband. They had met in their childhood but their schooling kept them apart. Charles was stationed with his dragoon and visited his aunt where he reencountered Zita. After nearly 10 years, the two fell back into their friendship as if no time had passed.

Charles quickly fell in love with Zita, considering her a noble, well-educated, and well-traveled. However, Zita took longer to reciprocate Charles’ feelings. Over the course of their two-year friendship, she felt romance towards him. Charles proposed to Zita, and on 21 October 1911, they were married at the Schwarzau Castle.

Empress during World War I 

Their blissful time would tragically cease on 28 June 1914 upon the assassination of heir Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, leaving a shocked Charles and Zita next in line to rule the Austrian-Hungarian Empire.

Soon after, World War I broke out. Difficulties grew for Zita as her home country of Italy joined the fight against Austria-Hungary, leaving her subjects distrustful and resentful, referring to her as “The Italian.” During the war, Zita’s weariness increased with her brother taking opposing sides in the war leaving Zita with a feeling of helplessness.

While the war raged on, Zita and Charles were crowned in Budapest on 30 December 1916 as the new rulers of the Empire. Both were mindful of the war and decided that the festivities would be kept short with only a banquet for the newly crowned rulers. Her husband Charles led a war-stricken nation while Zita dedicated her time to her subjects at charitable organizations and hospitals, visiting wounded soldiers.

The Fall of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire

The war ended in 1918 and life would begin to return to normal for millions, but not for Zita and Charles. The young royal couple were now faced with the dissolution of their nation. Both lost their thrones and titles, while their fate was further sealed when Charles signed a manifesto that ended the Austrian-Hungary Empire in place of the Republic of German-Austria. However, this new state would not last, as most of the land went to the newly formed Czechoslovakia.

Now no longer rulers, Zita and Charles, along with their children, departed for Austria. They lived in a shooting lodge while left to comprehend the massive loss of their titles, thrones, and Empire.

Help from unlikely places

Seeking to help her sister, Prince Sixtus connected with King George V, King of the United Kingdom, and appealed to him to help Zita’s family. King George V understood their mourning as he too experienced loss, via his Russian relatives, the Russian Imperial Romanov family, who met their untimely deaths in a gruesome manner.

King George V sent British Army officers to assist Zita’s and Charles’s family on their journey from Austria to Switzerland by train. They found their situation in Switzerland to be unstable, so they moved to the Portuguese island of Madeira, instead.

Although Madeira turned out to be a pleasant location, Charles caught bronchitis that progressed into pneumonia. Zita cared for him while he remained ill. At the age of 34 years, Charles died, leaving behind Zita and their 8 children. Zita never remarried and wore black throughout the remaining 67 years of her life. 

After the death of Charles, her relative Alfonso XIII of Spain made arrangements for Zita and her children to live at the Palacio Uribarren at Lekeito on the Bay of Biscay. Zita attended to her children’s well-being and education into their adulthood. By 1929, Zita moved her family to Brussels, where they lived in a castle while her children pursued higher education. 

Living through World War II 

The Nazis invaded Belgium on 10 May 1940. Seeking to protect her children, Zita and her family moved back to Portugal, staying until granted visas to the United States. They arrived in New York City on 27 July 1940 and lived there until they moved to Quebec for the remainder of the war. World War II ended on 9 May 1945, the same day Zita turned 53 years old. She toured the United States and Canada to raise funds for war-stricken Austria and Hungary. 

Zita’s later years

With her children now grown and with the decrease of political tensions, Zita moved back to Switzerland and lived in a massive castle fit for a family. In 1982, after six decades, Zita finally visited Austria, subsequently doing so frequently as she traveled throughout Europe. 

Zita’s health dwindled after the celebration of her 95th birthday party. She developed pneumonia while visiting her daughter in the summer of 1988, which left her weak and bedridden. She called her children to attend her deathbed. Her children took turns caring for their mother until she passed on 14 March 1989, living to the age of 96.

Zita’s funeral was held in Vienna on 1 April, the same day as Charles died. Her funeral had over 6,000 attendees, with 200 of them being members of the Habsburg and Bourbon-Parma families.

Written by Elizabeth Arebalo

Sources: 

“First Czechsolvak Republic.” Wikipedia.

Da Costa, Brendan. “Tragic Facts About Zita of Bourbon-Parma, The Refugee Empress.” Facinate, 3 Aug. 2021.

Mutschlechner, Martin. “Zita, the last Empress.” The World of the Habsburgs.

“Zita of Bourbon-Pama.” Wikipedia.

“Is There A Czech Royal Family? Royal History.” Magazine of Travel. 16 June, 2022.

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