Air Battle over the Ore Mountains
On 11 September 1944, a massive, intense air battle took place over the mountains between Germany and what was then Czechoslovakia. The memory of this battle is still alive today.
The German expulsion
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.
The Red Tower of Death
In western Czechia, there is a grim reminder of how the Communists treated prisoners. This article explains what the Red Tower of Death is, and why it exists.
The Czech-German tri-point
Accidents of geography have determined as much of world history and culture as anything else. Rivers and mountains became natural, then political, borders. The Czech town of Hranice used to be a meeting point between 3 countries.
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.
The Maltese chapel of bones
I’ve written about Czech ossuaries before, and I’ve visited the one in Paris, but few know there is a Maltese chapel of bones. Well, there used to be one anyway.
The ultimate story of Czech heros
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.
Father Toufar – tortured by communists
Czechoslovak communists tortured Czech priest Josef Toufar in 1949 for a miracle which may or may not have happened. This article describes the story and the tragic ending of Father Toufar's life.
The Allied bombing of Prague
During World War II, Prague wasn't as affected by bombing as many other European cities were. This was because planes didn’t have the range to reach Prague, and also because the Allies had more important targets in mind. This article describes the few Allied bombings of Prague, which happened towards the end of the war.
The World War II Death Marches
While travelling overland across Europe, it’s easy to enjoy the scenery and hospitality without a second thought to horrific acts which took place over the centuries. We often don’t realise how special our generation is to live in a Europe where there hasn’t been a major war in over 70 years.