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Antonín Leopold DvoÅ™ák (8 September 1841 – 1 May 1904) was a Czech composer. DvoÅ™ák frequently employed aspects, specifically rhythms, of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. DvoÅ™ák’s own style has been described as ‘the fullest recreation of a national idiom with that of the symphonic tradition, absorbing folk influences and finding effective ways of using them’.
Josef Mánes (12 May 1820, Prague – 9 December 1871, Prague) was a Czech painter. He produced many paintings in every genre from landscapes and portraits to ethnographic and botanical studies. Although his work was little understood or appreciated in his lifetime, he is now considered to be one of the greatest Czech painters.
Josef Mánes (12 May 1820, Prague – 9 December 1871, Prague) was a Czech painter. He produced many paintings in every genre from landscapes and portraits to ethnographic and botanical studies. Although his work was little understood or appreciated in his lifetime, he is now considered to be one of the greatest Czech painters.
Josef Mánes (12 May 1820, Prague – 9 December 1871, Prague) was a Czech painter. He produced many paintings in every genre from landscapes and portraits to ethnographic and botanical studies. Although his work was little understood or appreciated in his lifetime, he is now considered to be one of the greatest Czech painters.
Charles IV (1316-1378), born Wenceslaus, was the eldest son of King John of Bohemia and grandson of Emperor Henry VII, making him part of the Luxembourg dynasty. He spent several years in the court of his uncle, King Charles IV of France, after whom he would rename himself during his coronation.<br/><br/> In 1346, Charles was chosen as King of Germany by Pope Clement VI and some of the prince-electors in opposition to Emperor Louis IV. He was seen by many as a papal puppet and the 'Priests' King' due to the extensive concessions he had to make to the pope. His initial position was weak, but the sudden death of Louis in 1347 prevented a longer civil war, allowing Charles to claim the throne of Germany and Bohemia, after his father's death during the Battle of Crecy the year previous.<br/><br/> Charles was crowned King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor in 1355, and later became King of Burgundy in 1365, making him the personal ruler of all the kingdoms of the Holy Roman Empire. In the latter years of his reign, Charles took little part in the actual running of German affairs apart from securing the election of his son Wenceslaus as King of Germany in 1376. He died in 1378, having long suffered from gout.
Charles IV (1316-1378), born Wenceslaus, was the eldest son of King John of Bohemia and grandson of Emperor Henry VII, making him part of the Luxembourg dynasty. He spent several years in the court of his uncle, King Charles IV of France, after whom he would rename himself during his coronation.<br/><br/> In 1346, Charles was chosen as King of Germany by Pope Clement VI and some of the prince-electors in opposition to Emperor Louis IV. He was seen by many as a papal puppet and the 'Priests' King' due to the extensive concessions he had to make to the pope. His initial position was weak, but the sudden death of Louis in 1347 prevented a longer civil war, allowing Charles to claim the throne of Germany and Bohemia, after his father's death during the Battle of Crecy the year previous.<br/><br/> Charles was crowned King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor in 1355, and later became King of Burgundy in 1365, making him the personal ruler of all the kingdoms of the Holy Roman Empire. In the latter years of his reign, Charles took little part in the actual running of German affairs apart from securing the election of his son Wenceslaus as King of Germany in 1376. He died in 1378, having long suffered from gout.
Jehan de Mandeville, translated as Sir John Mandeville, is the name claimed by the compiler of a singular book of supposed travels, written in Anglo-Norman French, and published between 1357 and 1371. By aid of translations into many other languages it acquired extraordinary popularity.<br/><br/> Despite the extremely unreliable and often fantastical nature of the travels it describes, it was used as a work of reference — Christopher Columbus, for example, was heavily influenced by both this work, as well as by Marco Polo's earlier 'Il Milione'.
Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-language writer of novels and short stories, regarded by critics as one of the most influential authors of the 20th century. Most of his works, such as Die Verwandlung (The Metamorphosis), Der Process (The Trial), and Das Schloss (The Castle), are filled with the themes and archetypes of alienation, physical and psychological brutality, parent–child conflict, characters on a terrifying quest, labyrinths of bureaucracy, and mystical transformations.<br/><br/> Kafka was born into a middle-class, German-speaking Jewish family in Prague, the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In his lifetime, most of the population of Prague spoke Czech, and the division between Czech- and German-speaking people was a tangible reality, as both groups were strengthening their national identity. The Jewish community often found itself in between the two sentiments, naturally raising questions about a place to which one belongs. Kafka himself was fluent in both languages, considering German his mother tongue.
Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich (7 March 1904 – 4 June 1942) was a high-ranking German Nazi official during World War II, and one of the main architects of the Holocaust. He was SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei (Senior Group Leader and Chief of Police) as well as chief of the Reich Main Security Office (including the Gestapo, Kripo, and SD).<br/><br/> He was also Stellvertretender Reichsprotektor (Deputy/Acting Reich-Protector) of Bohemia and Moravia, in what is now the Czech Republic. Heydrich chaired the January 1942 Wannsee Conference, which formalised plans for the Final Solution to the Jewish Question—the deportation and genocide of all Jews in German-occupied Europe.<br/><br/> Heydrich was attacked in Prague on 27 May 1942 by a British-trained team of Czech and Slovak soldiers who had been sent by the Czechoslovak government-in-exile to kill him in Operation Anthropoid. He died from his injuries a week later. Intelligence falsely linked the assassins to the villages of Lidice and Lezaky. Lidice was razed to the ground; all men and boys over the age of 16 were shot, and all but a handful of its women and children were deported and killed in Nazi concentration camps.
Václav Hollar (13 July 1607 – 25 March 1677), was a Bohemian etcher, known in England as Wenceslaus or Wenceslas and in Germany as Wenzel Hollar.<br/><br/> He was born in Prague, and died in London, being buried at St Margaret's Church, Westminster.
Noah's Ark ( Biblical Hebrew: Tevat Noaḥ) is the vessel in the Genesis flood narrative (Genesis chapters 6–9) by which God spares Noah, his family, and a remnant of all the world's animals from the flood.<br/><br/> According to Genesis, God gave Noah instructions for building the ark. Seven days before the deluge, God told Noah to enter the ark with his household and the animals. The story goes on to describe the ark being afloat for 150 days and then coming to rest on the Mountains of Ararat and the subsequent receding of the waters. The story is repeated, with variations, in the Quran.
Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-language writer of novels and short stories, regarded by critics as one of the most influential authors of the 20th century. Most of his works, such as Die Verwandlung (The Metamorphosis), Der Process (The Trial), and Das Schloss (The Castle), are filled with the themes and archetypes of alienation, physical and psychological brutality, parent–child conflict, characters on a terrifying quest, labyrinths of bureaucracy, and mystical transformations.<br/><br/> Kafka was born into a middle-class, German-speaking Jewish family in Prague, the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In his lifetime, most of the population of Prague spoke Czech, and the division between Czech- and German-speaking people was a tangible reality, as both groups were strengthening their national identity. The Jewish community often found itself in between the two sentiments, naturally raising questions about a place to which one belongs. Kafka himself was fluent in both languages, considering German his mother tongue.
Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich (7 March 1904 – 4 June 1942) was a high-ranking German Nazi official during World War II, and one of the main architects of the Holocaust. He was SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei (Senior Group Leader and Chief of Police) as well as chief of the Reich Main Security Office (including the Gestapo, Kripo, and SD).<br/><br/> He was also Stellvertretender Reichsprotektor (Deputy/Acting Reich-Protector) of Bohemia and Moravia, in what is now the Czech Republic. Heydrich chaired the January 1942 Wannsee Conference, which formalised plans for the Final Solution to the Jewish Question—the deportation and genocide of all Jews in German-occupied Europe.<br/><br/> Heydrich was attacked in Prague on 27 May 1942 by a British-trained team of Czech and Slovak soldiers who had been sent by the Czechoslovak government-in-exile to kill him in Operation Anthropoid. He died from his injuries a week later. Intelligence falsely linked the assassins to the villages of Lidice and Lezaky. Lidice was razed to the ground; all men and boys over the age of 16 were shot, and all but a handful of its women and children were deported and killed in Nazi concentration camps.
Václav Hollar (13 July 1607 – 25 March 1677), was a Bohemian etcher, known in England as Wenceslaus or Wenceslas and in Germany as Wenzel Hollar.<br/><br/> He was born in Prague, and died in London, being buried at St Margaret's Church, Westminster.
Alfons Maria Mucha (24 July 1860 – 14 July 1939), often known in English and French as Alphonse Mucha, was a Czech Art Nouveau painter and decorative artist, celebrated for his distinctive style.<br/><br/> He produced numerous paintings, illustrations, advertisements, postcards, and designs.
Vaclav Havel (5 October 1936 – 18 December 2011) was a Czech writer, philosopher, dissident, and statesman. From 1989 to 1992, he served as the last president of Czechoslovakia. He then served as the first president of the Czech Republic (1993–2003) after the Czech–Slovak split.<br/><br/> Within Czech literature, he is known for his plays, essays, and memoirs.
Alfons Maria Mucha (24 July 1860 – 14 July 1939), often known in English and French as Alphonse Mucha, was a Czech Art Nouveau painter and decorative artist, celebrated for his distinctive style.<br/><br/> He produced numerous paintings, illustrations, advertisements, postcards, and designs
The Orient Express was the name of a long-distance passenger train service created in 1883 by Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (CIWL).<br/><br/> The route and rolling stock of the Orient Express changed many times. Several routes in the past concurrently used the Orient Express name, or slight variants thereof. Although the original Orient Express was simply a normal international railway service, the name has become synonymous with intrigue and luxury travel. The two city names most prominently associated with the Orient Express are Paris and Constantinople (Istanbul), the original endpoints of the timetabled service.<br/><br/> The Orient Express was a showcase of luxury and comfort at a time when travelling was still rough and dangerous. CIWL soon developed a dense network of luxury trains all over Europe, whose names are still remembered today and associated with the art of luxury travel (such as the Blue Train, the Golden Arrow, North Express and many more). CIWL became the first and most important modern multinational dedicated to transport, travel agency, and hospitality with activities spreading from Europe to Asia and Africa.
