Dvořák's "New World" is coming to The Big Apple

For those of you in New York, this would be a

The original manuscript of the "New World" Symphony returns for the first time to New York City, where it was composed by Antonín Dvořák in 1893. On loan from the Czech National Museum, the manuscript will be reunited with original orchestral parts from the New York Philharmonic, created for the world premiere at Carnegie Hall in 1893. 

The public is invited to view the exhibit in the Czech Center Gallery at the Bohemian National Hall from Monday, November 17th -Friday, November 21st daily from 1pm - 9pm.  Tours will be offered, and lectures presented Tuesday, November 18th -Thursday, November 20th daily at 6pm. The Dvořák Room will be open during exhibition hours. Admission is free. 

For more information please visit: www.czechcenter.com  &  www.dvoraknyc.org

Lenny's back!

He's back... 

Looking for something to do on November 13th?  Well, Lenny Kravitz will be back in Prague performing at the O2 Arena.  He hasn't performed in Prague since 2011... catch him this year.  With a new album entitled Strut out this month, it's bound to be an amazing show!

Check out his new song, The Chamber 

For more info & to purchase tickets, please visit LiveNation

Congratulations, Petra Kvitová!

I know I'm a few days late, but nonetheless...

CONGRATULATIONS to Petra Kvitová for her Wimbledon win!  We are so proud of you!

Kiss Me

Today is one of the most romantic days of the year!
On the first of May, lovers are supposed to kiss under a blossoming cherry tree to ensure a year of good health.  Also, a girl should be kissed under a cherry blossom so that she will stay beautiful year round.  You hear that boys??  Kiss your girl...believe me she wants you to!


Finding a cherry tree in Prague can be difficult, so kissing under any blossoming tree will do!  

(Psssst...I'll tell you a secret... there's one at Vysehrad)

Another tradition is to meet at the statue of Karel Hynek.  Why?  Well good ole Karel was a Czech romantic poet, and today he stands on Petřín Hill.

Couples who kiss in front of his statue believe that their love will be as strong as the stone that the statue is made from.   Mácha is best known for his lyrical epic poem, Máj, which is a poem about a tragic love between two young people.  A well-known verse is:

It was late evening, on the first of May,
The eve of May was the time of love.
The turtle-dove's voice called to love,
Where rich and sweet pinewoods lay.

Máj is regarded as a classic work of Czech Romanticism, and is considered one of the best Czech poems ever written.         

                

Rest in Peace Mr. Havel, "truth and love must prevail over lies and hatred"

I have to put a little damper on all of this Christmas cheer.  Sadly, yesterday the former Czechoslovak and Czech President, Václav Havel, peacefully passed away in his sleep at his country house in northern Bohemia.  He had been a heavy smoker for decades and almost died during lung cancer surgery in 1996.  Mr. Havel had been suffering from severe respiratory ailments.  He was 75 years old.

(Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Vaclav Havel was the most famous Czech politician in the world.  The former playwright, who was a major figure in the fight against Communism, later became the president of Czechoslovakia and later the Czech Republic.

His motto: "truth and love must prevail over lies and hatred" will stay embedded in our hearts as well as his contribution to the freedom of all Czechs and Slovaks at home and around the world.  We extend our condolences to President Havel’s family.  He will never be forgotten.

Czech Public Holiday Today - Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day

Today is a public holiday in the Czech Republic - Den boje za svobodu a demokracii (Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day) commemorating the student demonstration against Nazi occupation in 1939, and the demonstration in 1989 that started the Velvet Revolution.

On November 17, 1989, a Friday, riot police suppressed a peaceful student demonstration in Prague.  That event sparked a series of popular demonstrations from November 19th through late December.  By November 20th, the number of peaceful protesters assembled in Prague had risen from 200,000 the previous day to an estimated 500,000.  

Twenty-two years ago today, it started off as a peaceful officially-sanctioned march in Prague to commemorate Czech student Jan Opletal, who died at the hands of the country's Nazi occupiers in 1939.  Students, however, soon started to chant slogans against the communist regime.

