Czech Post

The history of Czech Post dates to the formation of Czechoslovakia in 1918, when the Ministry of Post and Telegraph Offices in charge of postal, telegraph, telephone and radio traffic was established. In 1925, the ministry formed Czechoslovak Post, which existed until 1939. In Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, postal services were entirely subjected to German interests and managed by Protectorate ministries.

After the war, Czechoslovak Post was nationalised in 1949, reorganised and then dissolved in 1952. It was turned into a state office, according to the Soviet model. In 1960, two ministries were merged in the process of centralisation and the Ministry of Transport was created. Soon, however, they became independent again (1963). Postal services were again merged with the ministry of transport in 1988, but only for a short time. In July 1989, postal services were again organised as a company. The state company Post and Telecommunication Authority Prague was founded.

After the fall of the communist regime in 1989, the company was split, resulting in the formation of Czech Post on 1 January 1992, after which postal services and telecommunications were entirely separated (the other company was SPT Telecom). After the formation of the independent Czech Republic on 1 January 1993, Czech Post became a state company.

It lost its monopoly on certain types of packages in the Czech Republic on 1 January 2013. Czech Post currently has more than 3 thousand branches on the territory of the Czech Republic and more than 20 thousand postboxes.

The so-called Main Post in Prague is located in Jindřišská Street 909/14. It was built in Neo-Renaissance style by architect Antonín Brandner it has been the post office building of Prague 1 since as early as 1873. The large hall has rich painting decorations created by Karel Vítězslav Mašek and is covered with a glass roof. In 1998, the building was declared a national cultural monument. Czech Post has had its headquarters in the building’s side wing, in the street Politických vězňů 909/4, since January 2008.

Those interested can also visit the Postal Museum with branches in Prague and Vyšší Brod.