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88-725: The mission of the Czech Army Central Band is to provide the musical accompaniment needed for all types of national and private events. It specifically engages in activities related to the President , the Government Office, the Parliament and the Army . Its main activities are centered in the capital and its area of responsibility in Prague . In its professional activities, it performs during

176-568: A Czech magazine. Hardships during the World War I took their toll, and she died in 1923. Their son, Jan , was a Czechoslovak ambassador in London, foreign minister in the Czechoslovak government-in-exile (1940–1945) and in the governments from 1945 to 1948. They had four other children: Herbert, Alice , Eleanor, and Olga. Born and raised a Catholic , Masaryk later became a Protestant ; first joining

264-627: A Czechoslovak state. With the fall of Austria-Hungary in late 1918, the First Czechoslovak Republic received recognition from the Allied powers and Masaryk was recognised as head of its provisional government. He was formally elected president in November, and was reelected three times subsequently. Masaryk presided over a period of stability as Czechoslovakia emerged as a strong democratic state. He resigned from office in 1935 due to old age, and

352-556: A July 1924 gathering of 120 global labour experts (of which 60 were from the United States ), organized with Masaryk Academy of Labour. After the rise of Adolf Hitler , Masaryk was one of the first political figures in Europe to voice concern. Masaryk resigned from office on 14 December 1935, because of old age and poor health, and was succeeded by Edvard Beneš . Masaryk (b. 07 March 1850) died less than two years after leaving office, at

440-619: A State (1927). Karel Čapek wrote a series of articles, Hovory s T.G.M. ("Conversations with T.G.M."), which were later collected as Masaryk's autobiography . Masaryk married Charlotte Garrigue in 1878, and took her family name as his middle name. They met in Leipzig , Germany, and became engaged in 1877. Garrigue was born in Brooklyn to a Protestant family with French Huguenots among their ancestors. She became fluent in Czech and published articles in

528-524: A bust was erected in 2002 on Zakhysnykiv Ukrainy Square (former Druzhby Narodiv Square) in Uzhhorod , Ukraine. Avenida Presidente Masaryk (President Masaryk Avenue) is a main thoroughfare in the exclusive Polanco neighbourhood of Mexico City . In 1999 the city of Prague donated a statue of Masaryk to Mexico City, one of the two originals made when the statue for the Prague Castle was being prepared for

616-591: A deputy of the Austrian Reichsrat , serving from 1891 to 1893 and from 1907 to 1914. He was an advocate of restructuring the Austro-Hungarian Empire into a federal state , but by the outbreak of the First World War , he had become a supporter of Czech and Slovak independence. He went into exile, and travelled around Europe to organise and promote the Czechoslovak cause. He played a pivotal role in

704-520: A figure of interest to sociology and philosophy, especially within Czechoslovakia, where his significance has been analysed in depth by philosophers such as Jan Patočka (1991 monograph), Milan Machovec (1968 monograph) and others. As the founding father of Czechoslovakia, Masaryk remains revered by Czechs and Slovaks. Masaryk University in Brno , founded in 1919 as Czechoslovakia's second university,

792-428: A law was passed in 1994 with respect to the awarding of state decorations . While the constitution explicitly allows the conferring of honors and awarding of medals by the president only with the signature of the prime minister, parliament acted in 1994 to grant the president power to do so on his own authority. Hence, this particular duty is effectively shared between the parliament and the president. The act even allows

880-659: A leading Russian historian and one of the leaders of the Kadet Party, to introduce him to various members of Russian high society. In early 1916, the Czechs and Slovaks in Russian service were reorganized as the First Czecho-Slovak Rifle Regiment. In a rare attempt to influence public opinion, Masaryk opened up an office on Piccadilly Circus in London whose exterior was covered with pro-Czechoslovak slogans and maps with

968-566: A main thoroughfare in Ljubljana is named after Masaryk. Streets named Thomas Masaryk can be found in Geneva and Bucharest . Asteroid 1841 Masaryk , discovered by Luboš Kohoutek , is named after him. He received awards and decorations before and after World War I. Masaryk's motto was "Fear not, and steal not" ( Czech : Nebát se a nekrást ). A philosopher and an outspoken rationalist and humanist , he emphasised practical ethics reflecting

