Derweil in Tschechien... 5/25
31.01.2025
A tunnel will be built under Prague
The Czech Railway Administration (Správa železnic) is planning a major project to build underground regional rail links in the center of Prague. It consists of two intersecting tunnels with a total length of 10.6 kilometers, a new two-level station beneath the main railway station, and four other new underground stations. This will also provide the airport with a direct connection to the main station. The Ministry of Transport has now selected the preferred option from a feasibility study, and the necessary planning and approval processes are now getting underway.
Construction work will begin in 2035 at the earliest, and train service is not expected to start before 2047. At current prices, the project is expected to cost a total of around 7.4 billion euros. The goal is to manage the ever-increasing commuter traffic from the Prague region to the city in a sustainable manner. The existing tracks can no longer accommodate additional trains, and the Central Bohemian Region is expecting a population increase of 300,000 people over the next 25 years.
13 mammoths found in Ústí
Prehistoric bone remains were discovered in November during construction work on the new large judicial complex (also known as the Palace of Justice) in Ústí-Bukov. They have since been excavated, examined, and presented to the professional community this week.
This is a camp of mammoth hunters who lived here around 22,000 years ago during the so-called Gravettian culture. The remains of at least 13 mammoths were found among thousands of animal bones as well as various man-made artifacts. The latter include stone tools and basalt blocks, which were likely used to crack open the mammoth bones.
On January 27 and 28, the site was presented to nearly a hundred archaeologists and other natural scientists from the Czech Republic and abroad. In particular, they discussed working methods, methods for documenting the finds, and sampling strategies for researching the environment of that time. State-of-the-art methods will be used to gather as much information as possible about the lives of hunter-gatherers, the fauna of the period, and the environment in general—including its changes during the last Ice Age.
Jan Masaryk’s death is being investigated again
Jan Masaryk, son of the first Czechoslovak President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, served as Czechoslovakia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1940. He remained in that position even after the Communists came to power in February 1948, but on March 10, 1948, he was found dead in his pajamas beneath the bathroom window in his official apartment in Czernin Palace (Černínský palác), which was then—and remains today—the seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This event is sometimes referred to as the “third defenestration of Prague.” It is still unclear whether it was murder, suicide, or an accident. This question has resurfaced time and again, especially since the Velvet Revolution. The topic has also been explored in literature; for example, Marek Toman offers a very interesting perspective on the Czernin Palace in his 2021 book *In Praise of Opportunism*.
The investigation is now entering a new phase: the Office for the Documentation and Investigation of Communist Crimes (Úřad dokumentace a vyšetřování zločinů komunismu, ÚDV), a special unit of the Czech police, is once again investigating the case on suspicion of murder. This follows the discovery last August of previously unknown documents from the diplomatic archives of France, the United States, and Great Britain. These documents may contain new information and help solve the case.
Czech Transport Minister in Dresden
Czech Transport Minister Martin Kupka visited Dresden yesterday. The main reason for the visit was, of course, the limited navigability of the Elbe River due to the collapse of the Carola Bridge and the closure of the bridge in Bad Schandau. He met with Dresden’s Mayor Dirk Hilbert and toured the Carola Bridge with him. This was followed by a meeting with Regina Kraushaar, Saxony’s Minister of State for Infrastructure and Regional Development. The high-speed rail link between Dresden and Prague was also discussed. The minister posted a short video of his visit on Facebook (you can also watch it without logging in). Dirk Hilbert also commented on Facebook: He praised the Czech transport minister’s visit and at the same time criticized the fact that the German transport minister had not yet announced his visit to Dresden. There would obviously be more interest in Prague than in Berlin.
Discussion on Prestressed Concrete Roofs in Industrial Halls
According to Czech engineers and technicians, it is not only Saxon bridges that are at risk of collapse as prestressed concrete structures, but also many roofs of industrial halls. Similar to the Carola Bridge in Dresden, experts at the Technical University of Ostrava identify a fundamental problem in errors made during the installation of the prestressed concrete trusses used beginning in the 1960s. Subsequent improper renovations also contributed to water penetrating the trusses and leading to corrosion. The researchers cited four collapses of such industrial buildings in the Czech Republic since 2010, including a disused industrial building in Ostrava in April 2023. The Chamber of Authorized Engineers and Technicians (ČKAIT) is now calling for more frequent, regular structural inspections. In this context, the collapse of a pedestrian bridge in Prague-Troja in 2017 is cited as the best-known Czech example of the collapse of a prestressed concrete bridge.
Fewer Traffic Fatalities in the Czech Republic
Czech roads are becoming safer and safer. In 2024, the number of traffic fatalities fell to 438, 17 fewer than the previous year. This gives the Czech Republic a relative figure of about 40 traffic fatalities per 1 million inhabitants. By comparison: In Germany, there were 2,830 traffic fatalities in 2024 (extrapolated), or about 34 per 1 million inhabitants.
Other positive (i.e., numerically negative) trends included a reduction in the number of seriously injured people and pedestrian fatalities to the lowest level since records began, a 10 percent decrease in the number of cases of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and a 10 percent decrease in the number of speeding violations.
The encouraging trend in the Czech Republic is attributed, among other things, to the L17 program, which allows novice drivers aged 17 and older to drive with a mentor. This is intended to make young drivers more responsible, and there has also been a reduction in alcohol- and drug-related accidents. About 20% of novice drivers are estimated to have taken advantage of this program in 2024. There are also other campaigns, such as “Kamarádi v automobilu” (Friends in the Car) and “Nultá hodina autoškoly” (Zero Hour Driving School), which are aimed at young people.
"Dry February" campaign
In other countries, there are often calls to consciously abstain from certain foods in January, such as alcohol (“Dry January”) or meat (“Veganuary”). While these “Januaries” end today,“Suchej únor” (Dry February) begins tomorrow in the Czech Republic.This campaign has been running since 2013, and according to the organization of the same name, 1.2 million adults took part last year—that is, around 13% of the population aged 15 and older.
At the same time, Czech breweries are seeing a significant increase in the consumption of non-alcoholic beers, reports Radio Prague. According to historian Filip Vrána, consumption has risen by about one-third from 2019 to 2023. This is not a short-term fad, but a long-term trend.
More Czech Beer and Food in Dresden
For lovers of Czech cuisine, there’s a new place to visit in Dresden: the new restaurant “Babička im Rausch” has opened in Pieschen. The name has nothing to do with the grandmother’s alcohol consumption. Rather, the restaurant is a branch of “Babička” in Pirna, which has moved into the former “Rausch” restaurant (formerly “Rausch&Rausch”). Owner Josef Micek also runs the “Hurvinek” in eastern Dresden. For him, the installed draft beer system was the deciding factor in taking over the restaurant, as it now allows him to offer fresh, unfiltered, and unpasteurized beer from Pilsen for the first time. This isn’t possible at his other restaurants and is otherwise a rarity in Dresden.
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