Reconnecting with a first love from Czechoslovakia 1965

Reconnecting with a first love from the Czech Republic

Reconnecting with your first love from Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic) from way back in 1965.

Find a person in Czechoslovakia as it was known up to 1993. During the mid-1960s before the Soviet invasion, my friend and I embarked on an exciting but daunting trip from the UK to Communist Czechoslovakia as it was known then.

Before setting off by road from England we studied quite a lot of photos of the country. We were impressed with the vast range of lakes and mountains and the Baroque architecture in the towns and cities. It was then described as a trip behind the iron curtain.

Suddenly, a particular photo caught my eye. It was a stunning landscape with a vibrant sunset, and the caption read “Hiking in the beautiful Bohemian Switzerland.” There were a number of other similar pictures and I was eager to see who had captured such a breath-taking moment.

I discovered with a bit of investigative work that the photographer was a young lady from Prague named Petra. Most of the information came via a member of the Czechoslovak consul section, who processed my visa application and knew of her. I was amazed at how much she had explored and documented to the point and I knew I had to reach out.

I sent her a message, via her publisher introducing myself and telling her how much I admired her photography. She responded with kindness and appeared excited to connect with someone from a different part of the world and the other side of the so-called “iron curtain!

Petra and I wrote regularly.

Reconnecting with a first love from 1965 in Czechoslovakia she shared more about her adventures and I told her about my own travels. It was refreshing to have a new friend who shared a love for nature and adventure.

Finally, I admitted that I am my friend would soon be visiting Czechoslovakia. I mustered up the courage to ask Petra if she wanted to meet in person. She suggested we plan a trip together to visit one of her favourite spots in the Czech Republic, the Krknoše Mountains. To say the views were stunning would be doing the place an injustice.

So, soon after, my friends and I set off for Czechoslovakia.

I of course was eager to finally meet Petra and explore this beautiful region of the world. At the same time, Petra had a girlfriend who would accompany us to make it a foursome.

When we eventually met it felt like we had known each other for years. Our trip to the mountains was nothing short of magical. We hiked, talked, and laughed for hours, soaking in the natural beauty of Czechoslovakia.

As the sun set on our last day in the mountains, Petra turned to me and said, “I’m so grateful we connected. It’s amazing how two people from different parts of the world can become such great friends.” I couldn’t agree more.

Thanks to her beautiful photography and a little bit of bravery, I found a wonderful new friend in  Czechoslovakia.

After that we became inseparable.

Taking in the sights of Prague with its stunning architecture and soaking up the culture of the place. even in that austere Communist era, we managed to visit discotheques, lots of restaurants, and boat trips and I was also honoured to meet her parents.

Time to say goodbye.

Reconnecting with my first love from Czechoslovakia in 1965. Anyway of course sadly it was time for us to depart for home. Naturally, we promised to stay in touch. But as time passed, our correspondence inevitably grew less and less frequent. Until eventually I lost touch with her altogether.

Fast Forward 50 years.

I had lost my wife a few years ago and suddenly living alone I had an overwhelming urge to find Petra again. Where to start though was the dilemma. Czechoslovakia was now a free country and was renamed the Czech Republic and the place was totally unrecognisable.

I spent weeks researching online, trying to track her down through various means but all to no avail. After all, it was 50 years ago and no doubt she had of course married with the inevitable name changed. Unsurprising I had no response from the old address she once lived at. Also, and no doubt, her parents were no longer alive.

Finally, after much searching and making no progress, I reluctantly decided to give up. That was until as a lost resort I took the decision to commission a professional U/K/ based people tracing agency https://friendsreconnected.co.uk/ Who, as it happened, actually had extensive connections in the Czech Republic.

3 Months Later after many hours of setbacks and false trails, they found her.  Still residing in Prague and ironically in the same situation as me- without a partner.

My heart raced with anticipation as I walked up to her apartment building.

It had been years since we last spoke, and I couldn’t wait to see her again. I hesitated before pressing the buzzer, unsure if she would even remember me.

But my fears were quickly put to rest as her familiar voice greeted me over the intercom. “Who is it?” she asked.

“It’s me your old friend from England” I replied.

There was a pause, and then a faint click as the door unlocked. I took a deep breath and climbed the stairs to her apartment.

As I walked through the door my heart leapt with joy at the sight of her smiling face. We embraced in a tight hug, both of us ‘tearing up’ at the unexpected reunion.

Over coffee and pastries, we caught up on everything that had happened in our lives since we last spoke. I couldn’t believe how much had changed yet at the same time how familiar it all felt. it felt like we had known each other for years. For the rest of my time in the Czech Republic, I spent it all together with Petra.

As we parted ways that day promising to stay in touch more frequently, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the sad but fortuitous circumstances that led me back to my dear friend in the Czech Republic.

As the sun set on our last day Petra turned to me and said, “I’m so grateful we reconnected. It’s amazing how two people from different parts of the world can become such great friends.” I couldn’t agree more.

Friends Reconnected through family links and professionally have extensive connections in the Czech Republic. Moreover have an uncanny and useful knack for finding people. Not only in Czech but ots neighbour the  Slovak Republic which until 2003 was part of what was known as Czechoslovakia.

Is It Ever a Good Idea to Rekindle Your First Love?

We cannot give a definitive answer to that question as the search case is personal and individual. However, if we are pressed to give an answer we would say..YES!! Here we offer some advice tips and hints on how to find someone in the Czech Republic.

There are different ways to approach this depending on what kind of information you have and what you are looking for. Here are some possible options:

• If you have the person’s name, city, or surname, you can use a free online people search service like FastPeopleSearch that allows you to search for the person’s name, address, and other contact information¹.
• If you are interested in genealogy and want to find your ancestors or relatives in the Czech Republic, you can use online databases and indexes that may include birth records, marriage records, death records, and more. For example, FamilySearch is a website that provides access to various Czechia online genealogy records².
• If you want to find a business, service, or trade register in the Czech Republic, you can use government databases that allow you to search by company name, company ID, or person name. For instance, Search-Czech.com is a website that offers links to various search resources in the Czech Republic, such as the trade register, the economic register, and the VAT company registration³.

I hope this helps you find what you are looking for. If you have any follow-up questions, feel free to ask me John @ friends reconnected 😊

Hold Tight and Watch This Space.