30 Color Photos Capture Street Scenes of Czechoslovakia in 1970

Czechoslovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe, created in October 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary.

Czechoslovakia in July 1970

From the Communist coup d'état in February 1948 to the Velvet Revolution in 1989, Czechoslovakia was ruled by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. The country belonged to the Eastern Bloc and was a member of the Warsaw Pact and of Comecon. During the era of Communist Party rule, thousands of Czechoslovaks faced political persecution for various offences, such as trying to emigrate across the Iron Curtain.

In January 1993, Czechoslovakia split into the two sovereign states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

These vintage color photos were taken by Philippe Guillot that show street scenes of Czechoslovakia in July 1970.

Bouzov Castle (14th century)

Cheb. The town hall

Czechoslovakians

Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad). Family outing for Soviet officers

Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad). Fashion model posing in front of a hot spring

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13 of the Strangest Polka Album Covers

The polka is originally a Czech dance and genre of dance music familiar throughout all of Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the nineteenth century in Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. The polka remains a popular folk music genre in many European and American countries, and is performed by many folk artists.

Polka is a music and dance style that originated in Europe in the 1830s and came to American society when people immigrated from Eastern Europe. A fast style in 2/4 time, and often associated with the pre–World War II era, polka remains a dynamic “niche” music in America.

While you would never call the polka genre “self-serious”, some musicians have really taken it to the limit. Here’s a selection of 13 of the strangest polka album covers through past eras.

1. James Last – Happy Polka 2 (1972)

James is really selling the whole “Happy” part of the “Happy polka”.

2. Li’l Richard & His Polka All Stars – Wine, Girls and Goodtimes (1976)

The fact that the girls that Li’l Richard (not Little Richard) is canoodling with look as though they are related to him takes this cover from “seedy” to “full on disturbing”.

3. Los Forasteros de Monterrey – Polkas Pa’ Echar Estilo (1975)

This is the only known attempt to combine the allure of a Bond girl, the grit of Fistful of Dollars, and the unabashed goofiness of polka music.

4. Tijuana Sauerkrauts – Happy Polkas Recorded in Munich (1973)

This is a real “You got your braunschweiger in my salsa / You got your salsa in my braunschweiger” situation. Polka goes South of the border!

5. Whoopee John – The Great One

Like Elvis, photographers could only shoot Whoopee John from the waist up, as he was deemed “too suggestive” to young girls.

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45 Vintage Cover Photos of Czech Weekly News Pestrý Týden in 1927

Pestrý týden was a Czech illustrated weekly magazine published November 2, 1926 to April 28, 1945, during the First and Second Czechoslovak Republics and during the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.

The magazine helped establish top photo-reporters of the 1930s, such as Karel Hájek, Václav Jírů and Ladislav Sitenský. Published and printed by Grafické závody (‘Graphic Works’) by Václav Neubert and Sons, based in Smíchov, Prague it was issued in 963 numbers.

Here below is a collection of vintage cover photos of Czech weekly news Pestrý týden in 1927.

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Rare Images of Louis Armstrong on His Visit to Prague in 1965

When Louis Armstrong visited Prague in March of 1965, at which time he was truly an international star. These rare images from TresBohemes captured moments of this Jazz great on his visit to Prague in 1965.

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34 Lovely Vintage Photos of the Puppet Film ‘The Czech Year’ (1947)

The Czech Year (Czech title: Špalíček), also called A Treasury of Fairy-Tales, is a 1947 stop-motion-animated feature film from Czechoslovakia. It was a puppet filled film about the folk customs of Czech people.

The film was the first feature film directed by Jiří Trnka, and it proceeded to win several international awards and make his name famous in the animation world.

The traditional customs and tales of a Czech village are depicted in six separate sequences: “Shrovetide”, “Spring”, “Legend About St. Prokop”, “The Fair”, “The Feast” and “Bethlehem”.

Here below is a set of lovely vintage photos of the puppet film The Czech Year in 1947.

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Street Scenes of Bratislava in the 1970s Through Fascinating Photos

Bratislava is the capital and largest city of Slovakia. It is one of the smaller capitals of Europe but still the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia, occupying both banks of the River Danube and the left bank of the River Morava. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two sovereign states.