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1056-526: A majority of both the Chamber and the Senate, a second round is then called for. At this stage, a candidate requires an absolute majority of merely those present at the time of voting in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The number of votes required in the second round might be the same as in the first round but, as in 2008, can be a little less due to the absence of a few parliamentarians. In this second round,

1144-692: A president can neither veto nor approve are acts that would change the constitution . The president also has the leading role in the appointment of persons to key high offices, including appointment of judges to the Supreme and Constitutional Courts (with the permission of the Senate), and members of the Bank Board of the Czech National Bank . There are some powers reserved to the president, but can be exercised only under limited circumstances. Chief among these

1232-479: A single candidate would still need to win a majority in both the Chamber and the Senate. Should no single candidate achieve a majority of both houses then present, a third round is necessitated. In this final round, which can happen within 14 days of the first round, an absolute majority of deputies and senators present suffices. At this stage, the individual houses of parliament are not considered separately. Assuming that all members of parliament are present, all that

1320-504: A somewhat limited role; the framers of the constitution intended to create a parliamentary system in which the prime minister and cabinet held actual power. However, a complex system of proportional representation made it all but impossible for one party to win a majority. Usually, ten or more parties received the 2.6 per cent of votes needed for seats in the National Assembly. With so many parties represented, no party even approached

1408-743: A student in Leipzig, on 15 March 1878. They lived in Vienna until 1881, when they moved to Prague . Masaryk was appointed professor of philosophy at the Czech Charles-Ferdinand University, the Czech-language part of Charles University , in 1882. He founded Athenaeum , a magazine devoted to Czech culture and science, the following year. Athenaeum , edited by Jan Otto, was first published on 15 October 1883. Masaryk's students included Edward Benes and Emanuel Chalupny. Masaryk challenged

1496-514: A symbol of Czech nationalism. There were founded "The Masaryk Academy of Labour", for the scientific study of scientific management too, with the Masaryk's supporting in Prague in 1918 and Masaryk University in Brno . Masaryk visited France, Belgium, England, Egypt and the Mandate for Palestine in 1923 and 1927. With Herbert Hoover , he sponsored the first Prague International Management Congress,

1584-501: A system with a direct election , in which the public would be involved in the voting. However, opponents of this plan pointed out that the presidency had always been determined by indirect vote, going back through several predecessor states to the presidency of Tomáš Masaryk . Charles University political scientist Zdeněk Zbořil suggested that direct voting could result in a president and prime minister who were hostile to each other's goals, leading to deadlock. A system of direct elections

1672-577: A vacancy, some powers are conferred upon the prime minister, some are moved to the chairman of the Chamber of Deputies or to the chairman of the Senate , if parliament is in a state of dissolution at the time of the vacancy. The first direct presidential election in the Czech Republic was held 11–12 January 2013, with a runoff on 25–26 January. Under Article 58 of the current Czech Constitution , nominees to

1760-468: Is elected directly using the two-round system to a five-year term. Prior to 2013 , the president was selected by a joint session of the Parliament . Under Article 57 of the Constitution , no individual may be elected to more than two consecutive terms . The current president, Petr Pavel , was elected in the 2023 election , and assumed office on 9 March 2023. The framers of the Constitution of

1848-726: Is commemorated by a number of statues, busts, plaques, coins and postage stamps. Although most are in or of the Czech Republic and Slovakia , Masaryk has a statue on Embassy Row in Washington, D.C. , and in the Midway Plaisance park in Chicago and is memorialized in San Francisco 's Golden Gate Park rose garden . A plaque with a portrait of Masaryk is on the wall of a hotel in Rakhiv, Ukraine , where he reportedly resided from 1917 to 1918, and

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1936-503: Is required to win is 141 votes, regardless of the house of origin. If no candidate wins in the third round, another ballot has to be considered in a subsequent joint session of parliament. The process continues under the same rules until a candidate prevails. In 1993, the Republic's first president, Václav Havel , had little difficulty achieving victory on the first round of the first ballot, but his re-election bid proved bumpier. In 1998, he

