Irreligion in the Czech Republic

The history of irreligion in the Czech Republic dates back to 19th century freethought and saw additional developments during Communist rule.

As Czechoslovakia sought independence from Austria-Hungary in the early 20th century, anti-clericalism developed as part of the newfound national identity, and freethought was suppressed by imperial authorities.

The book Advisor for Citizens with No Confession was popular among the irreligious, serving as a manual on how to navigate Czech institutions without church affiliation.

[2] As Czechoslovakia found itself in the Soviet sphere of influence in the 1940s, the popularity of positivist freethought among irreligious Czechs fell in favor of Marxist atheism.

The country eventually fell under Communist dictatorship, freethought groups were exterminated, and the translation of western philosophy into Czech was replaced by Marxist propaganda.