Abandoned Soviet Town in Czech Republic

Boží Dar is a place that few people outside of Milovice even know about, and even fewer know anything about its strange and darkly sinister Soviet history. In short, it’s an abandoned Soviet town smack dab in the middle of the Czech Republic. But first, let’s consider the name, Boží Dar. This translates quite literally to...

NOSTALGIA, Time Warp

March 30, 2017

Memorial to the Czechoslovak Legionnaires

Josef Mařatka’s monument Praha svým vítězným synům (Prague to Its Victorious Sons) is the most famous monument constructed to honor the Czechoslovak Legionnaires. The independence of Czechoslovakia was proclaimed on October 28, 1918, by the Czechoslovak National Council in Prague and this monument was unveiled on the same day. In the center of the monument stands a...

History, NOSTALGIA

March 24, 2017

The Violin Makers of Luby

Luby is a small town located in the Cheb District of the Czech Republic. It began as a small mining town but later became known as the center of violin making. During the 13th century the mining of cinnabar began in the town of Schönenbach (Modern day Luby) bringing hundreds of miners -and musicians- to...

History, NOSTALGIA

March 22, 2017

Czech Cigarette Box Graphics

Today we’re taking a trip down memory lane for those who used to smoke. Czech’s have always been wonderful artists, illustrators and designers and these Czech cigarette box covers show the various different styles that the tobacco companies produced. Some look like popular American brands, others have a more Soviet feel while some carry absolute...

NOSTALGIA, Retro Chic

March 20, 2017

Mark Twain’s Visit to Mariánské Lázně

Mariánské Lázně is a spa town located in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It is a relatively young town and was not even declared a spa town until 1818. At one time, Mariánské Lázně was a marshy valley but during the mid 19th century it was transformed into a beautiful city which...

History, NOSTALGIA

March 9, 2017

Sleek, Elegant and Inspirational Skoda 935 Dynamic

In 2015, the Czech car maker, Skoda, celebrated 120 years of existence. Part of the celebration was to share the Skoda 935 prototype with the world. This beautiful vehicle is a testament of the innovative power that fuelled Skoda back then. Since its debut at the Motor Show in Prague, the Skoda 935 Dynamic prototype has...

NOSTALGIA, Retro Chic

March 7, 2017

130 Year Journey of Czech Playing Cards

Have you ever wondered what a 130 year journey of Czech playing cards may look like? We have and that’s why we’re sharing this post with you today. It all began with Jan Ritter. Jan Ritter was Czech. He was born in 1842 in (Nové) Kdyně, a town that traces its roots back to the mid 1200s....

History, NOSTALGIA

March 5, 2017

Pestrý Týden 1940 Vintage Covers from Czech Weekly News

Today we’re looking at Pestrý týden from 1940 – Vintage Covers from Czech Weekly News. Pestrý týden (Variety or Varied Weekly news) was an especially relevant illustrated magazine during the First and Second Czechoslovak Republic during the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. Pestrý týden was published from November 2, 1926 to April 28, 1945. The...

NOSTALGIA, Periodicals

March 1, 2017

Czech Top Gun Flies A Spitfire 70+ Years After Flying it in WWII

At 93 years of age, retired Air Force General and Czech Top Gun Emil Boček, geared up and then sat down in a Spitfire, similar to the one he piloted on a flight 70+ years after he originally flew the airplane in World War II. Bohumil (Emil) Boček was born in Brno – Turany in...

History, NOSTALGIA

February 24, 2017

Father of Modern Astrology and His Czech Roots

Czech Americans are known to have excelled in just about every aspect of human endeavor, including business, religion, government & politics, law, music, dramatic art, visual art, creative writing, publishing, media, education, activism & reform, the humanities, social sciences, biological sciences, physical sciences & mathematics, engineering, medicine, military, exploration, espionage, sports, and modeling (Encyclopedia of...

NOSTALGIA, Time Warp

February 23, 2017

Flashback: Vintage Ads from the CSSR

If you were in the former Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (CSSR) in the late 70s and most of the 80s then you’re most likely familiar with the advertising of the time period. When I think about what our (American) ads looked like in the same time period, you can definitely feel the repression, even in the ads...

NOSTALGIA, Retro Chic

February 19, 2017

Pestrý Týden 1939 Vintage Covers from Czech Weekly News

Today we are looking at Pestrý týden from 1939 – Vintage Covers from Czech Weekly News. Pestrý týden (Variety or Varied Weekly news) was a popular illustrated magazine during the First and Second Czechoslovak Republic during the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. It was published from November 2, 1926 to April 28, 1945 and it...

NOSTALGIA, Periodicals

February 18, 2017

The Forgotten Trolleybuses of Prague

In 1972 the last trolleybus drove though the cobblestone streets of Prague. On the following morning, after many years of trolleybus transportation in Prague, the trolleybus traffic finally came to an end. Today, the Czech capital offers various methods of transportation which include metro, tram, and taxi. The trolleybus era, however, is no longer alive....

History, NOSTALGIA

Czech_Hand_Painted_Playing_Cards_TresBohemes

February 16, 2017

Czech Hand Painted Playing Cards from WWI

This very special set of Czech hand painted playing cards from WWI which shows the motifs of old Czech legends. The playing of cards to pass the time is by far, the most widespread game that is documented in the diary entries of soldiers from World War I. This is evidenced by the number of preserved hand-painted...

History, NOSTALGIA

February 13, 2017

Will The Real Bohemians Please Stand Up

I love to discover old things on the internet and give them new life by sharing them here. Searching around for wonderful things to curate and share with you, I was looking for Czechs, ie: Bohemians, and I stumbled across A Bohemian Art Club, an article originally written by Henry Russell Wray. Henry was an American painter, born in...

History, NOSTALGIA

February 9, 2017

Czechs and Their Billion Dollar Beets

Today we are taking a peek at the history of Czechs and their connection to beets and the sugar that comes from them. The very first mention was written by 16th-century scientist, Olivier de Serres, who discovered a process for preparing sugar syrup from the common red beet. He concluded, The beet-root, when being boiled, yields a...

History, NOSTALGIA