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Built with the Devil’s help, Part I: Charles Bridge
Charles Bridge was falling down until an architect made a deal. Making a large building or a bridge requires a lot of complex math and engineering. But back in the Middle Ages…
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The Devil’s Column is due to a diabolical bet
Some see a broken stone pillar as evidence that a demon named Zardan visited Prague. The history of Vyšehrad goes back to the very foundation of Prague, and the walled fortress-like area…
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Stephen Hübner, the peculiar vampire of Trutnov
A wealthy farmer’s success was attributed to a deal with the Devil. These days, the town of Trutnov in the Krkonoše mountains in the northeast of Bohemia is known for its annual music festival.…
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The Witches’ Hammer trials in Moravia and Silesia
A small area at the edge of Czechia saw hundreds executed for witchcraft; the incident inspired the film ‘Witches Hammer’. The witch-hunting craze hit the Moravia-Silesia region, in the eastern part of…
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Tales of three doorways: stories behind the cards
The Four of Pentacles in The Tarot of Prague features details from three Prague doorways from different eras, but the images speak to us across time. The House at St. Luke (U…
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The haunted ministry: Prague’ Černín Palace hides a demonic past
The Černín Palace in Prague has a long and unsettling history. . What is now the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the 1660’s up to 1851 belonged to the noble Černín…