2024-435: Is that of high treason , which can only be carried out by the Senate , and can only result in removal from office and a ban on regaining the office at a later date. Many of the duties of the Czech president can be said to be ceremonial to one degree or another, especially since the president has relatively few powers independent of the will of the prime minister. A good example of this is the status as commander in chief of

2112-452: Is the dissolution of the Chamber of Deputies . While the president can dissolve the Chamber on his own authority, forcing a new election of that body within 60 days, this can be done only under conditions prescribed by the constitution. Many of the president's powers can only be exercised with the assent of the government, as expressed by the signature of the prime minister. These include all matters having to do with foreign relations and

2200-525: Is unable to perform his/her duties or if the presidency becomes vacant for any reason, the duties are divided between the President of the Chamber of Deputies and the Prime Minister . Should the Chamber of Deputies be dissolved at the time, the duties which normally fall to the Chamber's President fall to the President of the Senate , who also assumes the President's responsibility for calling elections for

2288-402: Is unavoidable in a direct election and causes rifts among citizens". Using Poland as an unfavourable example, he said that "when someone talks about how our method of selecting the head of state is undignified, he should first weigh the consequences of a direct vote". Aside from death, there are only three things that can effect a president's removal from office: In the case when the president

2376-634: The Castle Guard , which is a special unit of the armed forces of the Czech Republic , organized under the Military Office of the President of the Czech Republic, directly subordinate to the president. Furthermore, the president, while in office, is entitled to wear the effects of the highest class of the Republic's two ceremonial orders , the Order of the White Lion and the Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk . By

2464-559: The Chamber even when the Chamber is not dissolved. Since the first Czechoslovak president Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk , the presidential fanfare has been the introduction to Bedřich Smetana's opera Libuše , which is symbol of the patriotism of the Czech people during the Czech National Revival under the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The office of president carries with it an iconography , established through laws passed by

2552-754: The Institut d'études slaves of the Sorbonne on " Les Slaves parmi les nations " ("The Slavs Among the Nations"), receiving what was described as a "vigorous applause". During the war, Masaryk's intelligence network of Czech revolutionaries provided critical intelligence to the allies. His European network worked with an American counterespionage network of nearly 80 members, headed by Emanuel Viktor Voska (including G. W. Williams ). Voska and his network, who (as Habsburg subjects) were presumed to be German supporters, spied on German and Austrian diplomats. Among other achievements,

2640-502: The Prague Castle , has oftentimes been perceived through the prism of the nation's monarchical past . The office has retained the power to grant full pardons , commute criminal penalties and issue amnesties . The president possesses with a suspensory veto power which can be overridden by an absolute majority of the Chamber of Deputies . The Constitution provides that the president cannot be held responsible for his own conduct, except in cases of treason or high violation against

2728-585: The Russian Empire , the United States and Japan . Masaryk began organizing Czechs and Slovaks outside Austria-Hungary during his exile, establishing contacts which would be crucial to Czechoslovak independence. He delivered lectures and wrote several articles and memoranda supporting the Czechoslovak cause. Masaryk was pivotal in establishing the Czechoslovak Legion in Russia as an effective fighting force on

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2816-468: The 150th anniversary of his birth. The community of Masaryktown, Florida , founded by Slovaks and Czechs, is named after him. In Israel, Masaryk is considered an important figure and a national friend. A village was named after him - Kibbutz Kfar Masaryk near Haifa, which was largely founded by Jewish immigrants from Czechoslovakia. One of the main squares in Tel Aviv is Masaryk Square (he had visited

2904-436: The 151 seats needed for a majority; indeed, no party ever won more than 25 per cent of the vote. These factors resulted in frequent changes of government; Masaryk's tenure saw ten cabinets headed by nine statesmen. Under the circumstances, Masaryk's presence gave Czechoslovakia a large measure of stability. This stability, combined with his domestic and international prestige, gave Masaryk's presidency more power and influence than

2992-524: The 2003 and 2008 elections, which both required multiple ballots, some in the Czech political community expressed dissatisfaction with this method of election. In 2008, Martin Bursík , leader of the Czech Green Party , said of the 2008 vote, "We are sitting here in front of the public somewhat muddied by backstage horse-trading, poorly concealed meetings with lobbyists and intrigue." There were calls to adopt