Bratislava in the 1970s

Bratislava is the political, cultural and economic centre of Slovakia. It has several universities, and many museums, theatres, galleries and other cultural and educational institutions. Many of Slovakia's large businesses and financial institutions have headquarters there.

In 2017, Bratislava was ranked as the third richest region of the European Union by GDP (PPP) per capita (after Hamburg and Luxembourg City). GDP at purchasing power parity is about three times higher than in other Slovak regions.

Take a look at these fascinating photos from Flickr’s members to see what Bratislava looked like in the 1970s.

An industrial haze hangs over the Danube, viewed from Bratislava Castle, 1970

Bratislava street scenes, 1970

Reconstruction in connection with the construction of a bridge over the Danube, 1971

Slovak National Uprising Square, 1971

Bratislava street scenes, 1972

Down town Bratislava, 1975

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Before Dissolution, Fascinating Photographs Show What Czechoslovakia Looked Like in 1980

Czechoslovakia, or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe that existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until its peaceful dissolution into the Czech Republic and Slovakia on 1 January 1993.

Czechoslovakia in August 1980

From 1939 to 1945, following its forced division and partial incorporation into Nazi Germany, the state did not de facto exist but its government-in-exile continued to operate.

From 1948 to 1990, Czechoslovakia was part of the Eastern Bloc with a command economy. Its economic status was formalized in membership of Comecon from 1949 and its defense status in the Warsaw Pact of May 1955.

A period of political liberalization in 1968, known as the Prague Spring, was forcibly ended when the Soviet Union, assisted by several other Warsaw Pact countries, invaded Czechoslovakia.

In 1989, as Marxist–Leninist governments and communism were ending all over Europe, Czechoslovaks peacefully deposed their government in the Velvet Revolution; state price controls were removed after a period of preparation.

In 1993, Czechoslovakia split into the two sovereign states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

These fascinating photos were taken by Alan Denney that show street scenes of Czechoslovakia in August 1980.

Dobšinská Ice Cave

Dobšinská Ice Cave

Poprad street scenes

Poprad street scenes

Prague buildings

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Interior Views of the Central Social Institution in Prague, Czechoslovakia, 1937

The Central Social Institution in Prague was home to the world’s largest vertical file cabinet. It consists of 3,000 drawers, 10 feet high, reaching from floor to ceiling and covering approximately 4,000 square feet. The drawers are all equipped with roller bearings.

Special desks were built for those working at the files. They are, in essence, electrically operated elevators, controlled by a touch of a button, which rise or descend, move to the right or left and stop before the desired drawer.

The drawers themselves are electrically opened and shut. With this installation it is now possible for 20 workers to do what formerly required the services of 400.

There are many jobs in which distribution of the work only results in confusion. In this case, eliminating help expedites progress.

These amazing photographs below show men working in mobile work stations used to access the card catalog drawers in the Central Social Institution, Prague, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic) in 1937.

50 Beautiful Color Pics That Capture Street Scenes of Prague in the 1980s

Prague is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, the 14th largest city in the European Union and the historical capital of Bohemia.

Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city  has a temperate climate, with warm summers and chilly winters.  Prague has been a political, cultural and economic centre of central Europe complete with a rich history.

Prague is home to a number of well-known cultural attractions, many of which survived the violence and destruction of 20th-century Europe. Main attractions include Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Old Town Square with the Prague astronomical clock, the Jewish Quarter, Petřín hill and Vyšehrad.

The city has more than ten major museums, along with numerous theatres, galleries, cinemas and other historical exhibits. An extensive modern public transportation system connects the city. Also, it is home to a wide range of public and private schools, including Charles University in Prague, the oldest university in Central Europe.

Prague is one of the most liveable cities in the world, and the most liveable city in former Eastern Bloc (except Berlin), ranking ahead of St. Louis, Hong Kong and others.

These beautiful color pics were taken by Simon K that show street scenes of Prague in 1987.

A tram travels through the Nové Město

A back street in Josefov, the Jewish district

A busy day in the Nové Město

A coachload of students disgorges onto the plaza of Hradcány castle, with Prague city centre beyond

A flower stall in the Staré Město

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