Tag: 1900-1909

A photo of the Hotel Central facade

Prague’s Daring Dame: The Hotel Central

Prague, 1901. A city of soaring Gothic spires and grand Baroque palaces. Then, something new appeared. Something... different. On Hybernska street, a building bloomed into existence, its facade a swirl of pastel colours and floral motifs. This was the Hotel Central.
A photo of Abu Dhabi today

Creating the Emirates

The United Arab Emirates exist because of a reaction to Britain's loss of power, post-Word War II. That power, in turn, came about because of geography, rather than outright politics. It's strange to think a modern country exists because of a random geographical feature. This article explains the whole story.
A photo of the Abbey de la Sainte Trinite - Vendôme, France

The Abbey in Vendome

Legends underpin so many historical stories it's hard to tell what is fact and what is fiction. I've found a factual explanation for the legend behind the foundation of the Holy Trinity Abbey in Vendôme, France.
A photo of the aircraft at Erding US Air Force base

RAF hijacking in Prague

In 1950, three ex-RAF pilots, persecuted by the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia, coordinated the hijacking of three flights, leading to a daring escape to the West.
A photo of Einstein's bust - Prague, Czechia

Einstein in Prague

Albert Einstein developed key aspects of relativity during his 1911-1912 stay in Prague, lecturing at the local university.

HMS Orwell

In 1903, a British navy drill off Corfu ended disastrously when HMS Orwell collided with HMS Pioneer during a night exercise.
A photo of Leopold Hilsner (1918)

The Hilsner Affair

Anti-Jewish sentiment has long been a problem - even before the Nazis. This article describes the infamous Hilsner affair from Bohemia.
A photo of Malostranské Náměstí (The Lesser town square) from above - Prague, Czechia

Double agent Colonel Alfred Redl

Colonel Alfred Redl was chief of intelligence for Austro-Hungary at the beginning of the 20th century. He also was a double-agent for Russia, France and Italy. There is a direct connection between his actions and the start of World War I. This article is his story.
A photo of HMS Marlborough, location unknown

Russian exiles in Malta

Mentioning exiled Russians these days suggests pro-Ukrainian protesters or anti-Putin demonstrators. Malta's reputation as a haven for Russians goes back more than 100 years before Putin's antics.
A photo of Jan Kefer and his wife

The occult plot to kill Hitler

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.