Czech Lands Research Articles

Trial by Theatre: Reports on Czech Drama by Day Barbara (review)

SEER, 98, 3, JULY 2020 570 Day, Barbara. Trial by Theatre: Reports on Czech Drama. Dramatica. Karolinum Press, Prague, 2019. 320 pp. Illustrations. Dramatis personae. Titles of Czech and Slovak plays, operas films. Select bibliography. Notes. Index. CZK 420.00 (paperback). For a literature only widely known for a few writers, Czech literature is unusually blessed with books in English about its theatre, notably by Paul Trensky, Marketa Goetz-Stankiewicz, Jarka Burian and, most recently, Jan Čísař. In its scope, accessibility and chronological structure, Barbara Day’s survey of the history of modern Czech theatre is closest to Burian’s 2000 monograph; indeed, she approvingly cites its subtitle — ‘Reflector and Conscience of a Nation’ — in support of her own ‘exploration of why the theatre is central to the social and political history of the Czech lands’ (p. 13). This socio-political approach explains why publishers are so receptive to the topic, but privileges description over interpretation and tends to reduce works to how they reflect the politics of their times. Day characterizes Trial by Theatre as a handbook. It is addressed to a general reader interested in significant but less familiar national theatres. Those working on Czech literature or cultural history will appreciate the wealth of references, and especially the short descriptions of notable productions, but will need to look elsewhere for detail and analysis. Day prioritizes breadth, briefly covering topics as varied as the links between modern Czech theatre and its medieval and folk counterparts, its response to different international influences, movements and theories, and its relationship to related artforms like cabaret and cinema. These topics appear against the background of theatre’s relationship to the nation, from the ‘national revival’ of the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to the 1939–45 German occupation and the Communist period. Day inevitably has to condense contexts, concepts and episodes into often just a few sentences that cannot accommodate complexity or debate. This method particularly affects the presentation of Czech history, which conforms in a measured way to the dominant national narrative of noble resistance in the face of externally imposed adversity. If Day’s book has an argument, it is that Czech theatre evolves from being a ‘tool for survival in the hands of a nation that felt existentially threatened’ to ‘asking increasingly difficult questions, instinctively analysing and subverting any ideological programme. In its role as the conscience of the land, the theatre has been educational without being didactic, ethical without being self-righteous. Although often intensely political, it did not condemn or endorse, but invited theatregoers to decide for themselves’ (pp. 14–15). This description could be applied by a liberal intellectual to the best theatre of any nation, and is sustainable for certain works by writers like Klicpera, Preissová, Josef Topol REVIEWS 571 and Vostrá, and brilliant productions of Czech and international works by E. F. Burian, Jiří Frejka, Jan Grossman and others discussed here. Day does not, however,typicallyhighlightthemanyworksthatareunequivocallymoralizing, didactic and self-righteous, serve rather than subvert political programmes, advocate conformity or are simply shallow; moreover, important figures (for example, Karel Sabina, Vítězslav Nezval and Pavel Kohout) seem to fade in and out depending on how far they fit the narrative. Day’s almost nostalgic perspective derives from her close personal acquaintance with Czech theatre from the extraordinary variety and energy of the 1960s liberalization, through the years of dissent, to the central role played by theatre people and spaces as Communism fell. This connection manifests itself in the dominance in her book of not only this period and its political values over any other, but also a breathless, encyclopaedic focus on people, frequently brought to life through short, amusing or touching anecdotes. The textual aspect of theatre is subordinate here to the lived world of directors, actors, designers, scholars and audiences interacting with one another and the world outside. Trial by Theatre reflects its author’s long-standing work as an advocate for Czech theatre through translation, writing and teaching and as an ally of proponents of Czech civil society before and after 1989. It is attractively presented in large-size paperback with numerous photographs and images and includes a useful select bibliography of both...

ORTHODOX CHURCH ON KAREL FARSKÝ. ON THE BATTLE OF THEOLOGICAL ORIENTATION OF THE CZECHOSLOVAK CHURCH (HUSSITE) IN THE 1920s

One hundred years have passed since 1920 and the ‘Czech schism’, which is considered to be the foundation of the national Czechoslovak (Hussite) Church. It was created as a result of the reform movement of the Catholic clergy after the end of the Great War and the constitution of an independent Czechoslovak Republic on the ruins of the Habsburg Monarchy. The clergy, who were dissatisfied with the position of the Catholic Church in the empire and with some matters of the Church life and priests that had not been addressed in the long term, set out a programme for the reform of the Catholic Church in Czech lands. His demands were directed towards the autonomous position of the church, the introduction of the national language into services, the democratisation of the organisation of the church, and the reform of clerical celibacy. After the Roman Curia rejected the proposals, the reform movement’s radical wing decided to leave the church and form a national church. However, its establishment wasn’t sufficiently prepared and all fundamental issues of its existence, including its doctrine, were only solved after establishing the church. Two opinion wings were formed on this matter in the church. The first sought to accept the doctrine of the Eastern churches, the second, led by the future patriarch Karel Farský, set out the concept of a modern 20th century church. There was a fierce ideological fight between the two groups to promote their own concept until 1924. The aim of this study is to reflect the behaviour and activities of K. Farský by the spokespersons of the Orthodox-oriented section in the church.

