The 20th Century

Has there been a century so full of changes as the 20th century? (Maybe the 21st will beat it!)

It spanned those distant memories of life before the First World War, to the end of the Cold War. Read all about this century as it gave life to stories of horrific brutality and delightful whimsy that populate these pages.

All my 20th Century articles

• The lost anti-Viking defence system August 28, 2024 - In the late 10th century, France faced with an economic crisis and an uneasy peace with the Vikings. Would the Vikings attack again? Or was their recent attempt at peace going… Continue Reading
• RAF hijacking in Prague May 22, 2024 - In 1950, three ex-RAF pilots, persecuted by the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia, coordinated the hijacking of three flights, leading to a daring escape to the West. Continue Reading
• Einstein in Prague April 22, 2024 - Albert Einstein developed key aspects of relativity during his 1911-1912 stay in Prague, lecturing at the local university. Continue Reading
• HMS Orwell March 27, 2024 - In 1903, a British navy drill off Corfu ended disastrously when HMS Orwell collided with HMS Pioneer during a night exercise. Continue Reading
• The 1923 Spanish gambling ban January 4, 2024 - The town hall building in San Sebastian, built in the 1880s, has a rich history including the gambling ban in 1923. The ban led to the building's closure for almost… Continue Reading
• The Hilsner Affair December 5, 2023 - Anti-Jewish sentiment has long been a problem - even before the Nazis. This article describes the infamous Hilsner affair from Bohemia. Continue Reading
• Harry Potter and Porto’s Hidden House October 18, 2023 - In Porto, in between the Igreja do Carmo and Igreja dos Carmelitas, there exists a hidden, narrow three-storey house called Casa Escondida. Some claim this house inspired J.K. Rowling, but… Continue Reading
• The RAF Vulcan crash in Malta April 15, 2023 - In 1975, a British RAF Vulcan bomber exploded as it approached the runway of Malta's airport. That few cilivians died is near-miraculous. This article describes what happened and the view… Continue Reading
• Air Battle over the Ore Mountains March 24, 2023 - On 11 September 1944, a massive, intense air battle took place over the mountains between Germany and what was then Czechoslovakia. The memory of this battle is still alive today. Continue Reading
• Double agent Colonel Alfred Redl February 22, 2023 - Colonel Alfred Redl was chief of intelligence for Austro-Hungary at the beginning of the 20th century. He also was a double-agent for Russia, France and Italy. There is a direct… Continue Reading
• The German expulsion December 28, 2022 - I've written lots about how Germany and German influences affected Bohemia and Czechia. This is what led to a backlash after World War II. This article explores the little-known story… Continue Reading
• The lost cathedral of St Nicholas December 2, 2022 - In Famagusta, Cyprus, there is a building that used to be a cathedral dedicated to St Nicholas. It saw major events of the country's history and is now a mosque. Continue Reading
• Russian exiles in Malta October 15, 2022 - Mentioning exiled Russians these days suggests pro-Ukrainian protesters or anti-Putin demonstrators. Malta's reputation as a haven for Russians goes back more than 100 years before Putin's antics. Continue Reading
• The Red Tower of Death September 5, 2022 - In western Czechia, there is a grim reminder of how the Communists treated prisoners. This article explains what the Red Tower of Death is, and why it exists. Continue Reading
• The fake ruins of Baba July 20, 2022 - Europe is full of ruins that paint a delightful picture of its turbulent past. It's not every day you can see ruins that are as artificial as a fast food… Continue Reading
• The Czech-German tri-point July 13, 2022 - Accidents of geography have determined as much of world history and culture as anything else. Rivers and mountains became natural, then political, borders. The Czech town of Hranice used to… Continue Reading
• The occult plot to kill Hitler March 22, 2021 - Before World War II, Czechoslovak occultists tried to use black magic to kill Hitler. It sounds like the plot to a Hollywood B-movie, and in some ways it is. But… Continue Reading
• The Maltese chapel of bones March 1, 2021 - I’ve written about Czech ossuaries before, and I’ve visited the one in Paris, but few know there is a Maltese chapel of bones. Well, there used to be one anyway. Continue Reading
• The ultimate story of Czech heros February 1, 2021 - Many countries have memorials to fallen heros, and stories of bravery from wartime. Czechia is unusual in that it has heros from both sides of World War II. Continue Reading