Jan Opletal (Jan. 1, 1915 - Nov. 11, 1939)

Home of Jan Opletal

It is said that about 15,000 students had joined the demonstration.  They walked to the grave of Jan Opletal and - after the official end - continued from the Czech National Cemetery at Vyšehrad to Wenceslas Square calling for democratic reforms.  However, they never made it there.  At about 7:30 pm, when they were halfway through their march at Národní Street, the students were stopped by a cordon of police.  The students offered flowers to the police while singing songs and shouting "we have bare hands", but the police suddenly began to beat the young demonstrators with night sticks.  

Prior to this, the police managed to block all escape routes.  Nearly 200 people were injured.  One student was reportedly beaten to death.  Although this was later proved false, it served well for mass student support amongst the general public.

There is a memorial dedicated to November 17th at Wenceslas Square, and each year people place flowers and candles there to remember this day's events.  The President of the Czech Republic always places flowers atop the memorial, as well.  

Memorial to Jan Opletal

Along Národní třída, inside the arcade near No. 16, is a bronze plaque with a cluster of hands forming the peace sign and the date "17.11.1989" in memory of students clubbed in the street by police on that date.

Student Memorial on Národní třída

Happy Name Day, Karel! Všechno nejlepší k svátku!

Today we honor Karel.  Happy name day, Karel!

The name Karel is the Czech, Dutch and Slovene form of Charles.  It's also a variant of Carl and Karl, which are of Old German origin.  The meaning of Karel is "free man".  However, an alternative theory states that the name is derived from the common Germanic element hari meaning "army, warrior".

The popularity of the name in continental Europe was due to the fame of Charles the Great (742-814), commonly knows as Charlemagne, a king of the Franks who came to rule over most of Europe.  

Charlemegne

It was subsequently borne by several Holy Roman Emperors, as well as kings of France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and Hungary.  The name did not become common in Britain until the 17th century when it was carried by the Stuart King Charles I.  It had been introduced into the Stuart royal family by Mary Queen of Scots, who had been raised in France. 

Charles I

 Famous bearers of the name include:

Karel Hynek Mácha, Czech Poet



Karel Gott, Czech singer

Naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882) who revolutionized biology with his theory of evolution.

Novelist Charles Dickens (1812-1870) who wrote such works as "Great Expectations" and "A Tale of Two Cities"

French statesman Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970)

 And American cartoonist Charles Schulz (1922-2000), the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip

The Peanuts gang

Angels take Prague

So I'm watching bad chick reality tv a very educational program last night and this commercial comes on.  I don't do commercials, but just when I'm about to fast-forward something, err, someplace catches my eye.  See if you can spot it... if you can see past the scantily clad models, that is.

We're thrilled to have this shot in our stunning city.  Beautiful women, beautiful city, beautiful lingerie... it just makes sense.  

Style.com has an exclusive behind-the-scenes look... Czech it out! (wow, that was corny)

Thursday's House Insignia of the Day Revealed - At the Red Eagle (U červeného orla)

 At the Red Eagle (U červeného orla) 

From the 15th century onward, the eagle served as the symbol of the Holy Roman Emperor; the heraldic depiction of the lord of the skies with two heads expressed the superiority of the emperor to all other rulers, and hence his right to absolute power.  In the Czech lands, the double-headed imperial eagle became the insignia of the ruling dynasty of the Habsburgs, and in many centuries of their rule came to adorn many a house façade, even in Prague.  The Habsburg eagle was used most frequently for governmental buildings, or houses belonging to persons affiliated in some way with the imperial court: doctors, suppliers of goods or services to the imperial house, craftsman and pharmacists.

Under the protective wing of one such majestic figurative raptor, positioned on the present house in Celetná Street, a prosperous inn dating back to medieval times flourished for many years.  Later a cafe of considerable repute, U Suchých, was by the 1830s one of the focal points of intellectual life for the Czech National Revival, frequented by nationally conscious Czech writers, artists and students, including the famed writer and dramatist Josef Kajetán Tyl, often in the company of actors, both professional and amateur.  

