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Quiz about The History of Prague
Quiz about The History of Prague

The History of Prague Trivia Quiz


Prague has long been one of Central Europe's most historically rich cities. From its early beginnings and until recently, Prague has historically been a city of violence. This quiz covers Prague's history from its founding to the modern day.

A multiple-choice quiz by Joepetz. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
Joepetz
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
377,034
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
380
Last 3 plays: calmdecember (10/10), Guest 76 (8/10), Guest 172 (7/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Like many European cities, the story behind Prague's founding is a mix of fact and legend. Prague was said to be the vision of 8th century Princess Libuse who foresaw a grand city centered around a castle on which river? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Which famous Duke of Bohemia was murdered by friends of his brother in the year 935? He is the patron saint of Prague and is immortalized in a Christmas carol. Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. This Czech saint was born in the year 1211. Her refusal to marry several prominent noblemen nearly caused several wars, and the cancelation of her marriage to Henry VII of Germany caused her father to declare war. Who is this patron saint of the Czech Republic? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. What is the name of Prague's oldest university that was founded in 1348? It also the oldest in Central Europe and has the same name Prague's most famous bridge? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. During the First Defenestration of Prague on July 30, 1419, who threw whom out the window? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. According to popular legends, how did the three men who were defenestrated during the Second Defenestration of Prague on May 23, 1618 survive the fall? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Which Habsburg empress, who ruled over Prague and Bohemia from 1743-1780, was infamous for her antisemitism at least in the first twenty years of her reign and expelled the Jews from Prague in 1745? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Prior to World War I, control of Prague bounced around. The Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination sparked World War I, was in favor of a turning the Habsburg empire into a triple monarchy consisting of Bohemia and which other two powers? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. The Jewish population of Prague and all of Czechoslovakia were nearly decimated during World War II with over 77,000 losing their lives in the Holocaust. The names of these 77,000 Jews are written on the walls of which Prague building? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Communist Rule ended in Czechoslovakia in 1989. The nonviolent transition of power to Vaclav Havel is called the Velvet Revolution in the Czech Republic. But what is it called in Slovakia? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 10 2024 : calmdecember: 10/10
Feb 25 2024 : Guest 76: 8/10
Feb 05 2024 : Guest 172: 7/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Like many European cities, the story behind Prague's founding is a mix of fact and legend. Prague was said to be the vision of 8th century Princess Libuse who foresaw a grand city centered around a castle on which river?

Answer: Vltava

Princess Libuse (aka Libussa) was a Czech noblewoman who married a commoner named Premysl the Ploughman. She ruled from Bohemia when she had her grand vision of Prague, which was the name of a new castle she envisioned. Premysl began a dynasty that ruled Bohemia for over 400 years.

While historians are skeptical of this founding legend, archeological evidence suggests it is possible as Libuse's original castle has been discovered and dating back to the 8th century.
2. Which famous Duke of Bohemia was murdered by friends of his brother in the year 935? He is the patron saint of Prague and is immortalized in a Christmas carol.

Answer: Wenceslas

Prince Wenceslas was murdered by three conspirators who were friends of his brother Boleslav. Wenceslas was murdered on his way to church. There had long been tension between Wenceslas and Boleslav because Wenceslaus had been friendly toward the Saxons. After Wenceslas was murdered, Boleslav became the duke but eventually surrendered to the Saxon Otto I the Great.
3. This Czech saint was born in the year 1211. Her refusal to marry several prominent noblemen nearly caused several wars, and the cancelation of her marriage to Henry VII of Germany caused her father to declare war. Who is this patron saint of the Czech Republic?

Answer: Agnes of Bohemia

Agnes was the daughter of King Ottokar and Constance of Hungary. As a female offspring of a king, she was used often as a political pawn and as expected to marry for political reasons. She was engaged at a very young age to Henry VII of Germany but the long engagement was tense and ultimately canceled.

She was then offered/mandated to marry Henry III of England, but this arrangement was rejected by Emperor Frederick II, Henry VII's father, who wanted to marry Agnes. In order to avoid any more political marriages, Agnes devoted herself to a life of charity and prayer: with the backing of the Pope she founded a hospital and also a house of the Order of Poor Ladies ('Poor Clare Order').
4. What is the name of Prague's oldest university that was founded in 1348? It also the oldest in Central Europe and has the same name Prague's most famous bridge?

