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This catalogue accompanies the Fall 2005 exhibition that celebrates the flowering of art in medieval Prague, when the city became not only an imperial but also an intellectual and artistic capital of Europe. Scholars trace the distinctly Bohemian art that developed during the reigns of Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV and his sons; the artistic achievements of master craftsmen; and the rebuilding of Prague Castle and of Saint Vitus' Cathedral. -- Metropolitan Museum of Art website.
An astonishingly candid memoir from the acclaimed, dissident playwright elected President after the dramatic Czechoslovakian Velvet Revolution — one of the most respected political figures of our time. As writer and statesman, Václav Havel played an essential part in the profound changes that occurred in Central Europe in the last decades of the twentieth century. In this most intimate memoir, he writes about his transition from outspoken dissident and political prisoner to a player on the international stage in 1989 as newly elected president of Czechoslovakia after the ousting of the Soviet Union, and, in l993, as president of the newly formed Czech Republic. Havel gives full rein to his impassioned stance against the devastation wrought by communism, but the scope of his concern in this engrossing memoir extends far beyond the circumstances he faced in his own country. The book is full of anecdotes of his interactions with world figures: offering a peace pipe to Mikhail Gorbachev, meditating with the Dali Lama, confessing to Pope John Paul II and partying with Bill and Hilary Clinton. Havel shares his thoughts on the future of the European Union and the role of national identity in today’s world. He explains why he has come to change his mind about the war in Iraq, and he discusses the political and personal reverberations he faces because of his initial support of the invasion. He writes with equal intelligence and candour about subjects as diverse as the arrogance of western power politics, the death of his first wife and his own battle with lung cancer. Woven through are internal memos he wrote during his presidency that take us behind the scenes of the Prague Castle – the government’s seat of power – showing the internal workings of the office and revealing Havel’s mission to act as his country’s conscience, and even, at times, its chief social convenor. Written with characteristic eloquence, wit and well-honed irony combined with an unfailing sense of wonder at the course his life has taken, To the Castle and Back is a revelation of one of the most important political figures of our time.
A sweeping yet intimate narrative about the last hundred years of turbulent European history, as seen through one of Mitteleuropa’s greatest houses—and the lives of its occupants When Norman Eisen moved into the US ambassador’s residence in Prague, returning to the land his mother had fled after the Holocaust, he was startled to discover swastikas hidden beneath the furniture in his new home. These symbols of Nazi Germany were remnants of the residence’s forgotten history, and evidence that we never live far from the past. From that discovery unspooled the twisting, captivating tale of four of the remarkable people who had called this palace home. Their story is Europe’s, and The Last Palace chronicles the upheavals that transformed the continent over the past century. There was the optimistic Jewish financial baron, Otto Petschek, who built the palace after World War I as a statement of his faith in democracy, only to have that faith shattered; Rudolf Toussaint, the cultured, compromised German general who occupied the palace during World War II, ultimately putting his life at risk to save the house and Prague itself from destruction; Laurence Steinhardt, the first postwar US ambassador whose quixotic struggle to keep the palace out of Communist hands was paired with his pitched efforts to rescue the country from Soviet domination; and Shirley Temple Black, an eyewitness to the crushing of the 1968 Prague Spring by Soviet tanks, who determined to return to Prague and help end totalitarianism—and did just that as US ambassador in 1989. Weaving in the life of Eisen’s own mother to demonstrate how those without power and privilege moved through history, The Last Palace tells the dramatic and surprisingly cyclical tale of the triumph of liberal democracy.
Like many other European countries, the Czech Republic has a rich culture and history, which makes it a magnet for travelers to Eastern Europe. This book concentrates on the territory of Moravia, a part of the Czech Republic, often in the shadow of the capital city of Prague but which deserves attention and appreciation in its own right. After all, it is the place where the Great Moravian Empire was established and became the first major homeland of the Slavic people. The book brings a unique view of how this region is seen and understood from afar-the United States. The author writes, "The absence of a published focus on Moravia, one of the two main regions of the Czech Republic, was for me the major driving force for this book. In looking at various sources, one quickly realizes that information about the Czech Republic is dominated by Bohemia. Finally, the history of Moravia is as rich as that of Bohemia, most notably by the fact that Great Moravia preceded Bohemia." Moravia: Gem of the Czech Republic includes a history of Moravia, its regions, towns, and cities, some notable Moravians, the culture of the region, Moravian immigrants to North America, and the preservation of Moravia's treasures. The 156 color photographs and illustrations by the author show the beauty of the countryside, towns, villages, castles, culture, and people of Moravia. Author Robert J. Tomanek, PhD is Professor Emeritus Anatomy and Cell Biology Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
Nestled on the shore of Lough Corrib, Ashford Castle has only grown in esteem over the last eight centuries, passing through the hands of esteemed Lords and Ladies and hosting visitors over the years ranging from King George V, Oscar Wilde, and John Lennon. The reputed estate even provided a setting for the Hollywood production of The Quiet Man starring John Wayne. This publication will present the newly renovated Ashford Castle, a window into its illustrious past and a preview of its promising future.
The Czech Republic - The Most Haunted Country in the World? by G. Michael Vasey The Czech Republic is a beautiful, landlocked country at the heart of Europe. It has a pagan Slavic past that has survived and indeed even been adopted by Christianity. From whipping girls with special sticks at Easter to visits by the Devil, an Angel and St. Nicholas on St. Nicholas' day, there are reminders of past paganism at every turn during the course of a year. It is a country where each town and city has its own ghost stories, legends and myths, where innumerable castles dot the landscape, each with their hidden treasures, specters and wraiths, separated by haunted and magical forests. The Czech Republic may just be the most haunted country on the planet! Discover the creepy ghosts of Prague, the location of the mysterious gate to Hell, creepy haunted forests, tales of vampires and the undead, abandoned cemeteries now used for satanic rituals in the dead of night, strange and mysterious imps and elves, and much more. The Czech Republic is a country of ghosts and myths, haunted and mysterious places and strange pagan customs. If you plan to visit the Czech Republic - here is your guide to the supernatural side of the country! Discover the ghosts and haunted places of the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic - The Most Haunted Country in the World? by G. Michael Vasey