3080-544: The Allied side during World War I, when he held a Serbian passport. In 1915 he was one of the first staff members of the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (now part of University College London ), where the student society and senior common room are named after him. Masaryk became professor of Slavic Research at King's College London , lecturing on the problem of small nations. Supported by Norman Hapgood T. G. Masaryk wrote

3168-708: The Austrian empire. After the 1917 February Revolution he proceeded to Russia to help organize the Czechoslovak Legion , a group dedicated to Slavic resistance to the Austrians. Miliukov became the new Russian foreign minister in the Provisional government, and proved very sympathetic towards the idea of creating Czechoslovakia. After the Czechoslovak troops' performance in July 1917 at the Battle of Zborov (when they overran Austrian trenches),

3256-644: The Chicago meeting on 8 October 1918, Chicago industrialist Samuel Insull introduced him as the president of the future Czechoslovak Republic de facto and mentioned his legions. On 18 October 1918 he submitted to president Thomas Woodrow Wilson "Washington Declaration" ( Czechoslovak declaration of independence ) created with the help of Masaryk American friends ( Louis Brandeis , Ira Bennett, Gutzon Borglum , Franklin K. Lane , Edward House, Herbert Adolphus Miller , Charles W. Nichols , Robert M. Calfee , Frank E. J. Warrick , George W. Stearn and Czech Jaroslav Císař ) as

3344-628: The Constitution. The Parliament maintains the sole power of impeachment and the president may only be removed from office by a trial before the Constitutional Court . The president is solely responsible for appointing the prime minister, the Cabinet ministers, as well as the members of the board of the Czech National Bank , and nominating justices to the Constitutional Court , who are subject to Senate approval , among others. The president

3432-490: The Czech Republic intended to set up a parliamentary system, with the prime minister as the country's leading political figure and the de facto chief executive and the president as a ceremonial head of state. However, the stature of the first president, Václav Havel , was such that the office acquired greater influence than the framers intended, although not nearly as powerful as the Czechoslovak presidency . The president of

3520-430: The Czech Republic . The presidency has largely been shaped by its inaugural holder, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk , who assumed the office after the Czechoslovak declaration of independence was proclaimed in 1918. The 1920 Constitution granted the president substantial powers and Masaryk's political strength and popularity enabled the presidency to exert considerable influence over the Czech public life. In modern times,

3608-407: The Czech Republic has the authority to act independently in a number of substantive areas. One of the office's strongest powers is that of veto , which returns a bill to parliament. Although the veto may be overridden by parliament with an absolute majority vote (over 50%) of all deputies, the ability to refuse to sign legislation acts as a check on the power of the legislature. The only kind of bills

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3696-651: The Russian High Command authorized the formation of a battalion recruited from Czechs and Slovaks in Russia. The unit went to the front in October 1914 and was attached to the Russian Third Army. From its start, Masaryk wanted to develop the legion from a battalion to a formidable military formation. To do so, however, he realized that he would need to recruit Czech and Slovak prisoners of war (POWs) in Russian camps. In late 1914, Russian military authorities permitted

3784-733: The Russian provisional government granted Masaryk and the Czechoslovak National Council permission to recruit and mobilize Czech and Slovak volunteers from the POW camps. Later that summer a fourth regiment was added to the brigade, which was renamed the First Division of the Czechoslovak Corps in Russia (Československý sbor na Rusi, also known as the Czechoslovak Legion – Československá legie). A second division of four regiments

3872-541: The University of Chicago and introduced to the highest political circles (including Wilson). Except for president Wilson and the secretary of the state Robert Lansing this was Ray Stannard Baker , W. Phillips, Polk, Long, Lane, D. F. Houston, William Wiseman , Harry Pratt Judson and the French ambassador Jean Jules Jusserand . And Bernard Baruch , Vance McCormick, Edward N. Hurley , Samuel M. Vauclain, Colonel House too. At

