History
The oldest evidence of human habitation in the
Prague valley dates from around 600,000 BC. Permanent farming communities were established
in the area by Germanic and Celtic tribes around 4000 BC. Slavs came into the picture
around the turn of the millennium, and by 600 AD had settled opposite sides of a
particularly appealing stretch of the Vltava River. They successfully defended the land
now known as Bohemia for generations, but by the 9th century it had been conquered by the
Great Moravian Empire.
The short-lived empire introduced the locals to
Christianity, but it was 'Good King Wenceslas' of Christmas-carol fame (he was actually a
duke) who made it the state religion of Bohemia in the 930s. He remains the patron saint
of the Czech Republic.
It was under the rule of Charles IV (ruled
1346-78) that Prague truly came into its own, becoming one of the continent's largest and
most prosperous cities, acquiring its fine Gothic face and building landmarks like Charles
University, Charles Bridge and St Vitus Cathedral.
Jan Hus, who attended Charles University in the
late 1380s, rallied popular support for the Church-reform movement; when he was burned at
the stake in 1415, the rabble was roused enough to hurl various Catholic officials from
the upper stories of Prague's New Town Hall, introducing the word 'defenestration'
(literally, to toss someone out a window) into the popular political lexicon. While the
1526 ascent of the Catholic Hapsburg family to power in the region cooled things off
briefly, a second round of defenestrations in 1618 made it clear that the matter was not
quite settled.
In fact, the insurrection catalyzed the Thirty
Years War, which devastated much of Europe; a quarter of Bohemia perished. Their defeat
slammed the door on Czech independence for almost three centuries. The Czech national
spirit was not so easily crushed, however, and by the 19th century Prague - which had been
unified in 1784 by imperial decree - had become the center of the so-called Czech National
Revival. Czech literature, architecture and journalism were celebrated, even as Czechs
were denied participation in the political process.
Nationalist sentiment was growing as waves of
pro-democracy protests swept the continent. An 1848 uprising was summarily squelched, but
in 1861 the Czech majority defeated German candidates in the Prague council elections. It
was a watershed event for Czech independence.
Czechs had no interest in fighting for their
Austrian masters in WWI, and neighboring Slovakia was equally reticent about taking up
arms for their German occupiers. Leaders from both independence movements approached US
President Wilson, who was actively trying to build the League of Nations, asking for his
help in achieving their dream. With Allied support, Czechoslovakia became an independent
nation in 1918; Prague became its first capital.
The young country weathered the Great
Depression only to be occupied by Nazi Germany in 1939 - Bohemia and Moravia labeled a
'protectorate' and Slovakia an 'independent' puppet state. Prague's community of some
120,000 Jews was all but wiped out, almost three-quarters of them either starved or were
murdered in concentration camps.
On May 5, 1945, the population of Prague rose
up against German occupation forces as the Red Army approached from the east. Most of
Prague was liberated before the Soviets arrived. Liberation Day is now celebrated on May
8; under communism it was May 9. In the 1946 elections, the communists became the young
republic's dominant party, and in 1948 did away with the inefficiencies of a multi-party
system with a Soviet-backed coup d'état.
In 1968, after years of gradual liberalization
under General Secretary Dubcek, the 'Prague Spring' came into full bloom. Full democracy,
an end to censorship, and 'socialism with a human face' were the goals of this popular
movement. Moscow was miffed and sent tanks into Prague. Fifty-eight people died, almost
300,000 sympathizers lost their jobs and, in something of a step down, Dubcek was forced
to find employment with the Slovak Forestry Department.
The newly stringent communist leadership
maintained control until the breaching of the Berlin Wall in 1989. A series of peaceful
demonstrations beginning November 17 became confrontational, though the essentially
nonviolent character of the uprising earned it the name 'Velvet Revolution. Free elections
were held in 1990, and the Czech and Slovakian separatist movements subsequently inspired
the smooth 1993 split into the Czech and Slovak Republics, remembered as the 'Velvet
Divorce.'
Prague quickly became one of the top tourist
destinations in the world during the 1990s, and the ringing of cash registers combined
with a solid industrial base has left its citizens in better economic shape than those in
the rest of the country. Much of this spare change has been reinvested in the city itself,
making for an even more pleasant visit. The rest of the Czech Republic isn't slouching,
however: In 1999, it became part of NATO; EU membership isn't far behind. And Prague will
preside gracefully as the country finds a new place in the world.
|
