culture Prague Castle opens crown jewels display
Seven key holders have unlocked St. Vítus Cathedral’s Crown Chamber, retrieving Czech crown jewels for display in Prague Castle’s Vladislav Hall. The St. Wenceslas crown, scepter and orb will be shown Tuesday and Wednesday to schoolchildren, then to the public Thursday through Sept. 29. Admission is free. This year’s exhibition, “Czech Crown Jewels: Treasure in the Dark,” highlights their fate in World War II. The regalia last served in 1836 for Ferdinand the Good’s coronation as King of Bohemia.
weather Weather to warm up from Wednesday
Changeable weather will mark the Czech Republic early this week, meteorologists said Monday. The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute expects sunshine, rain and wind through Wednesday, with highs dipping below 20 degrees Celsius. From Thursday, skies should clear and temperatures may top 25 degrees by the weekend before a western cooldown Sunday or early next week. Today will bring clouds and showers in Bohemia, while Moravia and Silesia stay sunnier, with highs of 19 to 24 degrees Celsius.
housing Czech August mortgages down 14 percent
Banks and building societies issued CZK 33.1 billion in Czech mortgages in August, 14 percent less than July, the Czech Banking Association said Monday. New loans excluding refinancing dropped 11 percent to CZK 25.9 billion, still the year’s second highest. Average rates edged to 4.52 percent. Year-on-year growth slowed to one percent. “Despite the correction, August activity remained the second strongest this year,” said chief economist Jaromír Šindel. The number of new mortgages slid 13 percent from July to 6,086.
history Charter 77 signatory passes away aged 80
Václav Žák, Charter 77 signatory and former Listy editor-in-chief, has died in a Český Brod hospital at 80, Czech media have reported. Žák co-founded Czechia’s university computer network and was a Civic Forum leader after the 1989 communist collapse. He later served as deputy chairman of the Czech National Council, headed the Education Ministry’s informatisation unit, and led Listy from 2002 to 2021. Žák also chaired the Czech Radio and Television Broadcasting Council between 2006 and 2009.
judiciary Judges to get big pay rise next year
Czech judges and prosecutors will see salaries climb more than 13 percent in 2026, while top politicians’ pay will rise about five percent, Czech Television reported Monday. The draft state budget reflects a March law passed over President Petr Pavel’s veto. “Salaries for judges and prosecutors will increase by roughly 13 percent,” Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura said. An ordinary lawmaker’s base salary will grow CZK 5,500 to CZK 115,000 monthly, with other officials’ compensation also increasing by law.