Culture

On the 100 CZK banknote there is Charles IV (1316-1378), Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia who is regarded by Czechs as „Father of the Country“. Prague as it looks now owes a lot to him.

As he was fond of Prague, art and architecture in Bohemia flourished in his time. Many building projects were started during Charles’ reign, including the St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague’s New Town, the Charles University, and of course the Charles Bridge. Without Charles IV there would be a totally different city.

Charles IV established Prague as the cultural capital of central Europe and made it one of the most prosperous European cities at the time. He loved Prague although he was raised mostly in France. His whole life he spent concentrating his energy on development of this city.

He was well educated and could speak fluently five languages – Latin, Czech, German, French and Italian! Interesting thing is – what most people don’t even know – that he was born in Prague as Wenceslas but later chose for his confirmation name Charles. He married four times in his life.

On the other side of the banknote there is Charles IV kneeling in front of the St. Wenceslas, the patron saint of the Czech nation – the man on the horse on the Wencelsas Square. The banknote is green.

See also Czech crown – the currency in the Czech Republic.

Starting with the banknote 50 CZK. Although a 50 coin is now taking over, the banknote is still widely available. There is portrayed St. Anezka Ceska, in English Agnes of Bohemia, who lived from 1211 to 1282. She is the patron saint of Bohemia and founder of convent and Franciscan hospital in Prague.

She was a princess, daughter of the Czech ruling family and therefore lived in prosperity and was to be married to some nobleman. It was of course arranged marriage for political reasons. Like other noble women of her time, Agnes was a valuable pawn in the marriage game.

Agnes, however, wanted to devote herself to God only. She was engaged four times (to name just one husband wannabe – Henry III of England), but she always managed to break off the engagement – last time with the help of Pope Gregory IX himself. Then she could finally devote her life to religious works, to those that were in need, ill or suffering. She spent 50 years in the cloister helping others. Her charity is glorified.

She was canonised in 1989 by John Paul II, just few days before the Velvet revolution.

The banknote is red as the big heart of St. Agnes, as well as ours.

See also article about Czech currency – koruna.

Let’s talk about money – it is always a juicy topic. But don’t worry I am not going to sing the famous song. I want to talk about the Czech currency – the Czech crown (koruna in Czech), abbreviated as Kč, internationally CZK.

When I travel abroad, every time I study the currency. It is interesting to see how it looks like in every country. And I always wonder why they put this or that on their banknotes. It has some meaning I am sure. You don’t have to brood over Czech money anymore for I am going to tell you who are the persons on the Czech banknotes and why they are there.

Although the Czech Republic is part of the European Union (since May 1st 2004), it is however not a member of the Euro Zone yet, and thus the Euro is not used here. For couple more years we can therefore use crowns and hellers (haler in Czech).

The great thing about Czech Republic currency is that the bigger the money, the more valuable it is. And this is valid both for coins as for banknotes. That’s why I got so confused in the US where dime is smaller but is worth more than 5 cents! This can’t happen to you in the Czech Republic! It is really easy.

1 crown consists of 100 hellers. Czech coins are 50 heller and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 CZK. But I don’t want to talk about the little money. Let’s talk big.

Czech banknotes are 50 CZK, 100 CZK, 200 CZK, 500 CZK, 1 000 CZK, 2 000 CZK and 5 000 CZK. To find out about the details, continue reading.

I am talking here about the exhibition of Jan Saudek, famous Czech art photographer. His work as well as his personality is celebrated, adored, worshiped by some people and at the same time vilified, despised and cursed by others. There is nothing in between.

Why? Almost all of Saudek’s pictures involve nudity. And nudity is controversial for some. For Saudek and his fans, these are pictures about life, because nudity is part of everybody’s life. Sometimes funny, sometimes pathetic, sometimes a little rude, but that’s perhaps rather like the real thing.

People used as models for his nude photography are ordinary people, no models from magazines. Saudek is fascinated by the metamorphosis of human body over time, photographing children as well as women’s bodies – boyishly thin or voluptuously fat. It is the relationship between youth and old, beauty and ugliness, sincerity and falsehood, irony and cynicism that you can trace in his work.

His work is distinctive and original, not part of any genre or movement. And it is original, provocative adoration of manhood – to which anything human is not strange – that makes Saudek a unique character in contemporary photography.

Jan Saudek was born in 1935, in Prague. Many of his family died in concentration camp during World War II. He himself was held in a children’s concentration camp near Polish borders. This terrible experience as a child had a strong influence on him.

This exhibition, which includes 50 years of Saudek’s photo work, is unique by its range and the choice of works exhibited. It shows more than 150 pictures; either elephant size or published for the first time.

You can form your own attitude towards Jan Saudek after visiting his big retrospective exhibition at newly open Jan Saudek Gallery (this exhbition used to be on the Old Town Square, in the house called U Bileho jednorozce, in English The White Unicorn House). Open daily from 10 am to 8 pm.

Being in Prague and not see Don Giovanni is like being in Paris but not up the Eiffel Tower! If you are a fan, it is a thing of life and death. Do you think I am exaggerating? Not at all. Don Giovanni performed some place else but Prague’s Estates Theatre is a totally different show!

