Get a Flight Credit worth up to Located in Bohemia, a historical region spanning much of modern-day Czech Republic and Germany, Prague is a city that truly lives up to the free-spirited bohemian lifestyle. Home to such literary greats as Franz Kafka, it is widely regarded as one of Europe’s most beautiful cities and known the world round for its lively nightlife, vibrant cafés, towering church spires and misty, mysterious city streets.
If you’re interested in a Prague, Czech Republic study abroad program but don’t know much about the region, read on for a brief history of the region – you’ll be surprised how many major events took place here.
Know Before you Go: History of Prague and the Czech Republic
With a history that dates from the 5th Century, Prague has been at the center of major political, social and cultural movements for centuries – and with a Czech Republic study abroad trip with CEA, you can immerse yourself in this fascinating land.
Multiethnic from the start, it was founded by Germanic and Slavic tribes. Ruled by the Bohemia dynasty throughout the Middle Ages, Prague became the seat of the Holy Roman Empire during the Renaissance. In the 16th Century, the Habsburg dynasty came into power, ruling the region until the fall of the Holy Roman Empire at the hands of Napoleon in 1806.
Throughout the 19th Century, the Habsburgs continued to control the region as a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire – until 1914, when the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand sparked World War I and the empire collapsed. Following the Great War, Czechoslovakia emerged as a brand-new nation, merging two historically distinct peoples under one national identity.
During World War II, German forces occupied the nation, effectively dissolving the nation until the end of the war, when it was reestablished. During this period, most of the nation’s ethnically German citizens were expelled. Simultaneously, communism took root in the nation, with Czechoslovakia joining the Soviet Bloc in 1948.
With Soviet rule came a strict crackdown on personal freedom, forcing the city of Prague away from its past as an artist’s and writer’s haven. In fact, Soviet control was so strict that in 1968, when Prague experienced a brief period of liberalization known as the Prague Spring, the Eastern Bloc responded by invading the country and reigning in personal freedom once again.
But with the Velvet Revolution of 1989, the Soviet Union dissolved and Czechoslovakia once again became a free state, embracing political and social freedoms. In 1993, it peacefully split into two nations, giving the Czechs and the Slovaks individual rule once again. After joining the European Union in 2004, the Czech Republic is once again a bustling, thriving European nation.
Apply Today for your Czech Republic Study Abroad
With so much history to absorb and a rich mixture of languages to learn – Czech, Russian and German are all widely spoken here – Prague is the ideal city for an incredible Czech Republic study abroad experience. Visit CEA today for more information on all our programs, and start planning your study abroad in Prague today.
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