WEĎGE - CZ

There is no Czech without a haček. Hence, the Wedge. News, tips and features about and from the Czech Republic.

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Researchers at St. Andrews and the Institute of Scientific Instruments, or ISI, in the Czech Republic have figured out a way of generating an optical field that can reverse the radiation pressure of light.

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Prague, Zizkov, tv tower during construction, late 80’s from

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Prague Cathedral from Mala Strana, by J.Renc, 70’s

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The Czech Republic secured back-to-back Fed Cup titles with a 3-1 win over Serbia before fervent fans in Prague.

A backhand winner from world number 17 Lucie Šafářová sparked celebratory scenes in the Czech capital as she beat Jelena Jankovic 6-1 6-1.

“It’s just...

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Miroslav Tichy

Tichy was an eccentric. He was held prisoner for almost a decade in Soviet labor camps just for that—being an eccentric, falsely accused of dissidence.

Upon his release in the early 70s, he wandered his small town in rags pursuing his voyeuristic obsession with the female form by photographing women unawares in the streets, shops and parks, through windows and fences, with cameras he fashioned out of tin cans, children’s eyeglass lenses and other junk he picked up while wandering. 

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Thanks for thinking of Mirek! :)

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Opletalova / Václavské náměstí, Praha (1959)

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Prague international airport renamed after late president Václav Havel

The Czech Republic’s main international airport has been officially renamed after the late president Václav Havel. The idea to rename the airport after the last Czechoslovak and first Czech president’s was launched in the days following his death last December, and was petitioned by tens of thousands of people. Outside the Czech Republic, a library in Paris, a building of the European Parliament and several streets in Poland have been renamed in honour of the statesman and champion of human rights and liberty.

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Yet another Czech cabinet member resigns over corruption scandal

Czech Kleptocratic Republic

Labour and Social Affairs Minister Jaromir Drabek announced his resignation in connection with a bribery scandal surrounding two of his closest associates - his deputy Vladimir Siska and head of IT Milan Hojer. He is the tenth cabinet member to resign and the sixth to leave because of a corruption scandal.

Drabek says he is innocent of any wrongdoing, but will take personal responsibility to avoid damaging his party, TOP 09, ahead of the regional and senate elections. Šiška and Hojer were arrested on Monday and charged with bribery and manipulating public tenders.

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Sára Vondrášková, an invigorating new voice taking jazz in her own direction

(photo - fb Nerver Sol)

INTERVIEW - The sultry voice of young Sara Vondrášková in the song Lay Down, which has launched her from the cafes and clubs of Prague to the silver screen, as the title song for the new Czech film noir Ve Stínu. The jazz student’s bewitching contralto and modern compositional sensibility is giving her some well earned prominence in the next generation of singer/songwriter/composers... http://www.radio.cz/en/section/one-on-one/sara-vondraskova-an-invigorating-new-voice-taking-jazz-in-her-own-direction

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Prague in a wineglass

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Meditation, Vojtěch Preissig. Czech (1873 - 1944)

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Brno's c(l)ock-like object is the talk of the town

A lovely piece from Radio Prague about Brno's 'clock' - a large, black phallic machine that, while not clearly telling the time, does lots of other interesting things...

http://www.radio.cz/en/section/panorama/hated-and-admired-brnos-orloj-lays-a-claim-to-fame

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Dancing House (Tančící dům) at Rašínovo nábřeží in Prague was designed by Vlado Milunić in co-operation with renowned architect Frank Gehry on a vacant riverfront plot. The building was designed in 1992 and completed in 1996.

The very non-traditional design was controversial at the time because the house stands out among the Baroque, Gothic and Art Nouveau buildings for which Prague is famous and it doesn’t accord well with these architectural styles. Czech president Václav Havel, who lived for decades next to the site, had avidly supported this project, hoping that the building would become a center of cultural activity.

The Dancing House is set on a property of great historical significance. In its place a house was destroyed by the U.S. Bombing of Prague in 1945. The plot and structure lay decrepit until 1960 when the area was cleared.

The structure of the building is known as deconstructivist architecture due to its unusual shape. The “dancing” shape is supported by 99 concrete panels, each a different shape and dimension. On the top of the building is a large twisted structure of metal nicknamed Medusa.

Read more on Wikipedia

Photo by Pedro Szekely

[andreammartinez]

Tabor is a city in South Bohemia, about 75 kilometers from Prague.  These are some shots showing the meticulous details of the buildings I found exploring the city.  

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DRY - CZ Methanol deaths lead to total ban on hard spirits

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Radio Prague: The Czech government has banned all sales of hard liquor in the Czech Republic indefinitely after the 19th person died on Friday from methyl alcohol poisoning. Affected are all establishments where hard liquor is normally sold including hotels, shops, bars and restaurants. Under the ban, effective immediately, proprietors are no longer allowed to sell liquor stronger than 20 percent. An earlier ban had prevented alcohol sales by street vendors only. Sellers failing to heed the ban could face a fine of up to three million crowns. The recent incidence of methanol poisonings in the Czech Republic has shocked the country; five new cases were registered on Thursday; the newest case is a 30-year-old in Prague who fell ill on Friday after drinking laced alcohol and is in critical condition.

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Prague by J.Bukac