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Czech Republic
Czech Republic is named after a Slavic tribe by the same name (although with various spellings); a group who perhaps got their name from their legendary leader Cech who led them to modern day Czech Republic. This root of the word Cech is cel, which means "kinsman." Oddly, the spelling of "Czech" in English is derived from the Polish spelling of the country's name; in Czech, the country is spelled "Ćeska Republika."
Ćeska Republika
Introduction:
The Czech people and culture have a long history rooted in both their Slavic as well as their Germanic past. The Slavic Czechs have dominated much of the region for centuries, however many German immigrants have also called the lands home and both groups have made significant alteration to the culture and lifestyle.
The Czech lifestyle began with the lands, farming, and raising animals, but the Czech people urbanized much quicker than most people. By the 1200 and 1300s the lifestyle for many people was focused on cities as Prague was a growing power. This didn't destroy the rural lifestyle; even today many Czechs live in rural settings, but it did change life for many people as cultural influences were quick to arrive and disappear in these trading centers.
The Czech's most obvious influence came from the Germans and for many visitors this is still obvious in the many breweries that dot the country. However, the Germans also influenced other aspects of their food, culture, lifestyle, technology, and even religion. Although Catholic for much of their history, with the arrival of the Protestant Reformation in Germany, this influence quickly arrived to the Czech people and soon many people were converting. However, this was short-lived as the Hapsburgs soon arrived and most people converted back to Catholicism, also ending much of the German influence.
After this time the Czech people continued to develop their culture and lifestyle. The culture and lifestyle were constantly changing and varied greatly by location as city life and rural life grew on very different paths in terms of daily life, but remained closely tied culturally, sharing a language, foods, religion, clothing, and more.
In the 1900s the Czech culture and lifestyle took a major hit when Czechoslovakia was formed. The union with Slovakia wasn't as important as the communist government was in terms of cultural changes. The government further changed the economy as industrial was emphasized, jobs changed, people moved to cities in larger numbers, and social programs were common. The Czech people protested this government a number of times, but didn't actually accomplish their goal until communism ended in 1989.
Today the Czech people are returning their culture to reflect what it was in the past, but struggle to do so for many reasons. Many of the communist changes are impossible to reverse and technology has forever changed the people's lifestyle. The people have also lost faith to a great degree as the country's majority claims no religion. The country has also shifted west in terms of economics and politics, joining the European Union. This move, in addition to the incredible architecture, has also made Prague and the Czech Republic a tourist hub as it is constantly overwhelmed with tourists and foreign business persons seeking foreign investment in the country.
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Information for the Czech Republic was last updated: March, 2014 ● View our: Sources & Special Thanks