Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100Wed, 22 Jul 2026 21:53:20 +0200https://english.radio.cz/charles-iv-father-czech-nation-8226516© 2026 Radio Prague InternationalHello and welcome to a special programme celebrating the 700th anniversary of the birth of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia. Charles was born in 1316, and reigned as Emperor from 1355 until his death in 1378 at the age of 62. During his reign, Charles put Prague on the map as a major royal seat of power, as well as a major centre of culture. He founded Charles University, and also started construction on Prague’s famous eponymous bridge. He also established a number of castles, including the famous Karlštejn Castle near Prague. To this day, he is seen as a kind of “father of the nation”, presiding over a Golden Age for Bohemia, a result of Charles’ skills as a leader and diplomat – it also had much to do with the fact that Bohemia escaped much of the ravages of the bubonic Plague sweeping through Europe from 1346–53. Charles married four times, and had twelve children, although four died in infancy. He is buried in St. Vitus Cathedral, at Prague Castle.encr@radio.cz (Cesky Rozhlas)webmaster@radio.cz (CRo Webmaster) https://english.radio.cz/sites/default/files/images/socha_karel_iv2.jpg?timestamp=1683279060 https://english.radio.cz/charles-iv-father-czech-nation-8226516 Radio Prague International Radio Prague International radio.prague.int@gmail.com clean 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9