Jan Hus, often referred to in English as John Hus or John Huss, was a Czech priest, philosopher, early Christian reformer and Master at Charles University in Prague. After John Wycliffe, the theorist of ecclesiastical Reformation, Hus is considered the first Church reformer, as he lived before Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli.<br/><br/> Hus was a key predecessor to Protestantism, and his teachings had a strong influence on the states of Western Europe, most immediately in the approval of a reformist Bohemian religious denomination, and, more than a century later, on Martin Luther himself. He was burned at the stake in 1415 for 'heresy against the doctrines of the Catholic Church'.
Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-language writer of novels and short stories, regarded by critics as one of the most influential authors of the 20th century. Most of his works, such as Die Verwandlung (The Metamorphosis), Der Process (The Trial), and Das Schloss (The Castle), are filled with the themes and archetypes of alienation, physical and psychological brutality, parent–child conflict, characters on a terrifying quest, labyrinths of bureaucracy, and mystical transformations.<br/><br/> Kafka was born into a middle-class, German-speaking Jewish family in Prague, the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In his lifetime, most of the population of Prague spoke Czech, and the division between Czech- and German-speaking people was a tangible reality, as both groups were strengthening their national identity. The Jewish community often found itself in between the two sentiments, naturally raising questions about a place to which one belongs. Kafka himself was fluent in both languages, considering German his mother tongue.
The Munich Agreement was a settlement permitting Nazi Germany's annexation of portions of Czechoslovakia along the country's borders mainly inhabited by German speakers, for which a new territorial designation 'Sudetenland' was coined.<br/><br/> The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe, excluding the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia. Today, it is widely regarded as a failed act of appeasement towards Nazi Germany.
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle; and an eagle's talons as its front feet. As the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle was the king of the birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature.<br/><br/> The griffin was also thought of as king of the creatures. Griffins are known for guarding treasure and priceless possessions. In antiquity it was a symbol of divine power and a guardian of the divine.
Václav Hollar, known in England as Wenceslaus or Wenceslas and in Germany as Wenzel Hollar (13 July 1607 – 25 March 1677), was a Bohemian etcher, who lived in England for much of his life. He was born in Prague, and died in London, being buried at St Margaret's Church, Westminster.
Wenceslaus I (Czech: Václav; c. 907 – September 28, 935), or Wenceslas I, was the duke (kníže) of Bohemia from 921 until his assassination in 935, purportedly in a plot by his own brother, Boleslav the Cruel.<br/><br/> His martyrdom, and the popularity of several biographies, quickly gave rise to a cult-like following and reputation of superhuman goodness, resulting in his being elevated to Sainthood, posthumously declared king, and seen as the patron saint of the Czech state. He is even the subject of a Christmas carol written in 1853 that remains popular to this day, Good King Wenceslas.<br/><br/> The Codex Manesse, Manesse Codex, or Große Heidelberger Liederhandschrift is a Liederhandschrift (medieval songbook), the single most comprehensive source of Middle High German Minnesang poetry, written and illustrated between ca. 1304 when the main part was completed, and ca. 1340 with the addenda. The codex was produced in Zürich , for the Manesse family.
Carl Crow (1884-1945) was a Missouri-born newspaperman, businessman, and author who managed several newspapers and then opened the first Western advertising agency in Shanghai, China, which he ran for 19 years, creating much of what is thought of today as the sexy China Girl poster and calendar advertisements. In the 1930s and 1940s, Crow wrote 13 books, including his story about why he is a Confucian, Master Kung: The Story of Confucius (1937). Crow was also founding editor of the Shanghai Evening Post. He died in Manhattan.<br/><br/> Carl Crow arrived in Shanghai in 1911 and made the city his home for a quarter of a century, working there as a journalist, newspaper proprietor, and groundbreaking ad-man. He also did stints as a hostage negotiator, emergency police sergeant, gentleman farmer, go-between for the American government, and propagandist. As his career progressed, so did the fortunes of Shanghai. The city transformed itself from a dull colonial backwater when Crow arrived, to the thriving and ruthless cosmopolitan metropolis of the 1930s when Crow wrote his pioneering book 400 Million Customers, which encouraged a flood of business into China in an intriguing foreshadowing of today’s boom.
Christopher Columbus (c. 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was a navigator, colonizer, and explorer from Genoa, Italy, whose voyages across the Atlantic Ocean led to general European awareness of the American continents in the Western Hemisphere.<br/><br/> With his four voyages of exploration and several attempts at establishing a settlement on the island of Hispaniola, all funded by Isabella I of Castile, he initiated the process of Spanish colonization which foreshadowed general European colonization of the 'New World'.