Češi a Bůh

The oldest representation of the Czech nation is to be find on the title page of the Prague manuscript of the book "De civitate Dei" of around 1170. The scholars who analysed this illustration believed it to be an expression of a specific Czech conception of Civitas Dei which has its roots in the local tradition. In this essay it is argued that it is rather the only preserved representation of the relationship of the God and nation and that this relationship conforms to the norm prevailing at that time all over Europe. What was specifically Czech was only the place of origin and the addressee of this message. -- This research was supported by the Research Support Scheme of the Central European University, grant No.: 101/93.