Figure 1.-- Here we see a family in Horšovský Týn outside their home. This was a town in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic, part of the Sudetenland. Beerlovers will recognize the name Pilsen. The German name is Bischofteinitz. The Sudetenland was an area heavily populated by ethnic Germans which Hitler will later use to create a pre-World War II crisis resulting in the Munich Conference and the abandoment of Czechoslovakia. This was, however, a Czech family. The postcard-back photograph is undated, bit would have been taken about 1905 based on the stamp. Click on the image to see the postcard (dopisnice). Notice that the German name is used for the postmark.

Bohemia was within the historic Holy Roman Empire during the medieval and early modern era. In fact the Holy Roman Emperor establisged the the dimensions of the Czech Lands. The Empire did not develop into a centralized nation state, but it was dominated by Germans. Because of all the different political changes, borders changed, and varying ethnic groups inhabiting what used to be the Czech Lands and Czechoslovalkia and now the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic is a little different than many other European countries. This is a little complicated. It is rather complicated to develop a page for Czech boys clothes. The political character of the Czech srates have varied substanially depending on the political regime. The Czech Republic now has a relatively homogenious population of ethnic Czechs, althiugh ther is still the complicatio of Moravia and some of Silesia. This has not been the case over time for the different political regimes govering what is now the Czech Republic. Many different people have lived in Bohemia. While borders have changed, geograohy has not. Thus the one constannt has been the influence of Germany and the power the German ecomomy and German cultural area. The Germans during Workd war II murdered Czech Jews and if they had won the War would have begun murdering Czechs. The Germans themselves were expelled after World War II, although there continues to be a strong Germsn influence.

Bohemian Kingdom (9th century-1526)

The Kingdom of Bohemia was a state located south of Germany, the bordern region being the Sudeten Mountains. The teritory was roughly the same as the modern Czech Republic. Prince Vaclav (Wenceslas) playted a critical role in Chritianizing Bohemia (10th century). He was murdered on his way into church (929). He is venerated as Bohemia's patron saint. Vaclav's dynasty, the Premyslids extended their territory far beyond beyond Bohemia. Moravia became assiciated with Bohenia diring this period.Their territory reached their greatest extent under Otakar II. Bohemis was a kingdom in the Holy Roman Empire and the King was a Prince-Elector of the Empire. Many Kings of Bohemia were also elected Holy Roman Emperors before the rise of the German Hapsburgs. Prague was effectively the centre of the Holy Roman Empire (late-14th century). The Kingdome became part of the Hapsburg patrinomy (1526).

Austria rule: Bohemia and Moravia (1526-1918)

The Czechs were ruled for centuries by the Austrian Hapsburgs. This has meant a close association with Germany. Most recently Bohemia and Moravia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Ethnic Czechs dominated in Bohemia and Moravia. While also a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the more agraian Slovaks were dominated by the Hungarians. The Czechs were the third largest national group in the Austro-Hungarian Empire (after the Germans and HUngarians). The Czechs were about 13 percent of the Empire's population. Czechs were the dominant ethnic group in Bohemia and Moravia as well as areas of Silesia. Emigration began in the 1870s, primarily to the United States. Language was by far the single most contentious issue in Austro-Hungarian politics. Sucessive governments faced this difficult issue in various ways and in different principalities. Minorities wanted to use their language in the schools as well as in government. Austrian Prime Minister Kasimir Felix Graf Badeni attempting to address the issue gave the Czech language equal standing with German in the internal government of Bohemia under the "Ordinance of April 5, 1897". Austrians were outraged at this. The Emperor ultimately dismissed Badeni. The Czechs under another prime minister lost the right to use their language in newspapers and in the workplace. We believe that Czech fashions in the cities were similar to styles in Vienna and oter major cities. Clothing in the country still

Czechoslovakia (1919-39)

The Hpsburg Austro-Hungarian Empire desintegrated at the end of World War I with the creation of Czechoslovakia (1919). The country was dominated by the Czechs, but had important Slovak and German minorities. The German minority was concentrated in the Sudetenland, but also lived in smaller numbers throughout the country, mostly in cities. There was also a small Jewish population. Slovaks were concentated in Slovakia. We do have some information on the Sudetenland which is now part of the Czech Republic.

Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (1939-45)

The country was dismembered by Hitler and the NAZIs in 1938-39 even before World War II. As part of the Munich settlement, the Sudetenland was transfwrred to the Reich. And although Hitler guaranted the independence of what remained of Czechoslovakia, withib only a few months, he ordered the Wehrmacht to seize what remsined of Czechoslovakia (March 1939). The NAZIS established the Reich Protectorate of Bohemia and Moracia. The MAZIs murdered the Jews in the Holocaust. Reich Protector Heydrish was preparing plans to deport Czechs and Germanize the Protectorate when he was assasinated (1942).

Communist Czechoslovakia (1948-89)

Czechoslovakia was reconstituted after World War II. It was liberated by the Soviets who as a result controlled the security forces. The Soviets engineered a ommunist coup became a Soviet-style People's Republic. With the fall of Communism (1989) the country continued for a few years as a united nation.

Democratic Czechoslovakia (1989-93)

Czech Republic/Czechia (1993- )

As as a result, of the Velvet Revolution, Czechoslovakia peacefully divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, two countries on which HBC has yet to obtain much information. By the time these two states were created, a kind of pan-European fashion had become throughly established. It is no longer possible to tell where children are from by the way they dressed. The Cexh state was at first kniwn as the Cezech Repubklic. There was consuiderable debate abiout a shortened form. Czechia was finaly adopted after much debate, bu there continues to be some resistance to this form. The major complaint is that is not inclusive.

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Crerated: 12:57 PM 3/7/2016
Last updated: 6:28 PM 10/10/2023