Purdue University’s Study Abroad: Annual Tour of the Škoda Factory in Mladá Boleslav

For the past three years, students from Purdue University have traveled to Prague along with faculty member Jim Tanoos as part of a Study Abroad program entitled “Purdue Polytechnic’s Central European Multinational Automobile Organization Supply Chain Experience”. Purdue University offers move than 200 majors and specializes in agriculture, engineering, and technology. It has an enrollment...

Czech Republic, LIFESTYLE, PEOPLE

January 21, 2019

Breda & Weinstein Department Store

The Breda & Weinstein department store by the Viennese architect Leopold Bauer first opened at the beginning of October in 1928. It was one of the most modern buildings of its time. It stood five stories above ground and had two underground floors, and it served as retail shops as well as a clothing factory....

Architecture, CULTURE

November 1, 2018

Jawa 350TS Motorcycle with Velorex Sidecar

The Czech JAWA motorcycle is a legendary brand that has left an indelible mark on the world of motorcycling. Founded in 1929 in Prague, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic), JAWA is an abbreviation for “Janacek and Wanderer,” combining the surnames of the two founders, František Janeček and Adolf Wanderer. JAWA motorcycles quickly gained recognition for...

LIFESTYLE, Shopping

July 2, 2018

The Letov L-290 Orel Maneuvering Through Prague

Imagine walking down the sidewalk in Prague when suddenly the larger than life body of an airplane moves past you. That is exactly what happened just a few months after the end of WWII with the plane that would be known as the Letov L-290 Orel. LETOV is an aircraft company located in Prague –...

History, Time Warp

March 26, 2018

Horse Radish Culture in Bohemia

Today I came across an old document from December of 1899 from the Division of Botany at the United States Department of Agriculture. The document is entitled, Horse Radish Culture in Bohemia and I am sharing it with you because Czechs absolutely love their horseradish! Horse-radish is employed much more extensively by German and Austrian...

History, NOSTALGIA

March 19, 2018

Karel Kulík’s Cheerful Calendar or How Coffee Came to Prague

Karel Kulík and his cheerful calendar enjoyed popularity from 1909 onward. The Kulíkův zábavný kalendář as it was called was an advertising calendar was created by Kulík who was a wholesaler of coffee. Karel Kulík distributed his calendar to his permanent customers free of charge. (Nice marketing idea for the time!) Karel Kulík was one...

Bohemians, PEOPLE

January 17, 2018

The Czech and Slovak Heligonka Instrument

The Heligonka or Helikónka (in Slovak: Heligónka) is a Czech and Slovak musical instrument similar to the Melodeon or Alpine Steirische Harmonika. The actual history of this instrument is unknown, as is the exact individual enterprises where the production began. (The Novak company was created in the year 1874 – and they produced the steirische...

CULTURE, History, Music, NOSTALGIA

November 6, 2017

Rare & Beautiful Gemstones from the Czech Republic

Amidst the mountains and caves of the Czech Republic lay treasures beyond your imagination. Most folks who have visited the country will agree that the sights and scenery are magical, and we won’t argue! We believe that our little country is the most beautiful place on earth, offering something for everyone. Today, we are sharing...

LIFESTYLE, Shopping

September 17, 2017

Prague’s Underground Postal System – The Pneumatic Post

The Prague pneumatic post (Czech: Pražská potrubní pošta) is the world’s last preserved municipal pneumatic post system. Once the dream of modern technology, the very thought of sending messages and parcels zipping through miles of tubes, powered by air pressure and vacuums, most of these pneumatic dispatches have all but disappeared. Since it started in 1889,...

History, NOSTALGIA

August 17, 2017

Czechoslovakian Handguns From 1918 to 1964

As a direct result of the first World War, the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was divided into a number of states including the Czechoslovakian Republic which was born on Oct. 28, 1918. This was also the beginning of the Czechoslovakian small arms industry. Today we are looking at the principal models of Czechoslovakian hand guns made since...

History, NOSTALGIA

March 9, 2017

Sleek, Elegant and Inspirational Skoda 935 Dynamic

In 2015, the Czech car maker, Skoda, celebrated 120 years of existence. Part of the celebration was to share the Skoda 935 prototype with the world. This beautiful vehicle is a testament of the innovative power that fuelled Skoda back then. Since its debut at the Motor Show in Prague, the Skoda 935 Dynamic prototype has...

NOSTALGIA, Retro Chic

February 9, 2017

Czechs and Their Billion Dollar Beets

Today we are taking a peek at the history of Czechs and their connection to beets and the sugar that comes from them. The very first mention was written by 16th-century scientist, Olivier de Serres, who discovered a process for preparing sugar syrup from the common red beet. He concluded, The beet-root, when being boiled, yields a...

History, NOSTALGIA