My mom’s side of the family has a list of what ethnicities we have. Bohemian and Czechoslovakian are both on that list as completely separate ethnicities. Recently someone told me that they’re actually the exact same thing. I found sources confirming that, but I also found sources saying that Bohemia is a part of Czechoslovakia (an “all thumbs are fingers but not all fingers are thumbs” kind of situation). Then my ADHD got me down a Wikipedia rabbit hole before I could find a clear answer as to which is correct, and now my brain hurts too much to keep searching. Please help me.
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Modern Czechia comprises three historical provinces: Bohemia, Moravia, and [the Czech part of Silesia, with Silesia overall being mostly Polish]. Bohemia is basically Prague and northwestern Czechia, Moravia is Brno and the southeast, and Silesia is a narrow strip along the border with Poland.
I dunno if you had one ancestor who said he was Bohemian and another who said he was Czechoslovak, or if it was the same guy, and sometimes he said Bohemian, and other times Czechoslovak. Or maybe the list was just compiled when Czechoslovakia was still a thing, and some social-studies teacher insisted you had to pick a country from the almanac and Bohemia wasn’t in there.
Bohemia and Czechoslovakia are not exactly the same thing, but they are closely related. Bohemia is a historical region that covers most of the western part of the current Czech Republic. It was ruled by different dynasties and empires over the centuries, such as the Přemyslids, the Holy Roman Empire, the Habsburgs, and Austria.
Czechoslovakia was a country that existed from 1918 to 1992, except for a period during World War II when it was occupied by Nazi Germany. It was formed after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which had ruled over Bohemia and other lands. Czechoslovakia combined Bohemia, Moravia, Czech Silesia, Slovakia, and Carpathian Ruthenia into one state.
The people of Bohemia are mostly Czechs, who speak a Slavic language and have a distinct culture and history. The people of Czechoslovakia were a mix of different ethnic groups, such as Czechs, Slovaks, Germans, Hungarians, Ruthenians, and others. They had different languages, religions, and traditions.
In 1993, Czechoslovakia split into two independent countries: the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic includes Bohemia, Moravia, and Czech Silesia. Slovakia includes most of the former Slovak lands.
I understand that it can be confusing, but I’ll do my best to explain.
Bohemia and Czechoslovakia are related, but they are not the same thing.
Bohemia is a historical region located in what is now the western part of the Czech Republic. It has a long history and its own distinct culture, traditions, and language. So when someone says they have Bohemian ancestors, it means their ancestors come from that specific region.
Czechoslovakia, on the other hand, was a country that existed from 1918 to 1992. It was created after World War I and included not only Bohemia but also other regions like Moravia and Slovakia. Czechoslovakia was made up of different ethnic groups, including Czechs, Slovaks, and others.
So, while people from Bohemia can be considered Czech because Bohemia is part of the Czech Republic, not all Czechs necessarily have Bohemian ancestry.
To summarize, Bohemia is a region within the Czech Republic, and Czechoslovakia was a country that included Bohemia and other regions.
To add to what others have already stated it would suggest to me that these ancestors migrated at different times. Czechoslovakia existed from 1918 to 1992 and, being a nationality rather than an ethnic group, suggest this ancestor immigrated during this period. Someone calling themselves Bohemian is less definitive but suggests to me that they immigrated before 1918 when Bohemia was part of Austria-Hungary or Austria.
As an aside your Czechoslovak ancestor may have been from Slovakian and therefore of a slightly different ethnicity than your Czech Bohemian ancestor. And of course since both are regional/national descriptors it is possible that they were of locally ethnic minorities. Possibly German or Hungarian for example.
To make things really interesting, I have Czech/Bohemian ancestors and my 23andMe results shows that I have Polish ancestors. (But they’re really just the same people.)
Chances are, Czech or German. Up until 1945 Germans made up a decent chunk of the population.
how to say you are American without saying you are American. This understanding of ethnicity is strictly american and more precise is the division between national minority and ethnic minority. One of your ancestors was a czechoslovak national and the other came from Bohemian region which is an ethinc group in czechia
Short answer: Yes – Bohemia is the western half of the Czech Republic.
Longer answer: Ethnicity anywhere in the Old World is complex. Borders shift as wars and diplomacy are undergone, but the people usually stay in the same area. Middle Europe has seen a lot of countries come and go even over the last 100 years. Decisive ethnic factors are religion, village, and dialect. ‘Bohunk’ short for Bohemian was common slang used to denote any person of Slavic background in the USA for decades. There are Bohemian Societies spread out throughout the USA, but many middle europeans joined, not just ‘Bohemians’. Maybe these items muddied the waters. Czechoslovakia existed from 1918 to 1992 so I’m guessing your ‘Czechoslovakian’ ancestor immigrated during this time frame. Possibly your ‘Bohemian’ ancestor immigrated earlier when the Austro-Hungarian Empire claimed what is now the Czech Republic and his/her travel papers would’ve read something along the lines of – Nationality: Austro-Hungarian; Ethnicity: Bohemian.
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