Welfare kapitalismus: koncepty a motivace podnikatelů při řešení sociální otázky, 1900–1930

The social question emerged in the 19th century, and there were three basic ways to deal with it. The position of the working class could be improved either by the state or by the workers’ movement and the unions, while the third possible actor was the entrepreneurial class itself. The principle whereby it took upon itself the obligation to look after the social security of its workers is described, particularly in American literature, as welfare capitalism, which was particularly widespread in the United States of America. Its heyday was the 1900–1930 period. This study presents a definition of this term and analyses the question of the motives and motivations behind the American entrepreneurs who started taking social care of their employees. The article shows that these motives were very diverse. Although welfare capitalism is primarily understood to be a pragmatic concept, the philanthropic motives involved also had some weight. It is pointed out that American welfare capitalism shared a number of features with the industrial paternalism that was widespread throughout Europe. Hence usage of the concept of welfare capitalism can also enhance research into the social policy of industrial works in the Czech lands. The text also provides a lively discussion of the success or failure of welfare capitalism and of its duration.

Kauza Karel Domin. Případová studie k politicky motivovaným změnám ve složení akademické obce v letech 1945–1948

This study traces the sequence of interventions into the personnel composition of the academic community in the Czech Lands immediately after the end of WW2 using the prominent example of Karel Domin (1882–1953), former rector of the Charles University and a leading Czech botanist of the first half of the twentieth century. The authors first highlight Domin’s biography, his scientific contribution, and political engagements. Subsequently, they follow based on available official documents from archives the methods and procedures used in this case. This leads to a reconstruction of their temporal sequence, which spans the period between the liberation of Czechoslovakia in May 1945 and Communist takeover in February 1948.

Milada Paulová a pražská univerzita: historická slavistika

The subject of this contribution is the academic career of Czech historian Milada Paulova, the first woman who managed to reach the highest academic ranks in Czechoslovakia. Milada Paulova focused on modern history, on mapping anti-Habsburg resistance in the Czech Lands and in countries, which later formed Yugoslavia. Following the wishes of Jaroslav Bidlo, she was also active in Byzantine studies. Her interest in recent history provoked a number of questions, such as: Is the study of recent past really a science? Can one apply to it traditional scientific methods and maintain scientific independence of political pressures? Milada Paulova’s interest in the subject was fully vindicated only after the Second World War, when modern history became an independent area within the historical sciences.

From Velvet Revolution to Purple Dissolution: Dismantling of Czechoslovakia From Above

The demise of Czechoslovakia after seventy-five years of turbulent history is a curious case that challenges routine categories of secession and their dynamics. From the many variables involved, one stands out: the Czech political elite elected in 1992 preferred the dissolution of the federation over an arrangement that would cripple their single-minded vision of economic transformation. The Slovak leaders, left with little choice and maneuvered into nationalistic rhetoric, acquiesced. In defiance of the opinion of the Czech and Slovak citizens, the 1992 victors dismantled the common state within months. Czechoslovakia had already had its share of experience with rapid disintegration. In 1939, Slovakia seceded from the common state to avoid annexation by Hungary and the Czech lands became a German protectorate. In 1992, the Czech and Slovak political elites were particularly vested in dissolving Czechoslovakia through a constitutional agreement backed by the federal parliament to avoid the charge of secession on either side. In order to signal their readiness to join the Western institutions both the Czech and Slovak Republics applied the (not yet binding) Vienna Convention on Succession of States in Respect of Treaties.

Activities of the Theosophical Society and the Order of the Star in the East in the Czech Lands until 1939

The study shows the penetration of the Theosophical movement into Austro-Hungarian territory, highlighting this process in the Czech lands from the end of the 19th century. It also examines the development of the Theosophical movement in the territory of Czechoslovakia during the interwar period, and analyses the conflict that occurred in the Theosophical circles as the result of accepting or rejecting the teachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti, recognised as the manifestation of Majtreja, but also as the expected Messiah. The analysis also considers the activities of the Star Order in the East, which was founded for the purpose of spreading the teachings of Krishnamurti.

