There’s a popular—though misleading—opinion circulating among some Poles: that Czechs are essentially “little Germans” and that the Czech Republic as an independent state has never truly existed. While it may sound fringe, it’s not as rare belief as one might hope.

In Episode 69 of the Czechostacja podcast Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska together with Jakub Medek explore the long and complex relationship between the Czech lands and their neighbors over the span of more than a thousand years.

This is not a conversation full of easy answers. Even the modern concept of what it means to be “German” doesn’t fit neatly into Czech history. Historical political entities and modern national analogies simply don’t hold up under scrutiny. The topic is tangled, layered, and fascinating because of it.

Discussion spans the Holy Roman Empire, the Habsburgs, and why Jan Žižka was seen as a hero by 19th-century Germans. If you’re looking for a story that challenges national myths and digs deep into Central European history, this episode is for you.

Link to the podcast you can find here.

Is there anything more contrasting than Arizona and the Sudetenland? In this blog post, Karina Hoření highlights the surprising parallels between these two regions. She begins with the concept of “borderlands,” a term that applies to both areas, and reveals that their similarities go beyond language. By applying the idea of settler colonialism, she demonstrates how both regions operated under its principles, including the displacement of native populations, the notion of the “Wild West,” utopian ideals, control, renaming, and forgetting.

Link to the blog post you can find here.

The idea of the Czech Republic as an atheistic country is a prevalent myth in Poland, but the reality is more complex. Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska sheds light on this topic in episode no. 68 of Czechostacja podcast. Can you be an atheistic Christian? What is secular Christianity? Where does the skeptical attitude towards institutional religions, especially Catholicism, come from? Were the Hussites Protestants? And how does contemporary Czechia relate to all this? It’s important to consider the nuances and complexities of beliefs and attitudes rather than perpetuate simplistic myths.

More you can find out here.

Programme of Research Stays at The Polish Academy of Sciences – Scientific Centre in Vienna for Doctoral Students from the Doctoral Schools of the Polish Academy of Sciences aims to disseminate and promote scientific activities. The competition is designed to enable PhD students to present their research results to the international scientific community in Vienna. Selection criteria for the winners included the substantive value of the project, innovativeness, interdisciplinarity, and social significance.

More information about the programme you can find here.

Congratulations!