Celebrating the founding of Czechoslovakia 1918-2018
Independence came at the end of WWI when the Austro-Hungarian Empire fell apart. It marked the first time since the Battle of White Mountain in 1620 that Bohemia was not under foreign rule. The First Republic was declared on 28th Oct 1918 when a Czech novelist read the independence proclamation of the sovereign state of Czechoslovakia in the St Wenceslas Square. So the reading in the square was seen as the official start of the new country. During the celebrations in Nov 1918, a mob tore down a Victory Column on Old Town Square. It had been there since 1650 and celebrated a battle that occurred on Charles Bridge at the end of the Thirty Years’ War. Some said the column glorified the Hapsburg domination of the country. This year locals and tourists are invited to commemorate the establishment of Czechoslovakia in 1918, following the end of WWI. To mark the 100th anniversary, hundreds of cultural, social and sporting events will take place throughout 2018 that highlight the ...