Figure 1.--This studio portrait was taken in 1903 by Josef Picek. He was a professional photographer in Jicín, a town in Bohemia, Czechia, about 85 km northeast of Prague. Bohemia at the time was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The portrait shows four siblings. We know that their names were Jenda (Johnnie), Karel (Charlie), Mána (Mary) and Véna (Wenceslas). We don't know the family name. The photo was used for a Crate-de-Visite. Studio portraits of barefoot children (except very little children) were not common in Europe. Also note how boyish the littke girl looks. It is a good example of how children with short hair wearing dresses can not be assumed to be boys.

The Czech Republic now has a relatively homogenious population of ethnic Czechs. This has not been the case over time for the different political regimes govering what is now the Czech Republic. Many different people have lived there. The Czechs were ruled for centuries by the Austrian Hapsburgs. This has meant a close association with Germany. Most recently Bohemia and Moravia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Ethnic Czechs dominated in Bohemia and Moravia. The Empire desintegrated at the end of World War I with the creation of Czechoslovakia in 1919. The country was dominated by the Czechs, but had important Slovak and German minorities. The German minority was concentrated in the Sudetenland, but also lived in smaller numbers throughout the country, mostly in cities. There was also a small Jewish population. Slovaks were concentated in Slovakia. We do have some information on the Sudetenland which is now part of the Czech Republic. The country was dismembered by Hitler and the NAZIs in 1938-39 even before World War II. The Jews were murdered in the Holocaust. It was reconstituted after the War and after a Communist coup became a Soviet-style People's Republic. With the fall of Communism (1989) the country continued for a few years as a united nation. As as a result of the Velvet Revolution, Czechoslovakia peacefully dividedd into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, two countries on which HBC has yet to obtain much information.

History

The history of the Czech people is somewhat complicated because because of the many different political changes over time. The existence of an independent Czech state is a relatively recent political phenomenon. It began with the Czech-Slovak state after World War I--Czechoslovakia. The history of the Czech people goes back much further. The Czechs while a realitively small population have played a rle at the center stage of history. The were early converts to Lutherenism during the Reformation. It was in the 20th century, however, that the Czechs were at the center stage of history. They were Hitler's first foreign target (1938). The Czechs later attempted to soften the face of Communism, but were brutally supressed by the Soviets (1968).

Chronology

Because of all the different political chanes, borders, changes, and varying ethnic hroups inhabiting what is now the Czech Republic, it is rather complicated tp develop a page for Czech boys clothes. This has varied substanially depending on the political regime. The Czech Republic now has a relatively homogenious population of ethnic Czechs. This has not been the case over time for the different political regimes govering what is now the Czech Republic. Many different people have lived there.

Bohemian Kingdom

Austria rule: Bohemia and Moravia

The Czechs were ruled for centuries by the Austrian Hapsburgs. This has meant a close association with Germany. Most recently Bohemia and Moravia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Ethnic Czechs dominated in Bohemia and Moravia. While also a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the more agraian Slovaks were dominated by the Hungarians. The Czechs were the third largest national group in the Austro-Hungarian Empire (after the Germans and HUngarians). The Czechs were about 13 percent of the Empire's population. Czechs were the dominant ethnic group in Bohemia and Moravia as well as areas of Silesia. Emigration began in the 1870s, primarily to the United States. Language was by far the single most contentious issue in Austro-Hungarian politics. Sucessive governments faced this difficult issue in various ways and in different principalities. Minorities wanted to use their language in the schools as well as in government. Austrian Prime Minister Kasimir Felix Graf Badeni attempting to address the issue gave the Czech language equal standing with German in the internal government of Bohemia under the "Ordinance of April 5, 1897". Austrians were outraged at this. The Emperor ultimately dismissed Badeni. The Czechs under another prime minister lost the right to use their language in newspapers and in the workplace. We believe that Czech fashions in the cities were similar to styles in Vienna and oter major cities. Clothing in the country still

Czechoslovakia (1919-39)

The Empire desintegrated at the end of World War I with the creation of Czechoslovakia in 1919. The country was dominated by the Czechs, but had important Slovak and German minorities. The German minority was concentrated in the Sudetenland, but also lived in smaller numbers throughout the country, mostly in cities. There was also a small Jewish population. Slovaks were concentated in Slovakia. We do have some information on the Sudetenland which is now part of the Czech Republic.

Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (1939-45)

The country was dismembered by Hitler and the NAZIs in 1938-39 even before World War II. As part of the Munixh settlement, the Sudetenland was transfwrred to the Reich. And although Hitler guaranted the independence of what remained of Czechoslovakia, withib only a few months, he ordered the Wehrmacht to seize what remsined of Czechoslovakia (March 1939). The NAZIS established the Reich Protectorate of Bohemia and Moracia. The MAZIs murdered the Jews in the Holocaust. Reich Protector Heydrish was preparing plans to deport Czechs and Germanize the Protectorate when he was assasinated (1942).

Communist Czechoslovakia (1948-89)

Czechoslovakia was reconstituted after World War II. It was liberated by the Soviets who as a result controlled the security forces. The Soviets engineered a ommunist coup became a Soviet-style People's Republic. With the fall of Communism (1989) the country continued for a few years as a united nation.

Czech Republic

As as a result, of the Velvet Revolution, Czechoslovakia peacefully divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, two countries on which HBC has yet to obtain much information. By the time these two states were created, a kind of pan-European fashion had become throughly established. It is no longer possible to tell where children are from by the way they dressed.

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Crerated: 11:18 PM 9/16/2009
Last updated: 11:18 PM 9/16/2009