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the czech republic seldom makes headlines, but this year’s czech presidency of the eu might increase awareness of this medium-sized state in central europe. Prague is usually the first thing that comes to mind, as the birthplace of Kafka or the picturesque backdrop to the Velvet revolution. But the czech state has more in store.
A state in the modern sense of the word was established as a union of Czechs and Slovaks, called Czechoslovakia, in 1918 after the collapse of the Austro‑Hungarian Empire. On January 1, 1993, the two nations went their separate ways.
The Czech Republic comprises three lands: Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia, and 14 regions. The biggest one is the Central Bohemia region.
Politics
The Czech Republic is a parliamentary democracy. The Parliament consists of two chambers : the House of Deputies (200 members) and the Senate (81 members). The Senate is a relatively new institution, re‑introduced in 1996, to balance the power of the House. The executive branch is represented by the government and the president. After parliamentary election the president appoints the prime minister, usually from a winning party, to form a government. The MPs are elected for a four‑year -term and senators for six years.
Area: 78,866 square metres (comparable to Ireland) Population: 10,287,189 inhabitants Member of NATO since 1999 Member of EU since 2004
Brief History
The historical roots of the Czech state can be traced back to the 10th century, when the region was ruled by the Přemyslid dynasty. In 935, Duke Václav was killed by his brother Boleslav in fight for power. This violent act gave rise to the Wenceslas cult and St. Wenceslas is also the patron saint of the Czech Republic. The Czech kingdom expanded and experienced booms during the reign of Přemysl Otakar II (13th century) and Charles IV (14th century). Later on, the kingdom was absorbed into Habsburg Empire.
Nature
Mountains form natural boundaries in the north (Krkonoše), south (Šumava) and west (Krušné Mountains). The highest peak is Sněžka (1,602 m) in the Krkonoše mountain range. The major European river the Elbe rises in Krkonoše too.
tHe 12 WoNDers ON THE UNESCO LIST
Because of the state’s long and eventful history, there are numerous castles, palaces and places of interest presenting different architectural styles. some of them have been listed as uNesco sights and are under the protection of this international organisation.
1. the Historical centre of
The star shaped pilgrimage church built by Santini‑Aichl, a Czech Baroque builder of Italian origin, is characteristic of Baroque‑Gothic style. The building includes a lot of complex symbolism based on the number five.
Prague (listed in 1992)
The top Czech destination, Prague, leads the list with monuments such as Prague Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral and Charles Bridge.
2. the Historical centre of Český Krumlov (1992)
5. Kutná Hora (1995)
This popular tourist attraction boasts a castle and chateaux complex and a well‑preserved historical centre. The aristocratic families of Vítkovci and Rožmberkové are connected to the town’s history and its Rennaissance look. The town is also known as a place where Egon Schiele, an expressionist painter of European renown , created many if his works.
A medieval mining town, which became rich because of its silver deposits , is famous for its historical centre and the Church of St. Barbara. This eye‑catching piece of Gothic architecture was begun in 1388 but wasn’t completed until 1905. The construction was often interrupted as the town suffered from wars, flood and financial collapse following the closure of the mines.
3. the Historical centre of telč (1992)
6. lednice-Valtice cultural landscape (1996)
The town’s square offers a unique combination of Renaissance and Baroque houses with characteristic arcades and sgrafitti design. There is also a chateux in the town.
As every Czech knows, ‘lednice’ means ‘refrigerator’ but this chateux complex in South Moravia is unlikely to leave you feeling frosty. This impressive combination of Baroque and Neo‑Gothic styles stands in the largest park in the CR (200 km2 ) and is an important example of English Romantic landscape design.
4. the Pilgrimage church of Jan Nepomuk in Zelená Hora, close to Žďár nad sázavou (1994)
as Krkonoše, Šumava (with the remains of primeval forests ), Czech Paradise ( sandstone rock formations in the north) and Moravian Karst (a series of caves and the gorge Macocha). Ryan Scott (Australia), Zuzana Sklenková (CR)
The interior is more of a plain, broken by small hills, rivers and streams. The Moravian landscape has lowlands in the south as well as mountains such as Jeseníky in the north and Beskydy in the east. Natural beauty spots include national parks in mountains such
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Bridge 06 − 2008/2009
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7. Holašovice (1998)
This village in south Bohemia represents a rural style architecture, known as folk baroque, from the mid 19th century.
8. Kroměříž castle and Gardens (1998)
Originally a summer residence of Olomouc bishops, Kroměříž’s palace is considered a fine example of Baroque architecture. But the gardens received the most praise for being an example of the period’s landscaping . The castle houses an impressive art collection, including works by Titian.
9. litomyšl castle (1999)
This unique arcade palace is one of the most important examples
of Renaissance architecture in the Czech Republic. It is an important venue for cultural events, the most notable being the opera festival Smetana’s Litomyšl, named after the famous composer who was born in the town.
10. Holy trinity column olomouc (2000)
The town of Olomouc is an important medieval town and a university centre. The UNESCO attraction is one of the tallest Baroque memorial columns in the Czech Republic (35 m). Decorated with copper adornments and statues, it is a monument to a plague epidemic between 1714‑1716. The town also has its own
astrological clock , though the saints have been replaced by figurines from the socialist period.
11. Villa tugendhat, Brno (2001)
Brno, the second biggest city in the CR, has many architectural jewels, among them the fortress Špilberk and the gothic St. Peter and Paul’s cathedral. The functionalist Villa Tugendhat (named after its owners) was based on a design of a major modernist architect and furniture designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, made in 1928. The building is divided into three levels but gives the impression of a one‑storey building. The owners, being of Jewish origin,
had to leave Czechoslovakia in 1938 because of persecution by Nazis. Interestingly, the talks between the Czech and Slovak government that led to the division of Czechoslovakia took place on this site in July 1992.
12. třebíč (2003)
This historical centre includes St. Prokopius’ Romanesque‑Gothic basilica as well as the remains of the Jewish quarter, which is the only Jewish site on the UNESCO list beside Israel. It documents a big Jewish community in the Czech lands prior to the WWII.
Try to match each UNESCO sight to the right photo.
tasK
Solution on p. 3
Vocabulary:
seldom makes headlines - se zřídka dostává do zpráv medium-sized - středně velký picturesque backdrop [pIktS@“rEsk b&kdrQp] - malebné pozadí can be traced back to [treIst] - se dá vysledovat až do to give rise to sth [raIz] - dát vzniknout
reign [reIn] - vláda
chamber [“tSeImb@] - komora
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The House of Deputies [“dEpjUti:z]
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poslanecká sněmovna
to appoint [@“pOInt] - jmenovat term - období peak [pi;k] - vrchol to rise - pramenit lowland [“l@Ul@nd] - nížina
remains of primeval forests [rI”meInz praI”mi;v(@)l] - pozůstatky prehistorických lesů sandstone [“s&n(d)st@Un] - pískovec
- gorge [gO;dZ] - propast
chateaux [“S&t@U] - zámek
renown [rI”naUn] - proslulost
arcade [A;“keId] - podloubí pilgrimage [“pIlgrImIdZ] - poutní silver deposits [dI”pQzIts] - naleziště stříbra
landscaping - úprava krajiny venue [“vEnju;] - místo konání Holy Trinity column [“kQl@m] - sloup Nejsvětější Trojice plague epidemic [pleIg] - morová epidemie astrological clock - orloj fortress [“fO;trIs] - pevnost Jewish [“dZu;IS] - židovský