Josef Kajetán Tyl

Another of Tyl's companions was Karel Hynek Mácha, the poet now universally regarded as the greatest figure of Czech Romanticism.  

Karel Hynek Mácha

In this cafe, it so happened that Tyl ordered hot chocolate for his fiancée and her friend Eleanora (known as Lori) Šomková.  Then a mere girl of seventeen, Lori felt quite shy in such elevated company, until a young man arrived at the table and kindly encouraged her to take a sip of her chocolate.  Supposedly, this was the first meeting of Mácha with the woman who was to prove his great love.  Their relationship, however, ended in tragedy, since Mácha died on the day planned for their wedding in November of 1836.

Do you remember when I told you that Czechs have their own version of Valentine's Day on May 1st...A Day for Lovers.  On the first of May, lovers are supposed to kiss under a blossoming cherry tree to ensure a year of good health and good luck.  But, there's another tradition associated with A Day for Lovers, and that is to meet at the statue of Karel Hynek Mácha.  Why?  Well, he was a Czech romantic poet, and today he stands on Petřín Hill.  Couples who kiss in front of his statue believe that their love will be as strong as the stone his statue is made from. 

Karel Hynek Mácha is best known for his lyrical epic poem, Máj (which is about May 1st and speaks of the tragic love of two young people).  Máj is "regarded as the classic work of Czech Romanticism, and is considered one of the best Czech poems ever written."  It's quite beautiful and you can read the translated version of it here http://www.lupomesky.cz/maj/may.html

The building was originally a Gothic house, but was rebuilt several times - the way it looks today was created during a High Baroque reconstruction around 1725 and also during a late Classicist adaptation in 1838.  In 1958, the house was very insensitively adapted and most of the Classicist architectural details were removed. The house has been owned by the Charles University since 1754.  Originally there were flats that housed  professors from the law and medical faculties.  

Location:  Celetná ulice 21/593, Staré Město (Old Town)

Czech Independence Day!

Today marks the most important national holiday of the year... Independent Czechoslovak State Proclamation Day!  

On October 28, 1918, Czechoslovakia was granted independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I.  With Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk as its first president, Czechoslovakia arose as one of the succession states of Austria-Hungary at the end of WWI.

Wenceslas Square, October 28, 1918

The time between WWI and WWII, which was also a golden age for the culture, is now called "the First Republic".  It's a time when Czechoslovakia had a parliamentary democracy, concentrated 70% of the industry of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, and had an economy that was the strongest in the world.  Prague was similar to Paris then, as exemplified by the great Czech-French art nouveau painter, Alphonse Mucha.

First Czechoslovak President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk

Why must all good things come to an end??  

The First Republic era only lasted 20 years.  Czechoslovakia was betrayed by allies in 1938 in the Munich agreement, thus Nazi Germany legally occupied Sudetenland, the Czechoslovakian borders with Germany, and in 1939 the whole country was under protectorship of Hitler's Germany.

Map of Sudetenland (highlighted in black)

After the second World War, the Nazi troops were replaced by Soviet troops, and the Czechs had to wait for the restoration of democracy until the end of 1989.  

We celebrate October 28th mainly to remember this happy era known as the First Republic.  The president's speech is televised and is followed by awarding medals to Czechs who have done great deeds.  Every year on this day, a few thousand of the Czech Republic's leading citizens are invited to the Independence Day ceremony at Prague Castle, where the great halls are open and delicious food and drink are served.

Independence Day Ceremony at the Spanish Hall...Prague Castle

So honor this special day with us... raise your glass to mark this day in 1918 when Czechoslovakia emerged from the shadows of the Austro-Hungarian Empire!

Václav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic

Tuesday's House Insignia of the Day Revealed - House at the Black Sun (U černého slunce)

The Black Sun (U černého slunce)

Originally an early Gothic house (cellars preserved), later on expanded and adapted; its current appearance is from a late Baroque reconstruction in the 2nd half of the 18th century.  Some rooms have Gothic, Renaissance or Baroque vaults.  