Prague’s Estates Theatre is the authentic theatre that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart chose to premiere Don Giovanni, on October 29, 1787, also conducted by Mozart himself! Prague audience loved it and so it has been played ever since. Don Giovanni has become a traditional opera and means a climax of the cultural life in Prague.

I have seen it twice and even my American friend that is not really an opera-lover liked it and said he wants to see it again!

Don Giovanni is one of the most famous operas of all time. In Prague you can experience the atmosphere of seeing the „opera of all operas“ in the theater where it all started. The Estates Theatre is one of the most beautiful and historic playhouses in Europe, built at the end of the 18th century. The Czech anthem was first performed here as a part of a comic opera Fidlovacka.

The Estates Theater will be forever linked with the great composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who chose this stage to premiere not only thrilling Don Giovanni, but another of his best-known operas: La Clemenza di Tito, in 1791. A statue in front of the Theater called „Commendatore“ or „Pieta“ serves as a reminder that the Mozart’s Don Giovanni had its grand opening here.

The nearest Don Giovanni performance is on 15th February 2007. Starting at 7 p.m. at the Estates Theater, located at Ovocny trh 1, Prague 1, about 5 minutes walk from subway station Mustek (line A and B). Price is from 390 CZK higher, depending where you want to be seated. If you have your student ID with you, don’t forget to show it when buying the ticket. You may get a discount up to 50 per cent for it!

You might have seen the beautiful blue-velvet interior in Milos Forman’s movie Amadeus, which was about the life of the music genius.

If the answer is no, well, of course I won’t sing it to you for you would not hear a thing – you can consider yourself lucky because I can’t sing, that is for sure. But at least I can tell you something about it. And even those who have heard it will, after reading this article, understand it much more.

The Czech National Anthem has its origin in the opera Fidlovacka, which was a patriotic opera written by Josef Kajetan Tyl (lyrics) and Frantisek Skroup (music), first performed on December 21, 1834 in the Prague Estates Theatre. At the time, Czechs were only an ethnic minority in the Austrian Empire where the German language dominated. The main goal of this play was to strengthen the national feeling and break the cultural oppression.

A song called Kde domov muj, in English “Where Is My Home” was performed in the opera by a man portraying a blind violinist. This scene was very emotional and the song became widely sung. It is thus no surprise that it was recognized as the official National Anthem in 1918, when the independent Czechoslovakia was born. And in January 1st, 1993, the song became the anthem of the Czech Republic.

If I had to describe the anthem with one word only, it would be the word peaceful. The Czech National Anthem is really more like a love song – slow and praising the beauty of the Czech land. There are no battle cries or praise of king or kingdom, there is just the humble admiration of the people for the beauty of Czech rivers, woods, meadows, and majestic mountains. In the Czech National Anthem there is a reverence to homeland as a paradise on earth.

It goes like this:
Where is my home? Where is my home?
Waters murmur through the meadows,
Pines rustle over the mountains,
Spring blossoms glitter in the orchard,
Earth’s paradise on sight,
And that is that beautiful land,
Czech land, my home! Czech land, my home!

When it gets cold and windy outside or when it rains or snows, which happens a lot in winter, the best is to slide into a café for a hot tea or coffee and wait till the weather gets better. Or, in order not to waste the whole day, you can visit a museum! There are tons of them in Prague! For example there are two museums of music in Prague! And that is only what I know of!

Why do you think there is more than one museum of music in Prague? It is because Czechs love music. There is an old saying from the 16th or 17th century which goes like this: Every Czech is also a musician. And it is more or less valid till today. Almost every Czech can play some musical instrument because Czech children often attend musical courses after school. Maybe some of them will become composers of such fame as Bedrich Smetana, Antonin Dvorak or Leos Janacek.

The Czech Museum of Music, which is open from Wednesday to Monday from 10 am to 6 pm, presents not only a large collection of musical instruments, but also other valuable sources illustrating the history of Czech and European music. You can listen to the historical instruments in nearby headphones. Concerts are often held here as well.

The location of the Czech Museum of Music is in the former Baroque church of St. Maria Magdalena, in Karmelitska Street 2, built in 17th century. If nothing else, the renovated building is worth seeing. You can reach it when taking tram 12, 20, 22 or 23 to the station Helichova. It is not far from the Charles Bridge.

The Museum of Mechanical Musical Instruments, which is on Hradcanske Square 12, is near the Prague Castle. They present a unique collection of the orchestrions, street organs, gramophones, music boxes and more rarities from 1870 to 1940. The exposition is accompanied with the demonstration of the instruments. This museum is open daily from 9 am to 6 pm.

Do you wonder how Prague can possibly be unpleasant? Well, very easily. At least for me it is every winter season when it gets cold outside. Every year, when the temperature forces me to wear winter jacket and a scarf, I know it is coming. At this time I hate to use trams! And the time is here again!

Why I hate driving by trams right now? You have probably noticed yourself. When it’s cold outside you can come across homeless people in trams. It is understandable – they have nowhere else to go to warm up. They usually go by trams because in subways there is the chance you meet a controller face to face much higher than in a tram. Controllers don’t like black riders in general, and homeless people are no exception. You don’t encounter many controllers when driving by bus, but buses are very short and bus drivers can therefore pay attention to who is on board. That is why homeless people are mostly seen in trams.

