The Czech immigration in Venezuela began during the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. By 1950, the Czech colony was one of the most scarce European immigrant groups in the country: 1,124 people, according to the census of the time. It was not often that the Czechs people left their country with the express hopes of being settled in Venezuela. Many arrived after trying their luck in other countries; Others, by reference of third parties. But the main reason to settle here was simply the ease with which the Venezuelan government granted visas. The second wave of immigration that came out of

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

in this century, that of 1968, was numerous. Although most preferred countries in Western Europe, the United States or Canada, a few came to Venezuela. But after the division of Czechoslovakia (split today in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

and

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

), the democratic opening, immigration to Venezuela has been almost nil. At the Embassy of the Czech Republic in

Caracas Caracas (, ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas, abbreviated as CCS, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the ...

were registered at the end of the twentieth century just over 200 immigrants in the country but could be more. There is no known statistic, but according to Ambassador Antonin Blazek, if one compares the relationship between the number of immigrants and contributions to the country (means in commercial and cultural benefits), the Czechs could lead the list in Venezuela as one of the most productive immigrant colonies.

Notable people

* Emil Friedman, violinist. * Vladimir Kubis, veterinary * Karl Stohr, composer and poet * Harry Osers, engineer * Peter Seidemann, engineer *

Hans Neumann Hans Neumann (a.k.a. Hans Newman) (18??–1919(?)) was a founding member of the Socialist Party of Great Britain. Neumann had previously been very active in the Social Democratic Federation, being a public speaker for that party and secretary of ...

, chemist * Lothar Neumann, chemist *

Vanessa Neumann Vanessa Neumann (born 1972, Caracas) is a Venezuelan-American diplomat, business owner, author and political theorist. Neumann is the president and founder of Asymmetrica, a political risk research and strategic communications firm headquartered ...

, lawyer * Richard Novicki, parasitologist *

Ilan Chester Ilan Chester (born Ilan Czenstochowski) is a celebrated Venezuelan musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. Born in Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel in 1952, to Ashkenazi parents, Ilan emigrated to Venezuela in 1953. Biography 2010 award winnin ...

, singer and composer * Karl Roubicek, brewer master * Perla Vonasek, actress * L. Rafael Reif, engineer and inventor. 17th president of

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

* Anneliese Rockenbach, swimmer *

Hellmuth Straka Hellmuth Straka (March 31, 1922 – March 17, 1987) was an Austrian-Venezuelan Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast o ...

, anthropologist * Tomas Straka, historian * Martin Trnovsky, chemist *

Ernst Tugendhat Ernst Tugendhat (born 8 March 1930) is a Czech-born German philosopher. He is a scion of the wealthy and influential Jewish Tugendhat family. Life and career He was born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, to Fritz and Greta Tugendhat, the wealthy Jewish fam ...

, philosopher.

References

External links

Asociación Venezolano-Checa
{{Portal bar, Czech Republic, Venezuela European diaspora in Venezuela Czech diaspora by country *