Answer: Charles University

Charles University and Charles Bridge are named after Emperor Charles IV who greatly expanded Prague's influence economically and culturally. He was the first of Bohemia's rulers from the Luxembourg Dynasty. Some of his other accomplishments were renovating Prague Castle and building the New Town district of Prague. On the wider European stage he is famous for establishing the procedure for the election of the Holy Roman Emperor.
5. During the First Defenestration of Prague on July 30, 1419, who threw whom out the window?

Answer: Supporters of Jan Zelivsky threw members of the city council

The First Defenestration of Prague came about when Jan Zelivsky and supports led a protest arguing for reform of the Catholic Church, which they saw as corrupt. During the march, someone threw a rock at Zelivsky and that led to his supporters to storm the town hall and throw about a dozen city council members and others out of the window. Most of them died as a result.
6. According to popular legends, how did the three men who were defenestrated during the Second Defenestration of Prague on May 23, 1618 survive the fall?

Answer: Either by angels or by falling in a pile of dung

Jaroslav Borzita and Vilem Slavata were both Catholic regents in Prague and were accused of violating the rights of Protestants within Prague. They were sentenced to death by Jindrich Matyas Thurn, a Protestant leader. The two men and their secretary were thrown from a third floor window nearly 70 feet high, but they all survived. Word spread amongst the Catholics that angels had intervened with the execution. Protestants countered and said the men only survived because they landed in a pile of manure. How they survived exactly is unknown but historians give some credit to the manure theory.

The Second Defenestration of Prague was one of the main events that caused the Thirty Years' War that saw the attempt by the Habsburg monarchy to reassert its power in the Holy Roman Empire fail and also its attempt to restore Roman Catholicism.
7. Which Habsburg empress, who ruled over Prague and Bohemia from 1743-1780, was infamous for her antisemitism at least in the first twenty years of her reign and expelled the Jews from Prague in 1745?

Answer: Maria Theresa

The Jews had flourished in Prague during the 17th century and into the 18th. However, the Maria Theresa was staunchly Catholic and instituted several policies against the Jews and Protestants. Some of these policies included exorbitant taxes and forced conversions. She expelled the Jews from Prague in 1745 against the advice of her advisors. Three years later, the Jewish people were given permission to return.

In the later years of her reign, she instituted policies that were more favorable to the Jews, although it is said she still hated them. Much of this may have had to do with her son, the future Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, who abhorred his mother's policies, especially when she tried to expel Protestants in 1777. Maria Theresa was also the mother of Marie Antoinette.
8. Prior to World War I, control of Prague bounced around. The Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination sparked World War I, was in favor of a turning the Habsburg empire into a triple monarchy consisting of Bohemia and which other two powers?

Answer: Austria and Hungary

Austria-Hungary (and prior to 1867 the Austrian Empire) was a powerful force in Central Europe since the Holy Roman Empire folded. However, Austria-Hungary was defeated in World War I and plans for a Austria-Hungary-Czech monarchy never came about as an independent Czechoslovakia emerged following the war with its capital at Prague.
9. The Jewish population of Prague and all of Czechoslovakia were nearly decimated during World War II with over 77,000 losing their lives in the Holocaust. The names of these 77,000 Jews are written on the walls of which Prague building?

Answer: Pinkas Synagogue

Czechoslovakia was invaded by Nazi Germany in 1939 and the Jewish population fell immediately under attack. Prior to the war, there were over 50,000 Jews in Prague but after the war's end, there were hardly any left as they either fled and didn't return or were killed.

The Pinkas Synagogue is a small building whose walls are entirely covered the names of the Czech Jews lost during the Holocaust.
10. Communist Rule ended in Czechoslovakia in 1989. The nonviolent transition of power to Vaclav Havel is called the Velvet Revolution in the Czech Republic. But what is it called in Slovakia?

Answer: The Gentle Revolution

It is called the Velvet Revolution because it was nonviolent, much like how velvet is smooth. While Czechoslovakia had been dominated by Soviet influence (and other Iron Curtain nations) Prague was severely restricted and hindered. There had been an uprising in 1968 but it was quashed. After the Berlin Wall fell earlier in 1989, Czechoslovakia saw hope for a peaceful ended to the Communist rule that had dominated since the end of World War II. Crowds of protestors led by Vaclav Havel stormed the streets of Prague in an anti-Communist movement on November 17. The actual revolution had begun the day before with protests in Bratislava.

After the revolution ended, Prague moved toward a more capitalistic economy and away from the communistic approach that had stifled the city for decades.
Source: Author Joepetz

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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