3960-617: The age of 87, in Lány on 14 September 1937. He was buried next to his wife in a plot at Lány cemetery, where later the remains of Jan Masaryk and Alice Masaryková were laid to rest. Masaryk did not live to see the Munich Agreement or the Nazi occupation of his country, and was known as the Grand (Great) Old Man of Europe. Masaryk's unique combination of intellectual and political authority has made him

4048-578: The band are graduates of many military and national conservatories in the country. Most musicians are graduates of the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts ( JAMU ) or Prague Academy of Performing Arts ( AMU ). The training the band receives from JAMU and AMU is often reflected in the artistic quality of the band and the complexity of their performances. The band often cooperates with many national organizations that provide musical accompaniment during its events. The most notable Czech organizations

4136-687: The band has worked with includes Czech Radio (ČRo), where the band often plays Kde domov můj during newshours, as well as the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra , of whom the band usually performs in joint concerts. As a NATO member, and a member of the European Union , the band also frequently tours Europe to be participants in many international festivals and performances that are held in countries like Denmark , Poland , Austria , Scotland , Germany , Norway ( Norwegian Military Tattoo 1998, 2004 and 2012), and Italy . The Band of

4224-695: The band served as one of the ideological tools of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia from the 1950s until November 1989. Besides classical music for the wind orchestra and marching music for the brass band, the army band performs melodies from popular films and songs from musical groups such as Queen and the Beatles . During concert activities, the Czech Army Band uses the works of many Moravian authors (notably Miloš Machek, Mojmír Zedník, František Maňas, and Jiří Volf). Notable pieces include: All members of

4312-455: The basic document for the foundation of a new independent Czechoslovak state. Speaking on 26 October 1918 as head of the Mid-European Union in Philadelphia, Masaryk called for the independence of Czechoslovaks and the other oppressed peoples of central Europe. T.G. Masaryk's heroic defence of the Jewish defendant in the Hilsner Trial left a lasting mark on him and led to a deep interest in Jewish thought, Zionism and interreligious relations. At

4400-411: The city in 1927). In Haifa , one of the junctions in the city was named after him as well. Many cities in Israel named streets after his name, including Jerusalem , Petach Tikva , Netanya , Nahariya and others. A Masaryk forest was planted in the Western Galilee. Streets in Zagreb , Belgrade , Dubrovnik , Daruvar , Varaždin , Novi Sad , Smederevo and Split are named Masarykova ulica, and

4488-420: The election can be held at the earliest 10 days after being called and at the latest 80 days after vacancy of the presidential seat. If no candidate receives a majority, a runoff is held between the top two candidates. The constitution makes specific allowances for the failure of a new president to be elected. If a new president has not been elected by the end of a president's term, or if 30 days elapse following

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4576-414: The establishment of the Czechoslovak Legion , which fought against the Central Powers during the war. In 1918, Masaryk, along with his protégés Edvard Beneš and Milan Rastislav Štefánik , travelled to the United States to obtain support from President Woodrow Wilson and Secretary of State Robert Lansing . Their negotiations resulted in the Washington Declaration , which proclaimed the independence of

4664-604: The estate, she met Masárik and they married on 15 August 1849. After grammar school in Brno and Vienna from 1865 to 1872, Masaryk attended the University of Vienna and was a student of Franz Brentano . He received his Ph.D. from the university in 1876 and completed his habilitation thesis, Der Selbstmord als soziale Massenerscheinung der modernen Civilisation ( Suicide as a Social Mass Phenomenon of Modern Civilization ), there in 1879. From 1876 to 1879, Masaryk studied in Leipzig with Wilhelm Wundt and Edmund Husserl . He married Charlotte Garrigue , whom he had met while

4752-459: The first memorandum to president Wilson , concerning to independence of the Czechoslovak state, here in January 1917. During World War I and afterwards, Masaryk supported the unification of Kingdom of Serbia and Kingdom of Montenegro . Masaryk championed feminist causes, being influenced by his wife Charlotte Garrigue . Masaryk's progressive ideas strongly influenced Washington Declaration of Czechoslovak Independence. On 5 August 1914,

