ISSUE 04 | APRIL 2020
Prague
BIKERS CLUB ® MAGAZINE | PAGE 55
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A Historic and Cultural Excursion
History
Decked in history and charm, the city of Prague
has been under the control of several powers; it
has been freed by capitalism, ruled by
communism, part of Nazi control and declared
independent. It's history dates back to 5500 BC
when the first evidence of various Germanic and
Celtic tribes came to knowledge along with trade
routes between North and South Europe. The first
inhabitant of the area, the Boii - one of the Celtic
tribes, were recorded to be here by around 500 BC
and named the region Bohemia and the river
Vltava. Slavs arrived in the city during the 6th
century and became dominant in the region. It
was in 870 that the foundation for Prague Castle
was laid by the settlement on the hilltop of Lesser
Town. The Romanesque rotunda was built in 926
at the site of current St. Vitus Cathedral within the
premises of Prague Castle. It was followed by
the establishment of Judita's Bridge in 1172
(second stone bridge of Europe), Old Town in
during 1230, New Town and Charles University
during 1348. From 1310 until 1346, John of
Luxembourg ruled as the king of Bohemia
followed by the Hapsburg dynasty taking
control in 1526 to rule until 1918. In between,
several other rulers ruled the city along with
the Nazis. The Velvet Revolution in 1989 finally
leads to the defeat of communist rule, making
way for parliamentary democracy with Vaclav
Havel as the first president of Czechoslovakia.
The country was divided in two, and the Czech
Republic was founded on 1st January 1993.
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