Between Science and Ideology. History of German Speaking Ethnography of Czech Lands

The study focuses on the chronological development of the ethnography of Germans living in the Czech Lands. The emphasis is put on its institutionalization and association with ideological concepts of the time. The ethnographical interest in Germans living in the Czech Lands dates back to the beginning of the 19th century. It focused on the lifestyle of the geographically and linguistically divided population. The disappearing traditions maintained in village communities were considered the most appropriate subject of study. After the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic, German ethnographers concentrated on topics related to the strengthening of identity of the new German society which became part of the Republic. This development enhanced the prestige of ethnography, which facilitated its institutionalization in the academic environment. During the interwar years, ethnography was considered an appropriate academic discipline that could legitimize many politically-related claims, and was, therefore, expected to solve many societal isssues. In the years 1938–1945, the ideological instrumentalization of ethnography in the Czech-German environment reached a qualitatively new level. This was reflected in the focus of research of the newly established academic institutions, which were supposed to — with the help of ethnographic methods — contribute to the “scientific” legitimacy of the expansion plans of the Nazi regime already implemented or being prepared at that time. A strong inclination towards ideologically formulated “applied” science led to and in the first half of the 1940s eventually resulted in the explicitly racist research on the issue of “blood mixing” and the active participation of many ethnographers in the preparation, and partly also in the realization of the Nazi idea of a “new Europe”. The history of Sudeten-German ethnography was terminated by the displacement of the German population from what is now the Czech Republic in the second half of the 1940s.

Physicians, Technologists, Economists: Nutritional Policy and Conflicts in Czech Lands

In spite of the official rhetoric emphasizing a society based on science, the political elites preferred economic factors and nutritional requirements based on the traditional industrial workers’ culture. The nutritional policy was set by economists and food “technologists”. The political weakness of the Health Care Department and a low interest on the part of top officials in nutrition, perceived by the masculine political elites as the domain of women, also undermined the position of nutritional experts. In 1968, after the victory of the reformist wing of the Communist Party, the desired improvements in nutritional science never actually happened. On the contrary, the occupation of Czechoslovakia in August 1968 and the emergence of new, orthodox communist elites further deepened the prevailing negative trend. In reality, the ruling politicians never had enough authority to enforce greater changes in the eating habits of the broader population.

Ohlédnutí za první štací výstavy Račte vstoupit do divadla

The traveling exhibition Please Enter Our Theatre and its respective exhibition catalogue represent a theatre playbill as a valuable subject of theatriological research as well as an attractive exhibit. The exhibition shows the theatre scene in the Czech lands from the mid-1600s to the mid-1900s, when the playbills have experienced the most wide-spread use, with overlaps to the present, when a theater poster took most of the playbill’s purposes upon itself. The exhibition also includes other objects pertaining to the productions of mostly Czech theatre companies from the vast collections of the National Museum’s Theatre Department, such as photographs, manuscripts, stage and costume designs, props, stage models, paintings, busts, costumes or puppets.

Svaz československého díla: muzeum jako platforma modernizace

The text demonstrates the metamorphosis of the new platform of modernization of the industrial society: The European Network of Museums of Decorative Arts in the second half of XIXth century. After the foundation of German Werkbund in 1907, the new wave of a reform movement concerning the quality of manufactured objects of everyday use arose, embracing both artistic and economic aims. Museums played an important role as a mediator of synergy between art and business. The formative task of the museums was the education in the matters of aesthetics and good taste, inspired by Deutscher Werkbund initiative: Gustav Edmund Pazaurek’s Department of Aesthetic Aberrations in Stuttgart and The German Museum of Art in Trade and Industry in Hagen. These strategies had influenced the museums in the Czech lands after the foundation of the Association of the Czechoslovak Werkbund and its cooperation with The Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague. Under Karel Herain, the director of the museum, the activism had been focused on art contests, exhibitions of local contemporary works, the industrial production and the networking with the contemporary producers abroad. The collaboration with the Swedish Werkbund in the 1930’s and the personality of Hugo Steiner-Prag reveal unusual and complex concepts of modernity in the core of the Association of the European Werkbund.

Mountain Service in the Czech Lands from Its Foundation until the Second World War

The aim of this thesis is to look back at the history of the Mountain Service and to introduce the readers of the article to the history of Mountain Service in the Czech Republic, which dates back to the period of the First Republic, that is around 1930. At that time there was a great development of community life in European countries and the same holds true for the Czech Republic. The development of tourism, mountain climbing and skiing resulted in a higher number of people coming to the mountain areas where they could enjoy their new hobby and share the delights of nature. It resulted in first injuries and distress caused partially by people´s lack of knowledge of the terrain, partially by weather instability and also by insufficient technical equipment and tools. The first rescue teams recruited from native inhabitants who knew the local terrain and mountain areas. The first participants in the rescue activities, who were only insufficiently technically equipped, were woodworkers, postmen, Slalom and Wintersportvereine ski schools instructors, firemen, as well as gendarmes. The increase in accidents and events needing help took place in winter 1934/35. During the first two weekends in February six people died on the ridges of the Giant Mountains. After these events the Provincial Office in Prague initiated the establishment of Mountain Service with the help of District Office in Vrchlabí and the District Governor JUDr. Vladimír Záboj Vaina. The District Office proceeded to the establishment of the Mountain Rescue Service.

