Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe and a member state of the European Union. The country borders on Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west, Austria to the south, and Slovakia to the east. The capital and largest city is Prague (Czech: Praha). The country is composed of the historic regions of Bohemia and Moravia, as well as parts of Silesia [1].

History

Following the Battle of Mohács (1526), the Czech lands came under Hapsburg rule, eventually becoming part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The independent Republic of Czechoslovakia was formed in 1918 after World War I. After the Munich Agreement, Czechoslovakia was taken over by the Germans. After the liberation of the major portion of Czechoslovakia by the Red Army, the Communist party narrowly won the 1946 elections. In an 1948 coup d'état, Czechoslovakia became a communist-ruled state. In 1968, increasing dissatisfaction lead to an attempt to overthrow the communist regime. The so-called Prague Spring ended with an invasion by the U.S.S.R., and Soviet troops remained in the country until the 1989 Velvet Revolution. On January 1, 1993 Czechoslovakia was divided into its constituent states, the Czech Republic and Slovakia [2].

The Golem of Prague

In the 16th century, during the reign of Rudolf II, an old Jewish man named Rabbi Judah Loew lived in Prague. During that time, the Jewish people of Prague were being attacked and lived their lives in fear. Rabbi Loew decided to protect the Jews against pogroms by creating the Golem, a giant who according to the Cabala could be made of clay from the banks of the Vltava. Following the prescribed rituals, the Rabbi built the Golem and made him come to life by reciting a special incantation in Hebrew. The word "emet", meaning "truth", was placed on the Golem's forehead.

The Golem would obey the Rabbi's every order and would help and protect the people of the Jewish Ghetto. However, as he grew bigger, he also became more violent and started killing people and spreading fear. Rabbi Loew was promised that the violence against the Jews would stop if the Golem was destroyed. The Rabbi agreed. By removing the first letter from the word "emet", thus changing it to "met" (meaning "death"), life was taken out of the Golem. According to legend, the Golem was brought back to life by Rabbi Loew's son, and may still be protecting Prague today. http://www.myczechrepublic.com/prague/history/prague_legends.html]