Projekt Kořeny
We are now in 3rd room which maps development in Czech Republic from 1892 to present. Whole place is conceived like performance of football architecture and during this exhibition we could watch old football matches on big screen.
The beginning of Czech football are connected with sports organization Sokol, with attemps of some arristocrats, and with rowing and cycling clubs. Initially, Prague was dominated by German clubs, only about 1895 did strong Czech clubs, Sparta and Slavia, appear. Sport organizers Jaroslav Klenka and Josef Rössler - Ořovský wrote the first rules and a football association was established in 1901. The situation calmed down in 1911 after many disputes, and championship started to be played regularly. Despite opening problems, football had already become a part of social life by 1918.
The interwar period in Europe and world-wide was a time of development in industry, culture and art but also a time of political uncertainty and the estzablishment of totalitarian regimes - fascism and communism. Adolf Hitler rose to power and prepared to change the history humankind. In Asia, Japan tried to build a hegemony. That all climaxed in the World War II (1939-1945) in which up to 50 million people died, whole cities were destroyed, and, eventually, two atomic bombs were dropped. The results were not only victims, but also the increase in power of USSR and communism in general.
In 1945 - 1989, Czechoslovakia was a totalitarian state controlled by Soviet Union. After a communist putsch in 1945 there was a huge social change: trials, executions, collectivization of farms and indistries, monetary reform. The 1960s brought relief which was unfortunately spoiled by an invasion of the Warsaw Treaty armies in August 1968. ,,Normalization" followed - time when the lack of political freedom grew even worse , but the regime tried to satisfy the citizens ecconomic needs. Only the chages in the whole ,,Societ empire" brought totality to an end Czechslovaki, this culminated in the so calied velvet revolution in November 1989.
Czechoslovakian football in 1968-1989 manged to succeed internationally only between 1976-1986. One generation of footballers won European gold and bronze in quick succession and also the 1986 Olympic competition. Stagnation came in the 1986s, there were only a few international club-scene successes of teams such as Sparta Prague or Bohemians Prague. Czechoslovakian players couldn't tranfer to foreign clubs until the 1986 at all, and even then it was extremely difficult. Emigrating players weren't exceptional. Only the political change in 1989 set free the whole society, including the development of football. Howewer, the 1990s didn't lack dramatic moments, either.
During the 20th century sport was used as a suitable political means by political regimes. Let's point out Mussolini's propaganda at football World Cup in 1934 or how Hitler's regime misused the 1936 Olympics. After World War II, sport and football were used for competition between Eastern and Weastern world. Football even strated a war between Honduras and Salvador in South America. We mustn't forget that, throughout history, stadium often became prisons and execution sites. In Czech environment, sport was abused mostly by communist regime after 1949.
Czech football between 1989-2004 was affected by changes of the whole society: players could tranfer abroad and Czechoslovakia was divited into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. That all influenzed the level of the game. Within 15 years Czech footballers reached silver at the 1996 European Championship and even gold at the 2002 up-to-21-year European Championship. Howewer, the Czech Republic has never done well at world competitions. There were some welcome successes on the club scene , such as Sparta Slavia playing the semi-final of European competitions. Nowadays Czech top footballers do not play in home pitches, but in English, Italian, German or Spanish leagues.
Soňa Jankovská, Zdeňka Saloňová a Eva Jílková
Czech version