Blood in Bohemia: a new Czechast series explores the darkest chapters of Czech history
Blood in Bohemia is a special series of Czechast, the podcast in English about all things Czech. In it, Vít Pohanka teams up with BBC correspondent Rob Cameron to revisit some of the most brutal and defining moments in Czech history. Before the series begins, they sit down together to explain what drew them to these stories — and why they still matter today.
A history not always told
Czech history is often framed through culture, politics, and moments of national revival. But there is another layer — one shaped by violence, betrayal, and power struggles. That is the starting point for Blood in Bohemia, a special series of Czechast. Over ten episodes, Vít Pohanka and Rob Cameron take listeners into a past where bloodshed was not an exception, but part of everyday reality.
From the murder of Saint Wenceslas to the defenestrations of Prague, these are stories that helped shape the Czech lands — and continue to echo in how history is understood today. Before the series itself unfolds, the two hosts sit down for a conversation that sets the tone — and introduces Rob Cameron to Czechast listeners.
A long-time BBC correspondent based in Prague, Cameron brings both an outsider’s perspective and years of experience observing Czech society and history. Together, he and Vít Pohanka reflect on why they chose to focus on violence — and what can be gained from revisiting these darker chapters.
The premise is simple: whether we like it or not, blood and violence were part of life in the past. But the aim is not just to recount brutality. It is to understand it — to ask what drove these acts, how they were remembered, and why they still resonate.
As the hosts suggest, before we get to the blood — and there will be blood — it is worth asking what these stories reveal about power, belief, and identity.
And that is where Blood in Bohemia begins.
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Czechast, Radio Prague International
Czechast is a regular RPI podcast about Czech and Moravian culture, history, and economy.
