postcard challenge

week 39 Czech Republic..

wow such a history..going back to the 9th century. Though archaeologists have found evidence of settlements going back to the 3rd century BC. Many wars and revolutions have taken place, with the country being ruled by various other lands, one after another. The czech population declined significantly due to war,disease,famine and expulsion of protestants. But still when it came to the two great wars , the czechs fought valiantly. Though many lost their lives through German occupation. However, the czech resistance was strong and was soon acknowledged by the allies. A  troubled land that eventually split in 1993, and what was once Czechoslovakia became the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

So who to do for my card. the first person i came across that I recognised, made me smile.

Good King Wencelas...only he wasn't actually a king, he was the Duke of Bohemia. But still, the story of him trudging through the snow was apparently true, and the historical tale was put to music in 1853. After his death the holy Roman emperor gave Wencelas the posthumous title of King, and so he is known as such in the song.

So my first thoughts were to make a Christmas card, but really it is just a bit too early to be getting into the festive spirit. So I looked again to see who I recognised.

I found the wonderful and amazingly talented Martina Navratilova, arguably the best female tennis player than ever lived. At only 18 years old she begged political asylum from America, and was consequently stripped of her Czech citizenship. This meant she could not go back to see her family, and they were not allowed out to see her win her first Wimbledon title. She would eventually win this title 9 times, and after help from the Duchess of Kent, her mother was finally allowed to cross the Iron Curtain and see her daughter win.

A hugely inspiring woman.

..and aside from her I love watching Wimbledon, so my card and page this week are an homage to the green courts.

THIS IS WHERE YOU LINK UP..