4840-413: The following events: The army band dates back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire . Following the First World War , the Ministry of Defense of Czechoslovakia decided to create a medium sized music band. After a number of reorganizations, the band began to serve as the band of the 4th Infantry Regiment in 1945. Just 5 years later on 1 December 1950, the Central Music Service of the Czechoslovak People's Army

4928-403: The framers of the constitution intended. He used his authority in Czechoslovakia to create the Hrad (the Castle), an extensive, informal political network. Under Masaryk's watch, Czechoslovakia became the strongest democracy in Central Europe. Masaryk's status as a Protestant leading a mainly Catholic nation led to criticism, as did his promotion of the 15th-century proto-Protestant Jan Hus as

5016-419: The inaugural address at the newly opened School of Slavonic Studies at King's College London on "The Problem of Small Nations in the European Crisis", arguing that on both moral and practical grounds that the United Kingdom should support the independence efforts of "small" nations such as the Czechs. Shortly afterwards, Masaryk crossed the English Channel to go to Paris, where he delivered a speech in French at

5104-511: The influence of Anglo-Saxon philosophers, French philosophy and—in particular—the work of 18th-century German philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder , who is considered the founder of nationalism. Masaryk was critical of German idealism and Marxism . He wrote several books in Czech, including The Czech Question (1895), The Problems of Small Nations in the European Crisis (1915), The New Europe (1917), and The World Revolution ( Svĕtová revoluce ; 1925) translated into English as The Making of

5192-439: The intelligence from these networks was critical in uncovering the Hindu–German Conspiracy in San Francisco . Masaryk began teaching at London University in October 1915. He published "Racial Problems in Hungary", with ideas about Czechoslovak independence. In 1916, Masaryk went to France to convince the French government of the necessity of dismantling Austria-Hungary. He consulted with his friend professor Pavel Miliukov ,

5280-411: The intention of attracting the interest of those walking by. One of Masaryk's most important British friends was the journalist Wickham Steed who wrote articles in the newspapers urging British support for Czechoslovakia. Another important British contract for Masaryk was the historian Robert Seton-Watson , who also wrote widely in the British press urging British support for the "submerged" nations of

5368-567: The legion to enlist Czech and Slovak POWs from the Austro-Hungarian army; the order was rescinded in a few weeks, however, because of opposition from other areas of the Russian government. Despite continuing efforts to persuade the Russian authorities to change their minds, the Czechs and Slovaks were officially barred from recruiting POWs until the summer of 1917. Under these conditions, the Czechoslovak armed unit in Russia grew slowly from 1914 to 1917. Masaryk preferred to concentrate on elites rather than public opinion. On 19 October 1915, Masaryk gave

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5456-465: The military. No part of these duties can take place but through the assent of the prime minister. In matters of war, he is in every sense merely a figurehead, since the constitution gives all substantive constitutional authority over the use of the armed forces to the parliament. In fact, the only specific thing the constitution allows the president to do with respect to the military is to appoint its generals – but even this must be done with

5544-444: The office must be put forward by no fewer than 10 Deputies or 10 Senators. Once nominees are in place, a ballot can begin. Each ballot can have at most three rounds. In the first round, a victorious candidate requires an absolute majority in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate . Given a 200-seat Chamber and an 81-seat Senate, a successful first-round candidate requires 101 deputies and 41 senators. If no single candidate gets

5632-421: The parliament. Perhaps the most visible of these is the flag of the president, as seen at top right. His official motto is the same as that of the Republic: " Pravda vítězí " ("Truth prevails"). Inasmuch as the president is the titular sole administrator of Prague Castle , the presidency may also be said to control the heraldry of that institution as well, including but not limited to the special designs worn by

5720-403: The power of being inaugurated, the president becomes the holder of the highest class of both orders for the duration of his term in office as well as their supreme administrator. By convention, the Parliament allows a retiring president to remain a life-long member of both institutions, with the order decorations returning to the State upon the former president's death. The official residence of

5808-409: The president and vice president of the Supreme Control Office  – the body in charge of implementing the national budget – although this appointment does not technically require the signature of the prime minister. Art 65 (1) prevents trial or detention for any criminal or administrative offense while in office. The only sort of prosecution allowed for a sitting president