The singer Josefína Dušková, née Hambacherová (1754-1824) spent her youth here; her and her husband were friends and hosts of W.A. Mozart.

 Josefína Dušková

Location:  Celetná Street 8/556, Staré Město (Old Town)

Friday's House Insignia of the Day Revealed - The Golden Tiger (U zlatého tygra)

The Golden Tiger (U zlatého tygra)

Many different names and insignia were applied to this building throughout its rich history; only during the course of its remodeling in the Baroque style at the end of the 18th century did its owner have installed on the façade the stone relief of a tiger, illustrating the house's new and permanent name - The Golden Tiger.  By the 1820s, the building housed a coffeehouse renowned in literary circles, where the leading figures of the Czech National Revival debated long hours over their newspapers.  Now, though, for a great many decades the "Tiger" has depended far less on its coffee than its exceptional Pilsner Urquell beer.  

Of the connoisseurs of the frothing golden pints poured from the "Tiger's" taps, the most famous was certainly the writer Bohumil Hrabal, though the beer itself was far from the only reason he frequented this historic Prague locale.  

"The pub for me is not simply too loud a solitude, not simply the place where beer is drunk, but where the beer sets the tongue in motion, into creation; the pub is where language grows and new argots and phrases come into being", Hrabal wrote.  

Bohumil Hrabal

In 1994, U zlatého tygra played host to the American president Bill Clinton, at the invitation of the then Czech president Václav Havel.  The two statesmen joined Bohumil Hrabal and other members of his circle for a glass of beer after the duties of the state visit.

Address:  Husova 17, Praha 1, Old Town

Wednesday's House Insignia of the Day Revealed - At the Three White Roses (U tří bílých růží)

At the Three White Roses (U tří bílých růží)

This insignia is on one of the most beautiful buildings in all of Prague!  This 3-story building constructed in the late 19th century on the site of a far older medieval residence is today more widely known by the surname of its builder.

Any guesses?

As inscribed in the fresco ornamentation of the façade, the name of "V.J. Rott" invokes the founder of the longstanding family firm, Vincenc Josef Rott, who opened his first shop on the site in 1840.  

Vincenc Josef Rott

Initially, he traded clocks and musical instruments, but later extended his scope to include iron tools and ironmongery of all possible types.  In fact, a prosperous iromongers' flourished in the house almost up to the very end of the 20th century, retaining its fame among the citizens of Prague even under state ownership during the years of Communist rule.  The frescoes decorating the façade are the work of the late-19th century Czech painter Mikoláš Aleš, and inspired by the theme of the various professions that make use of iron tools: a peasant with a scythe and his wife with a sickle, a medieval blacksmith and a housewife roasting chicken on an iron spot, a gardener leaning against an iron rake.  

 Mikoláš Aleš

Aleš, whose most famous artwork is on the calendar with allegorical depictions of the twelve months on the mechanical clock of the Old Town Hall only a few steps away, also managed to include "three white roses" that gave the building its name - positioning them on the highest gable.  

Drumroll please, because you know what's coming don't you?  A legend!...

So, according to legend, the original house was the residence of three sisters, as beautiful as three white roses.  Their parents died while they were still young, and the girls inherited a great fortune.  Yet what they had in property did not make up for their deficiencies in common sense, since all three of them in turn fell victim to the same man.  Disguised as three different suitors of considerable property, he married each girl in turn and took her abroad with her dowry of many chests filled with gold pieces - where he then robbed and deserted her.

 Today, the building serves as a 4-star hotel, aptly named Hotel Rott.  There also used to be a wonderful crystal shop that sold stunning glassware, but now it's a Hard Rock Cafe.  

Address:

U Rotta (Rottův dům, U tří bílých růží) - Malé náměstí 3/142, Staré Město 

Rott House, At the Three White Roses - Small Square 3/142, Old Town