Radio Prague International - latest articles

A unique medieval manuscript, known as the ‘Lipnice Bible’, has gone on display at the National Library in Prague. The precious Latin codex was loaned by the Museum of the Bible in Washington on the occasion of its 600th anniversary. It will be showcased, alongside other precious biblical manuscripts, in the library’s Mirror Chapel over the next two weeks.

Czech children returned to schools on Wednesday for the start of an academic year that, like the previous one, will be marked by Covid-19. But the government does not envisage blanket school closures happening again.

Although the origins of foreign language broadcasting on Czech Radio stretch as far back as 1926 – in the form of English and French lectures about Czechoslovakia – the birth of the foreign language service is traditionally dated to August 31, 1936, when the Technical Director of Czechoslovak Radio Eduard Svoboda officially announced the beginning of regular foreign language broadcasting.

With the number of Covid cases expected to rise in the autumn, the Czech Ministry of Health has recommended inoculating seniors and other high-risk groups of the population with a third dose of a Covid vaccine. Registration for the booster shots could be launched in mid-September.

With the fallout of the NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Belarusian regime helping  migrants illegally cross the border into EU member states, security questions are currently at the forefront of foreign  affairs in the European Union. To find out what is being done in the EU to tackle these challenges – and to learn more about the Czech Republic’s position on these topics – I spoke to Ambassador Jitka Látal Znamenáčková, who is the Deputy Head of the Czech Permanent Representation to the EU as well as the country’s Permanent Representative in the EU’s Political and Security Committee of the (PSC).

The 55TH edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival ended with the traditional gala closing ceremony on Saturday evening. Hollywood stars Johnny Depp and Ethan Hawke were among the special guests, while a drama exploring the situation of African migrants in Europe was named Best Film.

“Poděbrady is for the heart”: that is the motto of Central Bohemia’s main spa resort, which for nearly a century has specialized in cardiology. Besides top-class balneology, the charming town on the banks of the Elbe River boasts a beautiful spa park and splendid architecture. Thanks to its proximity to Prague, Poděbrady was a playground for politicians and luminaries of the First Czechoslovak Republic.

An ancient book recently found in a Berlin library sheds new light on the history of the Krkonoše or Giant Mountains. Most of the earliest written records of human activity in the area date back to the mid-16th century. But the newly discovered book proves that treasure hunters arrived there as early as the 15th century.

Several hundred primary schools across the country will introduce a new approach to teaching 20th century history starting in September. As part of a Ministry of Education-backed pilot project, teachers should begin implementing research-based learning and emphasizing critical thinking, rather than memorizing historical facts.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is currently on a three-day visit to the Czech Republic. The German head of state is meeting with leading Czech officials, including President Miloš Zeman and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. In an historic first, he also laid a wreath at the Church of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Prague – the site of the last stand of the Czechoslovak paratroopers who killed Reichsprotector Reinhard Heydrich.