The first Czechoslovak president Masaryk came to Prague 100 years ago. He was greeted by crowds of people iROZHLAS
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At one o’clock in the afternoon on December 21, 1918, it was very crowded at Prague’s Wilson Station. Crowds of people pressed on the pen and eagerly looked out for a single train from the direction of České Budějovice – Benešov. The first Czechoslovak president, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, sat in the car. He was returning from homeland.
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Masaryk left his family and went into exile four years before his triumphant return to Prague on December 21, 1918. He arrived as president thanks to his established Czechoslovakia. He was elected head of the Revolutionary National Assembly at its first meeting on November 14, when Masaryk was in America.
The first Czechoslovak president, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, came to Prague 100 years ago. Listen to more in Michaela Vetešková’s report
He sailed for Europe a week later, but the journey by ship to Great Britain and later by train through France, Italy and Austria took him almost a month.
Masaryk’s train crossed the border of the republic on December 20, 1918 in Dolní Dvůriště, and his journey was closely monitored by the press at the time. “In truth, triumphant was the entry of our president on our land, the homeland of the Czechoslovak Republic liberated by him. But not only on our soil, but already on his way abroad, President Dr. Masaryk as the sovereign of the Czechoslovak Republic, to whom he also paid all the relevant honors, corresponding to his prestige, “wrote the Czechoslovak Press Office at the time.
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TGM arrived in Prague after spending the night in České Budějovice. A special train arrived at the Prague railway station, which had recently been named after Emperor Franz Josef, at a quarter to two in the afternoon.
From the railway station, where she was welcomed by representatives, including the Prime Minister Karel Kramář, as well as family members, Masaryk headed in a ceremoniously decorated car in front of the deputy, where he made his promise. He then visited his wife Charlotte in the sanatorium in Veleslavín, from where he took her home. This ended his first day in Prague.
Black and white German film
We know quite exactly what the arrival looked like – it was captured by the cameras of the filmmakers of the time. The unique films are preserved in the National Film Archive, where they are cared for by restorer Eva Smělá.
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A smiling little blonde in a white coat takes a three-kilogram film strip out of a plastic green box and puts it on a special rewinding table. In addition to the four discs, loudspeakers are attached to the sides. In the middle of the table is a screen where the content of the film can be seen.
“It is the film Return of President TG Masaryk to his homeland in 1918. It is a silent film with subtitles,” describes Eva Smělá to Radiožurnál. One of the Degl brothers took several dozen two-minute black-and-white shots.
Karel Degl has been directing and working for the Lucerna Film film laboratories since 1916. Three years later, together with his brother Emanuel, they founded a family business. Since 1918, they have been recording social and political events during the First Republic.
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“This is the only film about the return of President TG. Masaryk. In some places, the darker photograph needs to be explained by bad weather and the then degree of the still developing Czech film art, “it says at the beginning of the film (In quotations from that time, we kept the wording, including the writing of TG.).
Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk took the train and gradually visited České Budějovice, Tábor, Benešov. He was greeted at the station by hundreds of people, city officials, military dignitaries and rank and file soldiers.
The same was true on December 21, 1918, when he performed at Prague’s Wilson (now the main) railway station. The shot is wearing a dark winter coat and hat. He immediately gets out of the car, smacks it and greets the city representative. The National Film Archive does not lend the documentary, which was watched with Eva Směla by the radio journalist. Images are not commonly seen. The film with documentary footage lasted about 15 minutes.
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