Charles IV, defenestrations, the Habsburgs, 1968 and the Velvet Revolution — a thousand years in one readable page.
Czech history is a sequence of golden ages interrupted by occupations, and almost every landmark in Prague belongs to one phase or another. You do not need the details to enjoy the city, but a rough timeline turns a walk through the Old Town from sightseeing into something closer to reading.
Before 1300: origins
그만큼 대모라비아 제국 in the 9th century brought Christianity and the first Slavic script. The Přemyslid dynasty then built the Bohemian state around Prague Castle and Vyšehrad, both of which are still standing.
1346–1378: the golden age
찰스 4세 became King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, and turned Prague into an imperial capital. Charles Bridge, Charles University, St Vitus Cathedral and Karlštejn Castle all date from his reign. Prague was briefly one of the largest cities in Europe.
1415–1620: reformation and defeat
얀 후스 was burned for heresy in 1415, a century before Luther, triggering the Hussite Wars. The Second Defenestration of Prague in 1618 — officials thrown from a Castle window — helped start the Thirty Years’ War. Defeat at Bílá hora in 1620 ended Czech independence for three centuries.
1620–1918: under the Habsburgs
Catholic, German-speaking rule. The baroque architecture that gives Malá Strana its character is a product of this era. The 19th-century National Revival rebuilt the Czech language and identity, and produced Smetana, Dvořák and the National Theatre.
1918–1993: the short century
체코슬로바키아 was founded in 1918 and was one of Europe’s most advanced democracies until 1938. Then: Munich, Nazi occupation, the 1948 communist coup, the 프라하 봄 of 1968 crushed by Soviet tanks, and finally the 벨벳 혁명 of 1989. In 1993 Czechoslovakia split peacefully into two countries.
오늘
The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and the EU in 2004. Its official short name in English is Czechia, adopted in 2016, though usage varies.
자주 묻는 질문
What is a defenestration?
Throwing someone out of a window. Prague has had at least two politically significant ones, in 1419 and 1618, and both changed European history.
Was the split with Slovakia violent?
No — it is known as the Velvet Divorce, agreed by politicians and carried out on 1 January 1993 without conflict.
Czechia or Czech Republic?
Both are correct. Czechia is the short geographic name; Czech Republic is the formal political one.
Read more: more Prague history, 얀 후스 그리고 Karlštejn Castle.
Last reviewed in August 2026.
