Facts from Czech History
The Czechs cannot claim too many of the ‘biggests’ or ‘bests’ in the world, but they do have to their credit a fair number of ‘firsts’, of which they are duly proud. You will often hear them speak of their zlaté české ruce ‘golden Czech hands’, which refers to their skills in craft and engineering and their belief that they can turn their hand to anything. They also are proud of their high level of education and a tradition in education that goes back many centuries. On these pages you will find some of the ‘firsts’ that reflect these two aspects of Czechness.
1348: The first university north of the Alps was founded in Prague by Charles IV; it is still known as Charles University.
