Albert Einstein developed key aspects of relativity during his 1911-1912 stay in Prague, lecturing at the local university.
Tag: 1930-1939
I’ve written lots about how Germany and German influences affected Bohemia and Czechia. This is what led to a backlash after World War II.
This article explores the little-known story of how Czechoslovakia expelled Germans after the war.
Before World War II, Czechoslovak occultists tried to use black magic to kill Hitler. It sounds like the plot to a Hollywood B-movie, and in some ways it is. But it also is 100% true.
Many countries have memorials to fallen heros, and stories of bravery from wartime. Czechia is unusual in that it has heros from both sides of World War II.
If you ask many people in Prague about ‘Invalidovna’ they’d be more likely to direct you to the metro stop of that name. Few know of the magnificent Baroque building which is the real Invalidovna.
In the 19th century an offshore British bank in Malta issued its own banknotes. It’s unusual to think of a private company issuing banknotes, more so in a small country like Malta. This article explains why this bank did so and why it was in Malta.
European geopolitics in the 1930s caused plenty of uncertainty. The British worried about riots in the Middle East, and the possibility of another major war with Germany. They hatched a secret plan to reinforce Malta’s money supply in case of war.
Before living in Prague I thought I knew about the Sudetenland and how Hitler annexed it before World War II. There’s a lot I’ve learnt about the nuances of history in the region/s that carry this name. This article is my attempt at straightening out the facts from the commonly-held myths.
Valletta is an ornate and Baroque city built by the Knights of Malta. One of it’s most famous historical buildings is neo-classical which contrasts with the rest of the city. Welcome to Malta’s (Polish) National Library.
In the eastern part of Amsterdam’s city centre, there is a building which has unsightly scrawls on its facade. It’s as if there was graffiti that faded over time. Not everyone knows these scrawls are in blood. This is the House of Blood Stains.