Page 672 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

670  CENTR AL AND EASTERN EUROPE

In the early 15th century, central Europe The 19th century saw a period of Czech
shook in fear of an incredible fighting national revival and the burgeoning of
force – the Hussites, followers of the civic pride. But, a foreign power still ruled,
reformer Jan Hus, who preached in and it was not until 1918 and the collapse
Prague and attacked the of the Habsburg Empire that
corrupt practices of the the independent republic of
Catholic Church. His Czechoslovakia was declared.
execution for heresy in World War II brought German
1415 led to the Hussite occupation, followed by four
wars. The radical wing decades of Communism.
of the Hussites, the In 1968, a program of liberal
Taborites, were finally reforms was introduced,
defeated at the Battle known as the “Prague Spring”;
of Lipany in 1434. the reforms were swiftly
At the start of the 16th quashed by Soviet leaders,
century, the Austrian who sent in troops to occupy
Habsburgs took over, the country. The overthrow of
beginning a period of Engraving showing the radical cleric Jan Communism did not come
rule that would last for Hus being burned at the stake until 20 years later: in
almost 400 years. November 1989, a protest
Religious turmoil led, in 1618, to the rally in Prague against police brutality led
Protestant revolt and the 30 Years’ War. to the “Velvet Revolution” – a series of mass
The end of the war ushered in a period demonstrations and strikes that resulted in
of persecution of all non-Catholics and the resignation of the existing regime. The Berlin,
a systematic Germanization of the most recent chapter in Czech history was Leipzig Děčín 13
country’s institutions. closed in 1993 with the peaceful division G E R M A N Y Teplice Liberec
of Czechoslovakia into two independent 8
KEY DATES IN CZECH HISTORY states – Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Terezín Turnov
13 Chomutov
500 BC Celts in Bohemia and Moravia. Joined by Žatec D8 Elbe (Labe) Mladá
Germanic tribes in 1st century AD Language and Culture Karlsbad 27 10 Boleslav 33
AD 500–600 Slavs settle in the region Under the Habsburgs, Czech identity 6 (Karlovy Vary) Kladno PRAGUE Hradec
867 Dynasty of Přemyslids founded was largely suppressed and the Czech 6 (Praha) D11 Poděbrady 11 Králové
880 Přemyslids build Prague Castle language became little more than a D5 12
1333 Charles IV makes Prague his home, marking the dialect, mainly spoken among the Marienbad Karlstein Kutná
(Mariánské Lázně)
start of the city’s Golden Age peasant population. In the 19th century, 21 (Karlštejn) Hora 37
1415 Jan Hus burned at the stake for heresy; start of however, Austrian rule relaxed, and the
the Hussite Wars D5 Pilsen CZECH REPUBLIC
1526 Habsburg rule begins with Ferdinand I Czechs began rediscovering their own (Plzeň) Vltava D1 M o r a v i a
1576 Accession of Habsburg Emperor Rudolf II culture. The first history of the Czech Nuremberg 26 B o h e m i a 3 Humpolec
nation was written by the Moravian
1618 Protestant revolt leads to the 30 Years’ War 20 Tabor 19
1627 Beginning of Counter-Reformation committee František Palacký, and Czech was Klatovy Jihlava
in Prague re-established as an official language. Písek D3 34
19th century Czech National Revival Since the Golden Age of the 14th 27 Strakonice Brno
23
1918 Foundation of Czechoslovakia century, Prague has prided itself on its 4 Jindřichův
1948 Communist Party assumes power reputation as a flourishing cultural center. 22 Budweis Hradec
1989 Year of the “Velvet Revolution”; Communist In the early 20th century, the city had a Munich (České Budějovice) 38
regime finally overthrown Cubist movement to rival that of Paris.
1993 Czechoslovakia ceases to exist; creation of the The Czech Republic has produced Znojmo
Český
new Czech Republic Krumlov 3
2004 Czech Republic joins the EU writers, artists, and musicians of world Vienna
2009 Presidency of the EU renown including Franz Kafka, Alfons A U S T R I A
Mucha, and Antonín Dvořák. Linz

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