5896-469: The president is 5 years. A newly elected president will begin the five-year term on the day of taking the official oath. Candidates standing for office must be at least 40 years of age, and must not have already been elected twice consecutively. Since the only term limit is that no person can be elected more than twice consecutively , a person may theoretically achieve the presidency more than twice. Prospective candidates must either submit petitions with

5984-476: The president is largely a ceremonial figure with limited powers as the day-to-day business of the executive government is entrusted to the prime minister , and many of the president's actions require prime ministerial approval . Nevertheless, as the bearer of the nation's " Truth prevails " motto, the presidency is widely viewed to be a significant source of prestige , power and moral authority in both domestic and foreign affairs. The president, seated at

6072-473: The president of the Czech Republic is Prague Castle . However, the living quarters are small and not particularly comfortable, so recent presidents ( Václav Havel , Václav Klaus and Miloš Zeman ) have chosen to live elsewhere . The president also maintains a summer residence at the castle in the village of Lány , 35 km west of Prague . Tom%C3%A1%C5%A1 Masaryk Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (7 March 1850 – 14 September 1937)

6160-516: The president to choose someone to perform the actual presentation ceremony. Until 2012, the office of president was filled following an indirect election by the Parliament of the Czech Republic . In February 2012, a change to a direct election was passed by the Senate , and after the related implementation law also was passed by both chambers of the parliament, it was enacted by presidential assent on 1 August 2012; meaning that it legally entered into force on 1 October 2012. The term of office of

6248-476: The results of ignorance, and that provided that one undertook a proper "scientific" approach to studying the underlying causes it would be possible to devise the correct solutions. As such, Masaryk saw his role as an educator who would enlighten the public from its ignorance and apathy. Masaryk served in the Reichsrat from 1891 to 1893 with the Young Czech Party and from 1907 to 1914 in the Czech Progressive Party , which he had founded in 1900. At that time, he

6336-525: The same time, according to Czech historian Jan Láníček , Masaryk believed that Jews had a "great influence on newspapers in all the Allied countries", and helped the nascent state of Czechoslovakia during its struggle for independence. With the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, the Allies recognized Masaryk as head of the provisional Czechoslovak government. On 14 November of that year, he

6424-400: The signature of the prime minister. Many of the president's ceremonial duties fall under provisions of the constitution that allow the exercise of powers "not explicitly defined" in the constitution, but allowed by a lesser law. In other words, Parliament has the power to allow the president whatever responsibilities they deem proper, without necessarily having to amend the constitution. Such

6512-433: The signatures of 50,000 citizens, or be nominated by 20 deputies or 10 senators. The constitution does not prescribe a specific date for presidential elections, but stipulates that elections shall occur in the window between 30 and 60 days before the end of the sitting president's term, provided that it was called at least 90 days prior to the selected election day. In the event of a president's death, resignation or removal,

6600-581: The streets to welcome him; Chicago was the centre of Czechoslovak immigration to the United States, and the city's reception echoed his earlier visits to the city and his visiting professorship at the University of Chicago in 1902 (Masaryk had lectured at the university in 1902 and 1907). He also had strong links to the United States, with his marriage to an American citizen and his friendship with Chicago industrialist Charles R. Crane , who had Masaryk invited to

6688-407: The use of the military, the appointment of judges to lower courts , and the granting of amnesty. Except when the Chamber of Deputies has been dissolved because of its failure to form or maintain a government, the president may call for elections to the Chamber and the Senate only with the prime minister's approval. The president also shares responsibility with the Chamber of Deputies for appointing

6776-604: The validity of the epic poems Rukopisy královedvorský a zelenohorský , supposedly dating to the early Middle Ages and presenting a false, nationalistic Czech chauvinism to which he was strongly opposed. He also contested the Jewish blood libel during the 1899 Hilsner trial . Masaryk was greatly influenced by the 19th-century cult of science. The 19th century was an age of tremendous scientific and technological advances, and as such scientists enjoyed immense prestige. Masaryk believed that social problems and political conflicts were