• Operation NEPTUNE January 4, 2021 - You may think 'fake news' is a modern invention, but you'd be wrong. One of Czechoslovakia's most famous disinformation campaigns was Operation NEPTUNE. This article explains why Czechoslovak spies carried… Continue Reading
• Father Toufar – tortured by communists September 14, 2020 - Czechoslovak communists tortured Czech priest Josef Toufar in 1949 for a miracle which may or may not have happened. This article describes the story and the tragic ending of Father… Continue Reading
• Prague’s Invalidovna August 24, 2020 - If you ask many people in Prague about 'Invalidovna' they'd be more likely to direct you to the metro stop of that name. Few know of the magnificent Baroque building… Continue Reading
• The Soviets wanted to ‘protect’ Czechoslovakia August 17, 2020 - Following the fall of the Iron Curtain Soviet troops started to leave Europe. Czechoslovakia, as it then still was, was happy that the ‘temporary deployment’ of Soviet troops was coming… Continue Reading
• The results of a nuclear incident in Czechoslovakia August 10, 2020 - I don't think there's anyone who hasn't heard of the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe. The recent Sky drama reanimated people's memories of those days. Few are aware there almost was a… Continue Reading
• The church that moved June 8, 2020 - We often hear of buildings being “in the way” of new developments. It’s a constant argument between conservationists and modernisers. Sometimes, ancient treasures are even lost in our quest to… Continue Reading
• Why did the Pope want to move to Malta? June 1, 2020 - In the 19th century, various states on the Italian peninsula united to become a single, new country. While some papal states merged with the others, the Vatican refused to be… Continue Reading
• Learn all about Drimnagh castle May 25, 2020 - You’d think a city of Dublin wouldn’t be the place to hide a castle. Yet many Dublin natives had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned Drimnagh… Continue Reading
• The Allied bombing of Prague May 18, 2020 - During World War II, Prague wasn't as affected by bombing as many other European cities were. This was because planes didn’t have the range to reach Prague, and also because… Continue Reading
• The improvements to Bouzov castle May 11, 2020 - Many people marvel at European historical sites. Few realise that what we see today may be quite different from what was in use. People restored, rebuilt or enhanced many sites… Continue Reading
• The powerful Anglo-Egyptian Bank in Malta May 4, 2020 - In the 19th century an offshore British bank in Malta issued its own banknotes. It's unusual to think of a private company issuing banknotes, more so in a small country… Continue Reading
• Preserving Malta’s money supply March 23, 2020 - European geopolitics in the 1930s caused plenty of uncertainty. The British worried about riots in the Middle East, and the possibility of another major war with Germany. They hatched a… Continue Reading
• The World War II Death Marches February 17, 2020 - While travelling overland across Europe, it’s easy to enjoy the scenery and hospitality without a second thought to horrific acts which took place over the centuries. We often don’t realise… Continue Reading
• The amazing Koněprusy caves January 27, 2020 - The Koněprusy cave complex is in the middle of a nature reserve and is 40 km away from Prague. Don’t think this is a mere collection of caves because it… Continue Reading
• The truth behind the Sudetenland November 4, 2019 - Before living in Prague I thought I knew about the Sudetenland and how Hitler annexed it before World War II. There’s a lot I’ve learnt about the nuances of history… Continue Reading
• Malta’s mysterious cart ruts September 16, 2019 - One of the great mysteries of this world is the Maltese cart ruts. They appear all over the islands. We still don’t know what they are, or what they were… Continue Reading
• Milada Horáková: Czech resistance fighter September 2, 2019 - People who speak out against a regime ? are targeted. We think this happens in dictatorships but a democratic society can face the wrath of an angry administration. Under communist… Continue Reading
• Český Šternberk Castle August 26, 2019 - It’s not everyday you find castles still owned by the original family. Czechia's Český Šternberk ? towers over the town of the same name, and is one of the few… Continue Reading
• The Chapel of Our Lady of Divine Grace August 19, 2019 - The old adage claims there are 356 chapels and churches in Malta, 1 for every day of the year! One tiny often neglected chapel is dedicated to Our Lady of… Continue Reading
• The Infant Jesus of Prague August 12, 2019 - The Infant Jesus of Prague statue is a key point of interest for many tourists visiting Prague's Church of Our Lady Victorious. This article explains the legends behind it, and… Continue Reading
