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This page is dedicated to the study of the branch of West Slavic peoples known as the Czechs, Moravians,
and Slovaks. It is being constructed by members of the Slavic Interest Group. Most of us (but not all) are members
of the Society for Creative Anachronism, a medieval re-creation group.
Skriptorium, a resource site straight from the Czech Republic!
A brief history of the Slavic people
This Czech Republic history site starts with pre-historic times in the area and ends with the modern era
Good King Wenceslaus: A Model of Bohemian Sovereignty. This is an excellent essay on early Czech history.
A history of the medieval Bohemian Kingdom
This is a map of Moravia dating from around 1570. The site also includes a "text" click that takes you to a verbal description
of the map written with the map
This is a map of Moravia dating from 1569
A history of the city of Bratislava, formerly known as Pressburg
History of Moravia from the Catholic Encyclopedia.
Slovakia: Castles, old churches, and the High Tatra. The site includes many beautiful thumbnail pictures.
This is an article about the growth of the Hussite movement in the Czech lands following the burning of Hus at the Council
of Constance in 1415
This is a list of recommended medieval cities of the Czech Republic; you can visit them all at this site!
This is a site about Plzen and its adjacent towns, with many interesting thumbnails.
The National Museum of Moravia, based in Brno.
This is a map of Moravia with German names.
Dictionary article about Sigismund, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, who lived 1368-1437
This is an essay about a scholar's theory that early medieval Moravia was in the Great Hungarian Plain rather than south of
the Danube as is commonly believed.
This is an article about one of the Patron Saints of the Czechs, St. Ludmilla. She was an important royal figure in Czech
history.
A concise history of the archdiocese of Prague from the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia
Historical sights of Ceske Budejovice, the former Budweis. This site contains many thumbnails.
A history of the Slovak capital, Bratislava, formerly known as Pressburg
Historical sketch of Moravia.
A history of Plzen (Pilsen) from its origins to the present. The site includes many interesting links.
The only timeline of Great Moravia, the first Slavic state in Central Europe, on the Web!
Brief introduction to the life of early Bohemian Prince Boleslav "the Cruel"
The origins of Bohemia and the Czechs according to ancient legend and Radio Prague (RP is amusing but not always reliable)
A history of a town in the Czech Republic called Ceske Budejovice, formerly called Budweis by the German-speakers who ruled
the land until 1918. It has been known for its beer since the sixteenth century, thus the well-known brand of beer, Budweiser,
which originated here.
A highly informative article about Jan Hus.
Thumbnail pictures of Prague
Hus, Luther, and Gutenberg: masters of history. This essay concerns the "dress rehearsal" of the Protestant Reformation in
Bohemia, its undertaking by Martin Luther, and the role of the printing press in it.
"Final Declaration" of Jan Hus at the Council of Constance
The first two chapters of a period account of St. Agnes of Prague (1200-1282), a member of the Czech royal family
The lives of Constantine (Cyril) and Methodius, "missionaries to the Slavs" who worked in Moravia
Golden Bull of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and Bohemia's greatest King
a map of Germany in 962, showing the growth of the Western Slavic states
This is a list of Czech medieval towns.
A brief history of Bohemia in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries
The story of Jan Zizka (c. 1370--1424), Czech military genius
Radio Prague essay on Jan Zizka and his Hussite armies
More about the military innovations of Jan Zizka, describing his utilization of the "wagon fort" which developed the use of
handguns in warfare. The word "pistole", originally a Czech word (it meant "pipe"), entered general usage in Europe during
the Hussite era.
Read primary accounts of the Hussite Wars by two fifteenth-century scholars
A picture of one of Jan Zizka's "Wagenburgs"--"wagon forts" from a late fifteenth century German text, "Das Mittelateriche
Hausbuch"
ARCHITECTURE
Check out castles in Slovakia here!
This is a site about castle reconstruction in Slovakia with an up-close look at three medieval castles which are being restored.
UNESCO's Spis Castle site
Bratislava Castle, Slovakia
Virtual tour of St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague
Check out Orava Castle, Slovakia
Strecno Castle, Slovakia
CUSTOMS AND FOLKLORE
Slovak link site--if it's Slovak and on the Web it's here.
Czech-English glossary of religious terms and medieval Prague church dedications
A site about St. Procopius, an early period Czech saint
An ancient Czech legend from Radio Prague
FOOD AND DRINK
This is an article about the history of Czech beer. If this doesn't interest some of you I give up!
Radio Prague's history of Czech beer-loving; the site includes a list of breweries in the Czech Republic, many of them founded
in period
The history of beer-making in Ceske Budejovice (the Germans called this town Budweis, thus the modern beer brand name Budweiser,
which was first made here)
Radio Prague's history of beer in the Czech lands
Read a hilarious wine story here!
CLOTHING
A history of Slovak folk costume
This is the court dress of a great lady, one of whose titles was Queen of Bohemia. It is quite typical for sixteenth-century
Central European court dress. This site also contains a pattern and excellent documentation from neighboring Hungary.
Czech, Moravian and Slovak folk costumes
LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE
This is a short overview of the history of the Czech language
A history of Czech literature in the Middle Ages
The Prague Fragments, the oldest extent example of Czech Church Slavonic in the ancient Glagolithic alphabet, dating from
before 1000
HERALDRY, NAMES
A list of SCA titles from various cultures, including Czech titles, from the College of Arms
Arms of Bohemia, originally dating from the late twelfth century, later Czech states, and a spirited debate over those of
Slovakia
Czech-English glossary of trade and occupational names
A history of the national arms of Slovakia; contains much info and illustrations from medieval Slovakia and its Hungarian
rulers
A list of distinguised Czech men in period--this means period names, folks!
Czech genealogy page; goes into the origins of Czech family names
Fourteenth and fifteenth century German names from Silesia, showing Slavic influence
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