Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
czecH
HiStoRy
and
lanGUaGe
HISTORy
The Czechs have always been at a crossroads of Europe—between
the Slavic and Germanic worlds, between Catholicism and
Protestantism, and between Cold War East and West. As if having
foreseen all of this, the mythical founder of Prague—the beautiful
princess Libuše—named her city “Praha” (meaning “threshold” in
Czech). Despite these strong external influences, the Czechs have
retained their distinct culture...and a dark, ironic sense of humor
to keep them laughing through it all.
Charles IV and the Middle Ages
Prague's castle put Bohemia on the map in the ninth century.
About a century later, the region was incorporated into the German
Holy Roman Empire. Within a couple hundred years, Prague was
one of Europe's largest and most highly
cultured cities.
The 14th century was Prague's Golden
Age, when Holy Roman Emperor Charles
IV (1316-1378) ruled from here. Born to a
Luxemburg nobleman and a Czech prin-
cess, Charles IV was a dynamic man on
the cusp of the Renaissance. He spoke five
languages, counted Petrarch as a friend,
imported French architects to make Prague
a grand capital, founded the first univer-
sity north of the Alps, and invigorated the
Czech national spirit. (He popularized the
legend of the good king Wenceslas to give
