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🇨🇿 Who actually liberated Prague?

By the time WWII officially ended in Europe on May 8, 1945, Prague was already in the middle of an uprising.

Locals had taken up arms days earlier, building barricades and fighting German forces across the city ⚔️

Then, on May 9, the Soviet Red Army entered Prague – and is officially recognized as the force that liberated the city.

But the reality was more layered than a single date or a single army.

At the same time, American troops were already in western Czechoslovakia, having liberated cities like Plzeň 🇺🇸 Yet they stopped short of Prague.

Why?

Because the Allies had already agreed on zones of advance and influence. Prague fell within the area assigned to the Soviet sphere, so American forces did not continue eastward despite being relatively close.

So Prague’s liberation became the result of several forces converging at once:

✅ a local uprising
✅ a Soviet military advance
✅ political decisions made far beyond the city itself

🧐 And what followed mattered just as much as liberation itself.

The Red Army’s role in liberating Prague strongly shaped post-war public sentiment and Soviet influence in Czechoslovakia. Within a few years, this contributed to the political developments that culminated in the Communist takeover of 1948 – opening an entirely new chapter in the country’s history.

Which is why the question “Who liberated Prague?” still carries historical and political weight today.

History is rarely one-dimensional. 🕊️

🇨🇿𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲 – 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟖 🕊️

On May 8, 1945, N**i Germany officially surrendered, bringing World War II in Europe to an end. The day became known as Victory in Europe Day – or VE Day.

In Czechia, it is remembered as National Liberation Day 🇨🇿, marking the end of years of N**i occupation and the restoration of freedom after one of the darkest chapters in the country’s modern history.

But in Prague, events unfolded differently than in many other European cities.

By the time the war officially ended, the Prague Uprising had already been underway for several days. Czech resistance fighters and civilians had risen against German occupation forces, building barricades and fighting across the city while the final collapse of N**i Germany was still taking place.

Although Germany officially surrendered on May 8, fighting and uncertainty in Prague did not disappear immediately, and liberation was still unfolding in the city.

🧐 Which raises an important historical question:
Who actually liberated Prague?

→ more in the next post

📍 In May 1945, Prague didn’t wait for the war to end.

On May 5, the city rose up against N**i occupation – without a clear plan, without certainty of success. Within hours, barricades appeared across the streets. Trams overturned, cobblestones torn up, and ordinary people became part of something much bigger.

The fighting lasted several days. Chaotic, courageous, and costly ⚔️

By the time liberation came on May 9, much of the story had already been written by people who chose not to wait.

Prague took its fate into its own hands.

🌿 Hello May

And… Happy Labour Day.

In many places, May 1st is about work.
In Czechia, it also carries a bit of history – once strongly associated with the communist era, parades, and obligatory celebrations.

But today, it feels… a little different. Because here, May 1st is also known as a day of love. A day when couples traditionally kiss under a blooming cherry tree 🌸

So suddenly, there’s quite a lot on the agenda:
hard work… and true love. Not a combination you see every day. So whether you’re working,or enjoying not working at all – or perhaps just looking for a tree…

we hope May starts well 🤍

🥖 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐳𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝: 𝐜𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐢́𝐜̌𝐞𝐤

At first glance, it’s an open sandwich – but in Czechia, it’s a category of its own.

A slice of bread, generously layered with spreads, meats, eggs, cheese, pickles or salads…and guided by one simple rule:
👉 the more you can see on top, the better.

Dating back to 1916 and the famous Paukert deli, chlebíčky quickly became a staple of Czech cuisine – and they’ve stayed that way ever since.

Today, you’ll find them everywhere: bakeries, cafés, bars…always neatly displayed, always slightly too tempting to pass by.

👉 Quick snack, light lunch, or just because – chlebíček has a way of becoming your ultimate comfort food.

This should be easy… or not 😏👇

⛪️ 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞’𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬… 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐂𝐳𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐬 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐆𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐮𝐜𝐡

Walk through Prague and it’s hard not to notice the churches. Gothic towers, baroque domes, chapels on almost every corner ✨ It feels like a deeply religious city. And yet, today, Czechs are among the least religious people in the world.

So what happened?
The oldest churches you see mostly come from a time when Czechs were still deeply religious, with many dating back to the era of Charles IV – a deeply religious and highly influential ruler who turned Prague into an imperial capital, concentrating wealth, power, and prestige here, which allowed for the construction of so many monumental churches.

That changed in the 15th century, when Jan Hus began criticizing the Church and speaking directly to ordinary people.He was executed for it – but his ideas didn’t disappear. 🔥 In fact, Czech lands came very close to becoming what we would later call Protestant. But that path never fully materialized.

In the 16th century, Czech lands fell under Habsburg rule, and for almost 400 years (1526–1918), a Catholic Austrian monarchy pushed to bring them back into the Catholic fold.

Many of Prague’s baroque churches date from this period ✨ – built as part of a broader effort to bring people back into the Catholic fold, in a time when religion was no longer just belief, but also pressure – an effort that, in the long run, never fully succeeded.

After 1918, with the fall of the Habsburg monarchy, there was a brief attempt to reconnect with the country’s earlier Protestant roots – for example through the newly formed Czechoslovak Hussite Church ✨

But it never truly became dominant, and religion as a whole was already losing its grip on society. Then came the communist period, when religion was actively suppressed and pushed out of public life 🚫⛪️

And unlike in countries like Poland, where the Church became a symbol of resistance ✊, in Czech lands that kind of pushback never fully emerged.
All of this created a quiet paradox: a city full of churches ⛪️ in a country where people mostly just walk past them 🚶‍♂️

🌿🌉 A little green escape in the middle of Prague: Kampa Park

Right in the heart of the city, Kampa Park is actually part of Kampa Island – a small spot that feels like its own quiet world. It’s where locals go to slow down for a bit, even just for an hour.

The island itself has an interesting past. It was artificially shaped as early as the 12th century, when a channel was created to power watermills. Later, after the Great Fire of Prague 1541, the remains of the fire were used to raise the land – and, in a way, one person’s loss became another’s gain, as the first palaces began to appear.

Today, it’s a completely different scene. Kampa Park is all about simple things:
🌿 sitting by the river
🚶‍♀️ slow walks with views of the city
🧺 picnics on the grass
🏃‍♂️ a bit of movement, if you feel like it

It’s one of those places that feels both central and surprisingly calm – a small pause between the busy streets of Prague.

👉 Easy to miss, but worth slowing down for.

🇨🇿 An interesting look at what matters most to Czechs today – what they value, what they worry about, and whether Czechia really is as secular as its reputation suggests.

If you’re curious about the mindset behind Czech culture, this survey offers a useful glimpse beyond the stereotypes.

Worth a read for anyone trying to understand the country a little better 👇

🇨🇿 What matters most to Czechs? What do they strive for and what do they fear? Are we really the most atheist nation on the planet? The “Czechs 2026” survey, conducted by the Solvo Institute mapped the values, attitudes, and concerns of Czechs. The study involved more than a thousand people across the Czech Republic.

👉 Find out more here: rozhl.as/jmB