Czech Vašek (literal. "Czech
Václav Václav () or rarely Vácslav is a Czech name, Czech male given name. It is among the most common Czech names. The Latinized form of the name is Wenceslaus and the Polish form of the name is Wacław. The name was derived from the old Czech name Vece ...
", German: "Böhmischer
Wenzel") is a
historical figure
A historical figure is a significant person in history, who may have made important cultural, social, political, scientific or technological impacts on humanity. They are often widely known for their achievements, whether favourably or unfavoura ...
representing the national character of the Czech people used in time of national competition with German nationalism at the end of the 19th century.
Overview
Such figures differ from those that serve as
personifications of the nation itself, as
ÄŒechie did the
Czech nation and
Marianne
Marianne () has been the national personification of the French Republic since the French Revolution, as a personification of liberty, equality, fraternity and reason, as well as a portrayal of the Goddess of Liberty.
Marianne is displayed i ...
the
French. He is usually depicted in a
folk costume
Folk costume, traditional dress, traditional attire or folk attire, is clothing of an ethnic group, nation or region, and expresses cultural, religious or national identity. An ethnic group's clothing may also be called ethnic clothing or ethnic ...
combining hat from the
Plzeň
Plzeň (), also known in English and German as Pilsen (), is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the Statutory city (Czech Republic), fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic with about 188,000 inhabitants. It is located about west of P ...
region with clothes from different regions.
They were used as a negative caricature of Czechs by Germans, symbolising them as street musicians. But also positively by Czech themselves.
Czech Vašek is considered a counterpart to
Deutscher Michel, a figure representing the national character of the German people.
See also
*
Flag of the Czech Republic
The flag of the Czech Republic () is the same as the flag of the former Czechoslovakia. Upon the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in December 1992, the Czech Republic kept the Czechoslovak flag while Slovakia adopted Flag of Slovakia, its own flag ...
References
National personifications
Fictional Czech people
National symbols of the Czech Republic
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