• For people who love exploring old castle ruins October 29, 2018 - I’ve often seen forts and castles built according to the geography of the land. I’d never seen one designed according to the material used to build it. Until I visited… Continue Reading
• The shock of the 1908 tsunami in Malta August 20, 2018 - One side effect of an earthquake in a coastal region is a tsunami that rips through the sea around it. Malta is close to a major earthquake fault line. In… Continue Reading
• The Unexpectedly Polish National Library of Malta May 21, 2018 - Valletta is an ornate and Baroque city built by the Knights of Malta. One of it’s most famous historical buildings is neo-classical which contrasts with the rest of the city.… Continue Reading
• The strange case of Amsterdam’s House of the Blood Stains May 14, 2018 - In the eastern part of Amsterdam's city centre, there is a building which has unsightly scrawls on its facade. It's as if there was graffiti that faded over time. Not… Continue Reading
• The Secret of the Grey Lady haunting Fort St Angelo April 30, 2018 - There are many ? stories of Grey Ladies that haunt certain places. It's interesting that most of these ghosts that wish to warn the living about something or other. The… Continue Reading
• Terrorist attack in Prague March 5, 2018 - Olga Hepnarová is not a name that is familiar to many people even in Czechia. She is infamous here as the last woman to be executed by the state in… Continue Reading
• I didn’t know about these connections between Malta and Prague February 19, 2018 - I no longer am surprised at unusual connections between places. I've travelled enough over the years to know many things are connected in the strangest of ways. Imagine my surprise… Continue Reading
• Finding Prague’s lost Old Town fortifications January 22, 2018 - Tourists from the New World chuckle when they read that Prague's New Town dates back to the 14th century. The New World barely existed in those days. Prague's Old Town… Continue Reading
• The Bullet Holes in the Gas Tank October 2, 2017 - A gas tank is not the sort of thing most people put on your "Must see" list. In the Prague suburbs, there is one of the world's last surviving gas… Continue Reading
• The not-so-old part of historical Prague September 4, 2017 - As tourists, we tend to make the mistake of assuming that any structure which looks suitably old is automatically ancient. It's easy to walk around any city and make this… Continue Reading
• The Knights of St Lazarus August 14, 2017 - The Knights of Malta (to give them their full name, the Knights of St John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta) are certainly familiar to followers of this site. I was… Continue Reading
• Prague’s Metronome – and Communist Past April 24, 2017 - With a hand that is around 75 feet long (22.8 metres), the metronome that waves above Prague is impressive enough as it is. Its location is no random choice and… Continue Reading
• The con man who sold the Eiffel Tower April 17, 2017 - One of the smoothest con men who ever lived managed to fool people into buying France's Eiffel Tower from him. Twice. His name is Victor Lustig and he was Czech.… Continue Reading
• Hearst Castle January 9, 2017 - You expect to find castles everywhere in Europe. You can barely drive for an hour without seeing signs for some stately home, castle or palace here. I wasn't expecting to… Continue Reading
• Renaissance Pavillions … and Communism? December 5, 2016 - The Royal Garden beside the castle in Prague is a joy to behold. There is a Renaissance pavilion there which seems to have a connection to Czechia's recent communism-tainted past.… Continue Reading
• The Communist Clock of Olomouc November 14, 2016 - In Prague, tourists push one another to catch a glimpse of the Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square. In Olomouc, there are not that many tourists in front of the… Continue Reading
• The Tongue of St John (Of Nepomuk) April 25, 2016 - I've written before about the Czech saint St John of Nepomuk - but I hadn't visited the main church dedicated to him, right in the middle of Czechia. Read my… Continue Reading
• The Admiralty Arch and Queen Victoria March 7, 2016 - Stand in Trafalgar Square in the middle of London and gaze south-west at the landmark Admiralty Arch that leads to the Mall. Its association with Britain's Queen Victoria is not… Continue Reading
• Lost Prague – Tesnov Train Station April 20, 2015 - Like any city, Prague has lost certain elements of its past to the mists of time. Now, these items live on only as a name whose significance few understand. The lost train station… Continue Reading