Czechoslovakia / Ceskoslovensko - Národní památník na Vítkove (Prague)
N 50° 05.304 E 014° 26.935
33U E 460578 N 5548604
Depicted huge stone carved CoA of the 1st Czechoslovak Republic (1918-1939) decorates front part of National Monument in Vitkov (Národní památník na Vítkove) in Prague.
Waymark Code: WMNMPJ
Location: Hlavní město Praha, Czechia
Date Posted: 04/05/2015
Views: 55
Depicted huge stone carved CoA (so called small coat of arms) of the 1st Czechoslovak Republic (1918-1939) decorates front part of National Monument in Vitkov (Národní památník na Vítkove) in Prague.
Czechoslovakia (Ceskoslovensko) 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.
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. On 29 June 1945, a treaty was signed between Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union, ceding Carpatho-Ukraine to the USSR. From 1948 to 1990 Czechoslovakia was part of the communist Warsaw Pact and had a command or planned economy. A period of political liberalization in 1968, known as the Prague Spring, was forcibly ended when several other Warsaw Pact countries invaded. In 1989, as communism was ending all over Europe, Czechoslovakians peacefully deposed their government in the Velvet Revolution; socialist price controls were removed after a period of preparation. A few years afterwards, in 1993 the country was separated into two sovereign states, again peacefully.
The National Monument on top of the Žižkov Vítkov hill in Prague belongs among the most important buildings connected to the 20th century development of Czechoslovak and Czech statehood. The Monument was built in the years 1928–1938 in honour of the Czechoslovak legionaries. After 1948, it was used to promote national ideology and regime. Between 1954-1962 there were placed the mausoleum of Klement Gottwald. Today: the National Museum acquired the National Monument in Vitkov in 2000, and this was followed by major restoration work. After over two years of reconstruction, the Memorial was opened to the public on October 29, 2009. The Monument includes, besides others, the Ceremonial Hall, an exhibition entitled Crossroads of Czech and Czechoslovak Statehood, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and many other exhibition halls.
It include the equestrian statue of Jan Žižka, the third largest bronze equestrian statue in the world. It does honor Jan Žižka and his victory on this hill in 1420 over the army of the Holy Roman Empire and Hungary.
[Excerpted from Wikipedia]