6864-508: The village of Čejkovice , in South Moravia , before moving to Brno to study. His father, Jozef Masárik, was Slovak, born in Kopčany , Slovakia . Jozef Masárik was a carter and, later, the steward and coachman at the imperial estate in the nearby town of Hodonín. Tomáš's mother, Teresie Masaryková (née Kropáčková), was a Moravian of Slavic origin who received a German education. A cook at

6952-640: The ČSLA made its first foreign performance in Brussels at Expo 58 . The band also provides activities of smaller ensembles such as: President of the Czech Republic The president of the Czech Republic , constitutionally defined as the President of the Republic ( Czech : Prezident republiky ), is the head of state of the Czech Republic and the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of

7040-685: Was elected president of Czechoslovakia by the National Assembly in Prague while he was in New York. On 22 December, Masaryk publicly denounced the Germans in Czechoslovakia as settlers and colonists. Masaryk was re-elected three times: in May 1920 , 1927 , and 1934 . Normally, a president was limited to two consecutive terms by the 1920 constitution , but a one-time provision allowed the first president–Masaryk–to run for an unlimited number of terms. On paper, Masaryk had

7128-636: Was a Czechoslovak statesman, progressive political activist and philosopher who served as the first president of Czechoslovakia from 1918 to 1935. He is regarded as the founding father of Czechoslovakia . Born in Hodonín , Moravia (then part of the Austrian Empire ), Masaryk obtained a doctorate at the University of Vienna and was a professor of philosophy at the Czech Charles-Ferdinand University . He began his political career as

7216-501: Was added to the legion in October 1917, raising its strength to about 40,000 by 1918. Masaryk formed a good connection with Russian supreme commanders, Mikhail Alekseyev , Aleksei Brusilov , Nikolay Dukhonin and Mikhail Diterikhs , in Mogilev , from May 1917. Masaryk travelled to the United States in 1918, where he convinced President Woodrow Wilson of the righteousness of his cause. On 5 May 1918, over 150,000 Chicagoans filled

7304-409: Was elected with a cumulative seven-vote margin on the second round of the first ballot. By contrast, his successor, Václav Klaus , has required the full measure of the process. He narrowly won election on the third ballot at the 2003 election and on the sixth (second attempt, third ballot) in 2008. Both his elections were won in the third round. His biggest margin of victory was two votes. Following

7392-520: Was founded with close to 160 musicians in its ranks. Its first commander was Colonel Hynek Sluka, with his deputy being Major Karel Stastny. At the time, the Bands of the ČSLA was made up of three smaller groups of musicians (the other two groups being based in Hradec Králové and Olomouc ). The new band became an independent unit within the 80th Infantry Battalion "The Prague Uprising " . During this period,

7480-543: Was named after him when it was founded; after 30 years as Univerzita Jana Evangelisty Purkyně v Brně, it was renamed for Masaryk in 1990. Commemorations of Masaryk have been held annually in the Lány cemetery on his birthday and day of death (7 March and 14 September) since 1989. The Czechoslovak, then Czech Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk , established in 1990, is an honour awarded to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to humanity, democracy and human rights. He

7568-770: Was not yet campaigning for Czech and Slovak independence from Austria-Hungary. Masaryk helped Hinko Hinković defend the Croat-Serb Coalition during their 1909 Vienna political trial ; its members were sentenced to a total of over 150 years in prison, with a number of death sentences. When the World War I broke out in 1914, Masaryk concluded that the best course was to seek independence for Czechs and Slovaks from Austria-Hungary. He went into exile in December 1914 with his daughter, Olga, staying in several places in Western Europe,

7656-511: Was succeeded by Beneš. He retired to the village of Lány and died two years later at the age of 87. Masaryk was born to a poor, working-class family in the predominantly Catholic city of Hodonín , Margraviate of Moravia , in Moravian Slovakia (in the present-day Czech Republic , then part of the Austrian Empire ). The nearby Slovak village of Kopčany , the home of his father Jozef, also claims to be his birthplace. Masaryk grew up in

7744-424: Was supported by figures including Jiří Čunek ( Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party ) and Jiří Paroubek ( Czech Social Democratic Party ), whereas the ruling Civic Democratic Party , under both President Václav Klaus and Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek , was more skeptical. Topolánek commented that it was an advantage that "our presidential elections are not preceded by some campaign, that

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