Czech Update

Czech animation reviving rich history

Dominik Lukeš — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:12:05 +0100

Czechs have always been on the cutting edge of animation (even helping with some of the Tom and Jerry cartoons in the 1950s and 1960s) and now it seems, things are looking up again, as this short article in Variety suggests. The name from the past to take note of is Jan Švankmajer who's cited as an influence on Tim Burton and Terry Gilliam. read more »

Škoda again heads list of top Czech companies

Dominik Lukeš — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 07:53:04 +0100

With almost 10 billion Czech crowns (roughly 649 million USD), the Škoda car manufacturer heads the Czech Top 100 (worth 42 billion EUR) in size and value followed by the energy giant ČEZ and computer manufacturer Foxconn CZ. The only other tech company and the top one dealing in bits only was the former Czech Telecom. No internet companies made the top 10. read more »

Irglová: Czech singer and actress reaps fame rewards after Oscar win

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:55:19 +0100

"Co Čech to muzikant" (Scratch a Czech, find a musician) goes an old Czech saying (going back to 1800s at least) that used to be known around the musical world. And now it is again! read more »

How and where Czechs travel on holiday?

Dominik Lukeš — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:47:10 +0100

How Czechs travel seems to be impacting on where. The most popular destination for vacationing Czechs has been and still is Croatia. However, a recent Croat ban on importing certain kinds of foods has caused almost 10% of the 900 thosand Czechs planning a trip to cancel their holiday there (in favor of Italy or some other place). Why? read more »

Mašín brothers, history, present

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 03:08:00 +0100

The International Herald Tribune offers a very good write up of a rather small event in the history of early communist rule in Czechoslovakia that has caused much controversy in more recent times. read more »

Czech Healthcare Update

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 26 May 2008 23:35:38 +0100

An interesting write up of the Czech health system in the NY Times. read more »

Czech real estate more popular with foreigners

Dominik Lukeš — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 19:40:18 +0000

More and more properties are being snapped up by foreigners residing in the Czech Republic. What exactly that means for the economy and culture is not clear yet. More readers for this blog perhaps.

More foreigners now keen on buying Czech real estate - Czechnews - Aktuálně.cz read more »

Karel Gott, the never-aging pop star, marries in Las Vegas

Dominik Lukeš — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 02:08:39 +0000

He's been a fixture on the Czech, German and general East European music scene since at least he mid-1960s. Started off with Rock'n'Roll and descended into broad pop in the 70s. Sold millions and millions of records and is the subject of adoration and derision in equal measure. Most Czechs and their parents have grown up listening to him and watching him win music contests. read more »

New resource for Czech exile literature online

Dominik Lukeš — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 23:08:47 +0000

A complete text (all in Czech) of a book survey of Czech exile literature between 1971 and 1989 was made available by the author on the University of Glasgow's Slavonic Studies Department website. read more »

Half of Czechs are proud to be Czechs

Dominik Lukeš — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 07:45:26 +0000

One of those glass half-full half-empty surveys.

Proud to be Czech, but leave the politics aside - Czechnews - Aktuálně.cz read more »

Czechs end 2007 with EU freedom of movement

Dominik Lukeš — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 07:38:48 +0000

Finally, Czechs can leave their passports or IDs at home when travelling to any of their neighbouring countries. The Schengen zone has embraced a bunch of new countries including all those that share a border with Czech Republic. read more »

Czech inventor of the 'drunk tank' dies aged 91

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:07:26 +0000

Záchytka is a wonderful Czech word that stands for the institution for the collection of drunken (and possibly disorderly) individual wondering city streets occasionally referred to in English as 'drunk tank' or ' read more »

Czech taxes 113th in the world

Dominik Lukeš — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:15:01 +0000

In a strange imaginary league table of worldwide taxation, Czech Republic came in the 113th place. That is not good! read more »

Talking about the Velvet Revolution

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 15:55:26 +0000

Listen to what it was like to be a Velvet Revolutionary in this discussion between Bohemica's Dominik Lukeš and Eamonn Burgess on Future Radio 96.9FM. This discussion was part of the Community Chest programme guest-hosted by Dominik on 16 November 2007.

read more »

Příkopy - Prague street in Top 20 most expensive in the world

Dominik Lukeš — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 10:20:39 +0000

The Prague street that joins into the bottom of Wenceslas square came 20th in the world ranking of the most expensive streets in the world (down from 18th a year ago). Rents there reach 2000 EUR per square meter a year. Paradoxically, the Czech name translates literally as "on the ditches". read more »

Czechs bought 350 000 bicycles in 2006 for Sport not Commute

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 23:43:00 +0000

Lots of cycling stories in the Czech press this last week. Czechs seem to be buying lots of cycles but don't like to think of them as a commuting device but rather one for getting some exercise in. Prague is becoming a bit more cycle-commute friendly but it's still more the exception than the rule. read more »

Sokol in New York still going strong after 140 years

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:54:06 +0100

read more »

Czech Republic less desirable for support service outsourcing

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:43:32 +0100

Now this could be both bad and good news. While the country is not seen as attractive for these types of services it is also not seen as a source of cheap labor.

Czech Republic on call read more »

Fewer claim asylum in Czech Republic

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 11:08:27 +0100

Czech Republic is one of the less popular countries in the EU in the number of Asylum Claims with only about 0.3 claims per 1000 inhabitants compared to 1.6 of neighboring Austria or 2.7 of Sweden (Cyprus leads the chart with 6). In total 3016 people claimed asylum in the Czech Republic last year which is almost 25% down on the 4000 claims in 2003. read more »

Ostrava plays host to foreign workers

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:56:14 +0100

This is an interesting story about expatriate adjustment of people who are not like the stereotypical American expats. read more »

Polish workers back in Czech Republic

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:53:28 +0100

I remember there used to be a lot of Polish workers working on construction and other projects in the 1980s and it seems that they are coming back. And why not? read more »

Ammended immigration law claimed to increase xenophobia

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 09:27:42 +0100

It is hard to say whether this law will actually strengthen xenophobia in Czech lands but it certainly makes things more difficult for immigrants. This may be partly tied to the upcoming Schengen union. read more »

Budvar World's best lager

Dominik Lukeš — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 11:28:42 +0100

Well, what do you know. Czech pivo (which is really more than just beer) really is best in the world. Budvar (aka the real Budweiser - as in actually made in Budweis and actually being beer) beat hundreds of other lagers from all over the world to win the prize. Bohemica.com is not surprised! read more »

Bramboráky a houby in Chicago

Dominik Lukeš — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 14:28:42 +0100
What could be more fitting to celebrate Czech traditions than Houby Day on Čermák Road. This is the season of mushroom picking in the Czech Republic and many of the mushrooms (houby) will end up in pancakes (bramboráky), even though even more will be made into a meal with scrambled eggs (smaženice). read more »

Czechs second highest earners in new EU countries

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 07:39:39 +0100
The good news is the high salaries and lowish unemployment compared to the new countries. The bad news is a continuing lag behind old EU countries and the 25% pay gap between men and women. read more »