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Pulaski, Casimir

(Encyclopedia)Pulaski, Casimir käzēˈmyĕsh po͞oläˈskē [key], 1745–1779, Polish patriot and military commander in the American Revolution. Born in Podolia of a noble family, he participated with his father ...

Janáček, Leoš

(Encyclopedia)Janáček, Leoš lĕˈôsh yäˈnächĕk [key], 1854–1928, Czech composer, theorist, and collector of Slavic folk music. He studied in Prague and Leipzig and founded a music conservatory at Brno in ...

Kundera, Milan

(Encyclopedia)Kundera, Milan mĭlˈän ko͝ondĕrˈə [key], 1929–2023, Czechslovakian-born novel...

Beneš, Eduard

(Encyclopedia)Beneš, Eduard ĕˈdo͝oärt bĕˈnĕsh [key], 1884–1948, Czechoslovakian president (1935–38, 1946–48). As a student at Prague Univ. he adopted the political and social philosophy of T. G. Masar...

Silesia

(Encyclopedia)Silesia sĭlēˈzhə, –shə, sī– [key], Czech Slezsko, Ger. Schlesien, Pol. Śląsk, region of E central Europe, extending along both banks of the Oder River and bounded in the south by the mount...

Fichtelgebirge

(Encyclopedia)Fichtelgebirge fĭkhˈtəlgəbĭrˌgə [key], mountain knot, in SE Germany, between Bayreuth and the Czech border; rises to 3,447 ft (1,051 m) in Schneeberg peak. The rugged mountains are composed mai...

Runciman, Walter Runciman, 1st Viscount

(Encyclopedia)Runciman, Walter Runciman, 1st Viscount rŭnˈsĭmən [key], 1870–1949, British shipping magnate and public official. He inherited his father's large shipping business. As a Liberal he served in Par...

Čapek, Josef

(Encyclopedia)Čapek, Josef yôˈsĕfchäˈpĕk [key], 1887–1945, Czech writer and painter. He collaborated with his brother KarelKarel on a number of plays and short stories. On his own he wrote the utopian play...

Colette

(Encyclopedia)Colette (Sidonie Gabrielle Colette) sēdōnēˈ gäbrēĕlˈ kōlĕtˈ [key], 1873–1954, French novelist. Colette achieved popularity with numerous novels, characterized by sensitive observations—...

Haydn, Michael

(Encyclopedia)Haydn, Michael hīˈdən [key], 1737–1806, Austrian composer, younger brother of Franz Joseph Haydn. Haydn, largely self-taught, was noted especially for his sacred music. He was a friend of Mozart...