The Czech Republic has dozens of castles and chateaux whose history is well documented and whose interiors are open to visitors. However, some castle ruins have yet to reveal their secrets and modern technology is helping to uncover what lies buried deep underground.

The Madonna from Havraň, a rare medieval sculpture of the Virgin Mary, has gone on display in the Convent of St. Agnes of Bohemia in Prague. The National Gallery acquired the object three years ago, and it has since undergone careful examination and restoration.

The expulsion of more than three million Sudeten Germans from post-war Czechoslovakia in 1945 not only changed the face of the region but left many German graves abandoned. Some municipalities repair and maintain the graves on regional budgets or cross-border grant programs. Now regular subsidies from the Ministry for Regional Development will help boost this effort.

Archaeologists are concluding a major investigation into the 12th-century origins of Třebíč, a Moravian town about 60 kilometres west of Brno. Their work has already earned the prestigious Patrimonium pro futuro award, presented by the National Heritage Institute.

A new book has just been released that captures Prague’s famous St. Vitus Cathedral, in remarkable detail. Called St. Vitus Cathedral, The Stone Crown of the Kingdom, it was created by photographer Jan William Drnek and includes photos of places most visitors never get to see.

Eighty years ago, the world watched as the Nuremberg trials began. More than 20 Nazi war criminals stood trial before judges of the International Military Tribunal, composed of representatives of the victorious powers—the USA, the Soviet Union, France, and the United Kingdom. People in Czechoslovakia received news from the Palace of Justice firsthand, thanks to Czechoslovak Radio reporter František Gel.

In a special episode of Czechast, we revisit a 2019 discussion on the state of Czech democracy with Jiří Pehe and Tomáš Sedláček. Recorded at a time when Andrej Babiš was Prime Minister, the debate feels even more relevant today. As Czechia reflects on November 17, this episode offers perspective on political shifts, polarization, and the resilience of democratic processes.

What was it like for women in Czechoslovakia to live and create under a totalitarian regime? How did they resist, and how did their art reflect their struggle for freedom? Some of the answers to these questions can be found in Women’s Artistic Dissent: Repelling Totalitarianism in Pre-1989 Czechoslovakia, written by Brenda Flanagan and Hana Waisserová. In this interview, they share insights about the women who used writing, painting, and other creative forms to push back against oppression, and about the book that brings their stories to light.

The Czech Academy of Sciences has announced an extraordinary discovery. One of the first prints of Rhinoceros, the famous woodcut by German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer, dating back to 1515, has been found in the Academy’s library, where it has been stored since the 1950s.

After almost 80 years, the families of three former Czechoslovak soldiers who fought against Nazism and Communism may finally be able to bury their relatives. Archaeologists are searching for Vilém Sok, Miloslav Jebavý, and Karel Sabela, political prisoners who were executed by the Communists on July 18, 1949.