March Unveiled: What Went Down?

Does the third month of the year get its name from women’s pregnancy or from the budding birch trees? You can decide for yourself. However, one thing is clear: during March, nature comes alive after its winter sleep, marking the long-awaited arrival of spring. Explore the classic March weather sayings alongside Kudy z nudy and discover a collection of March anniversaries and fascinating facts.

1 March 1785 – the lowest temperature ever recorded in Prague’s Klementinum

Regular weather observations at Prague’s Klementinum started in the mid-1700s, but the complete series of records is regarded to have started in 1775. On 1 March 1785, a remarkable low of -27.6 °C was documented as the lowest temperature ever recorded.

1 March 1955 – declaration of the oldest protected landscape area in the Czech Republic

It’s said that the name Bohemian Paradise was created in the 19th century by visitors to the Sedmihorky spa. Although the mythical paradise has never been found, the Czechs established their own version: the Bohemian Paradise Protected Landscape Area was officially declared on 1 March 1955, making it the first protected landscape area in Czechia.

2 March 1835 – Emperor Ferdinand I the Good ascended the Austrian throne

In March 1835, Ferdinand I the Good officially became the emperor of Austria. In 1848, he transferred governing duties to his nephew, Franz Joseph I, and spent the remainder of his life in the Czech Republic, mostly at Prague Castle and in the opulent Habsburg summer residences known as the castles Ploskovice and Zákupy. Have you heard tales of the emperor who would share sweets with children and give donations to the needy during his strolls through Prague? That was indeed Ferdinand I the Good.

4 March 1940 – the cable car to Pustevny started operating for the first time

The oldest chairlift in Europe—and possibly in the world—ascends from Trojanovice to Pustevny. This cable car was constructed during the Protectorate and first began operations in March 1940. The reason for its construction during wartime? Following the ceding of border areas to Germany, the Beskydy Mountains were the only peaks over a thousand meters that remained available for winter sports enthusiasts during the Protectorate.

5 March 1973 – declaration of the Beskydy Protected Landscape Area

In March 1973, the Beskydy Protected Landscape Area was established as the tenth in the series. Notably, it is the largest protected landscape area in the Czech Republic.

6 March 1645 – Thirty Years’ War and the Battle of Jankov

In March 1645, the most brutal battle of the Thirty Years’ War, known as the Battle of Jankov, occurred near Jankov in Central Bohemia. Approximately 15,000 soldiers participated in this conflict between the imperial and Swedish forces. General Torstenson’s Swedish army decisively defeated the imperial troops, resulting in around 4,000 fatalities and an equal number of soldiers taken prisoner.

11 March 1956 – Czech Television began broadcasting Branky, body, vteřiny

In March 1956, Czechoslovak Television launched a new show called Sportovní vteřiny, a program focused on sports news. This program is still on air today and is known as Goals, Points, Seconds, making it the oldest television program in Czechia.

12 March 1999 – Czech Republic joins NATO

In a historic moment, Czechia joined NATO along with Hungary and Poland.

14 March 1875 – premiere of Smetana’s symphonic poem Vltava

Although the first performance of all six symphonic poems from Bedřich Smetana’s cycle Má vlast took place on 5 November 1882, the symphonic poem Vltava was composed much earlier in the fall of 1874. Its debut occurred on 14 March 1875.

14 March 1921 – Švejk began to be published

In March 1921, Jaroslav Hašek and Franta Sauer released the first part of the war novel The Fateful Adventures of the Good Soldier Švejk During the World War, which was illustrated by Josef Lada.

16 March 1939 – establishment of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia

The so-called Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was created, along with its government led by Rudolf Beran. This regime governed parts of Czechoslovakia that were occupied by Nazi Germany from March 1939 until May 1945.

19 March 1976 – declaration of four protected landscape areas

In March 1976, four more locations were added to the network of protected nature reserves in Czechia. The areas now designated include the Českých středohoří Protected Landscape Area, the Kokořínsko – Máchův kraj Protected Landscape Area, the Lužické hory Protected Landscape Area, and the Pálava Protected Landscape Area.

20 March 1393 – Death of St. John of Nepomuk

St. John of Nepomuk is recognized as the most famous saint from the Czech Republic. He was tortured under King Wenceslas IV’s orders and was thrown from Charles Bridge into the Vltava River. He is honored as a martyr for the seal of confession and is also regarded as the protector of bridges during floods, with his reputation spread across Europe and beyond by Jesuit missions.

20 March 1991 – declaration of the Šumava National Park

In 1991, a portion of the original Šumava Protected Landscape Area was designated as a national park. This site is the largest national park in the Czech Republic, safeguarding a rich variety of unique peat bogs, beech and spruce forests, mountain meadows, rivers, and glacial lakes. As one of the largest forest areas in Central Europe, Šumava is often referred to as The Green Heart of Europe or The Green Roof of Europe.

24 March 1997 – Oscar for the film Kolya

The Czech film Kolya, directed by Jan Svěrák, won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film at the 69th annual ceremony of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the year 1996.

25 March 1985 – Oscar for the film Amadeus

At the 57th Academy Awards of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for 1984, director Miloš Forman was honored with the Oscar for Best Director, while architect and designer Karel Černý won in the Best Art Direction category, and costume designer Theodor Pištěk took home an award for Best Costume Design for the film Amadeus (1984).

26 March 1775 – suppression of the peasant uprising at Chlumec

The Peasant uprising was a revolt by Czech farmers against the aristocracy, aiming to free themselves from forced labor and serfdom. This uprising was quashed by imperial troops near Chlumec in March 1775. The following April, Maria Theresa declared a “general pardon” for the rebels who returned home and promised to obey. Many of those arrested faced merely a beating or a short jail term, yet some were executed during the rebellion.

27 March 1991 – declaration of three protected landscape areas

In addition to the Český les Protected Landscape Area (established in 2005) and the Brdy Protected Landscape Area (established in 2016), three other protected landscape areas were declared on the same day in 1991: the Broumovsko Protected Landscape Area, the Poodří Protected Landscape Area, and the Železné hory Protected Landscape Area.

31 March 1901 – premiere of Dvořák’s opera Rusalka

Antonín Dvořák’s opera Rusalka had its premiere at the National Theatre in Prague on 31 March 1901. This opera is the most beloved Czech opera globally and is frequently performed in theatres everywhere. Interestingly, many modern opera directors now choose to interpret Rusalka as a contemporary, dark tale of unfulfilled love with a tragic conclusion rather than sticking to the original fairy-tale plot.