I feel sad for them in a way. It has to be terrible to have no place to go, no place to call your home. I can’t even imagine it!! And I don’t mind that they don’t pay for the ride. They don’t have enough money for that. On the other hand I don’t like to drive with them in a tram because they usually smell very bad. I know it is stupid from me because they don’t have many opportunities to wash themselves but I just don’t like it.

However, there is a great chance that all this will be solved in a very near future. Municipal authorities of Prague are working on a boat that will anchor on Vltava river and will serve as a permanent home for homeless people in Prague. It will not only provide a higher comfort of living for them but will help them to return to “normal” society as well. This boat should be running from this very winter 2006, latest in January 2007. Now that I call a great idea!!

Czech Republic is known as the country famous for its beer production and consumption. Beer is ingrained in Czech culture so much that the beer industry is considered a part of the national heritage. Czechs rate beer as part of their lives. They even call beer the “Liquid Bread” and they very often consume it in that manner. Now once you are in a „Beer Country“ there are things you should know about Czech beer – it’s a necessity in Prague!

There are some sayings about Czech beer – one of them says that “Beer makes men beautiful bodies”. Just look around you and you will understand – Czechs call it a „Beer Belly“. If those bellies are beautiful or not that depends on your personal taste only.

Another saying about Czech beer explains why Czech women are more bosomy than other – it is because especially among women dark lagers are popular (they are usually sweeter), and there goes an old wife’s tale, that consumption of a dark beer will enhance breast growth. Whether this is true, you will have to find out on your own. This is definitely a much cheaper version of a beauty operation, and it is natural as well. So girls, drink more of Czech dark lagers and you will see!

You may feel a strong sense of patriotism in Czech beer consumers – the Czechs drink mostly Czech beers. Many foreign breweries have tried to get Czechs drinking other than Czech beers after 1989, but they haven’t had much direct success in the Czech market. Foreign importers are left to scrap over less than 1 per cent of the total national consumption! What does it say to you?

The reason is quite obvious – Czech brewing has a long history and Czech beer is among the best in the world (Czechs would swear that it is the number one), not to mention the price! Half a litre costs approximately 20 CZK. Now there can be no wonder about the reasons for the beer-tourism! More and more tourists come over to Prague only to drink price pleasant and at the same time high quality beer.

Most popular Czech beers come in the 10° and 12° versions. Those numbers don’t refer to alcohol but to the brewery method and the hops share. Alcoholic content of Czech beers is mostly between 3.6 and 4 %. To name some brands – Pilsner Urquell (Plzensky Prazdroj), Staropramen, Gambrinus, Krusovice, Radegast, Budvar and other smaller breweries.

The most widely exported Czech beer is Budvar, abroad called Budweiser Budvar or just Budweiser. It is important to distinguish between Czech Budvar and the American „Bud“ since they have nothing in common what so ever but the name. Budweiser is the name of a beer from the city of Ceske Budejovice in Czech Republic, brewed since 1265. Its name is derived from the German name for the town, Budweis – in German, something from Budweis is called Budweiser.

In 1876, the name Budweiser was adopted by Anheuser-Bush. Few years later, when the Czech brewery wished to export to the States and the U.S. Bud wanted to expand to Europe, this caused huge problems and years of legal disputes. The problem was settled not long time ago by re-branding the Czech beer on American market – it is called there Czechvar.

One last thing is important about Czech beer – it is preferred by Czechs to drink it in bottles instead of in cans, and in the pub rather then at home.

You may have already noticed on the streets of Prague those not very well dressed people who are standing outside at any weather conditions and in their hands holding magazine called NP. Who are they and what is NP?

Those people are homeless. They stand by most of the bus, tram or subway stations in Prague, selling NP. NP is a magazine that can be translated as a New Room. It is a street paper whose philosophy is to give the homeless the opportunity to earn their living through their own effort. The motto used is “a hand up, not a handout”, as work is seen as more sustainable than simple providing aid. Those homeless are not begging for anything, they want you to buy the magazine.

These publications help to build bridges between the very poor and the wider public and help people to understand the underlying issues to social exclusion and take action. The main goal is to make homeless people part of society. For the vendor, it is an offer of positive experience of self-help that breaks through the isolation that many homeless people experience. It is a direct help that costs you only 30CZK.

And how it actually works? The homeless vendors buy the magazine from the non-profit making businesses at 50 per cent of the cover price, which is 30CZK, selling it on their reader for 100 per cent, keeping the profit, which is 15CZK. The 15CZK that goes to the organization is used to provide social support for homeless people.

So if you are in the mood and want to do a good turn, buy yourself this NP magazine. Even if you don’t understand a word Czech, you will help a good thing.

However, do not mistake those selling NP for those offering “Strazna vez” (in English Watchtower), who are also standing near any public transportation. Those with “Strazna vez”, magazine which is half the size of NP, are very clean and in no need of help. They are Jehova´s Witnesses.