Czech Medieval Codifications: The Code of Vladislav (1500)

Legal culture in the Czech lands was based on customary law. The nobility did not trust codification efforts of the Bohemian kings Přemysl Ottokar II and Wenceslaus II. Wenceslaus' codification efforts were finally executed only in the sphere of special laws. Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Roman Emperor, tried to publish the Maiestas Carolina code in 1355. The last law code was written under King Vladislav II Jagiellon in 1500 (“Vladislavské zřízení zemské” / “The Code of Vladislav”). The essay follows the article “Czech Codifications in the High Middle Ages” published in 2014 and closely introduces the Vladislav Code.

Coins of the Ottoman Sultans Found in the Territory of the Czech Republic from 1996 to 2018

Ottoman coins have been registered in the Czech Lands since the beginning of the 18th century and have been systematically documented since the mid-19th century. The latest actualization comes from 1996, but the following massive use of metal detectors showed a serious need for a new summarization. Up until 2018, some 151 hoards/ single finds with the Ottoman coins, forgeries, and jetons have been registered in the territory of the Czech Republic. These coins came to the mentioned territory via the Ottoman European expansion since the 16th century, and their flow reached its peak in the 17th century. The massive appearance of the Ottoman coins in Bohemia, partly in Moravia and Silesia, in the 17th century represents a phenomenon connected with the Thirty Years War. In south and central Moravia, it is explained by the direct military impact of the Ottoman armies. The later import of these coins is associated with the Napoleonic Wars and with the Austro-Hungarian period through its Balkan connection.

The Re-Catholicisation of Czech Lands (Based on the Materials of the Reformation Commission 1627–1629)

The Re-Catholicisation of Czech Lands (Based on the Materials of the Reformation Commission 1627–1629)

Development of the School System of the Czech Lands in 1918–2020. A View of the School Legislation after one Hundred Years of the Republic

The paper presents a chronological outline of the development of school legislation and the school system of the Czech Lands from 1918 to the present. Captured are changes after historical breaks, as well as efforts for gradual conceptual changes. The topics addressed are as follows: The development of the Czechoslovak education system after the establishment of an independent democratic state in 1918; its form during the Nazi occupation and during more than forty years of the communist government; and the way of searching for the form of Czech education after the fall of the communist regime in 1989.

Football Stadiums and the Production of Space in Czech Cities until 1939

Sport has become a significant part of our lives in the modern era and sporting sites contribute considerably to the image and texture of modern cities. Regarding the popularity of sport, especially football, the stadium has become an important modern space where specific kinds of social interaction take place. Despite the fact modern stadiums had their pre-modern models, they have been transformed substantially, so that we can talk of new urban spaces. This paper shows how football pitches gradually turned into stadiums, using the example of the Czech lands. The choice is by no means autotelic: interwar Czechoslovakia had one of the most successful football teams on the continent.

Neo-nationalism in the Czech Republic and Its Self-presentation on Social Networks Using the Example of Facebook

Neo-nationalistic movements, extreme right-wing organisations, and right‑wing parties are booming not only in Europe; they can be found in nearly all western societies, and, in some countries, they form an inherent part of the political system and participate in government, playing an active role in civil society, organising demonstrations and festivals and publicly providing information about their ideas. In doing so they are gaining influence not only on the political scene, but their topics also affect the opinions and debates of the general public. Neo-nationalistic right-wing movements are common in, for example, Germany and France, and especially in the Central European countries of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. They consider themselves to be ‘patriots’, whose aim is to ‘protect’ their own national culture and nation as such from foreign life forms and religions. This kind of ‘protection’ refers mainly to cultural, ethnic and religious issues. In my contribution, I deal with two neo-nationalistic movements in the Czech Republic and analyse how they present themselves on social media (Facebook). The main focus of my research are Internet memes, through which I want to show how the organisations fight against multiculturalism and open society. The present contribution is divided into three parts: first I provide a brief historical overview of the development of right-wing extremism in the Czech lands, the second part deals with the current situation regarding neo-nationalistic movements in the Czech Republic, and the last presents my research on Internet memes and attempts at categorising them, aiming not only to show the different types of memes but also to discover the strategies, argumentation and ideas of neonationalistic movements.

Travels by the Czech teacher and school director František Slaměník in the footsteps of Comenius in Poland and the Netherlands as evidence of commitment to the comeniology

At the turn of the 20th century, the interest in John Amos Comenius’ legacy was on the rise. While various basic monographs and studies were published at the time, his biography still contained a lot of uncertainties and the list of his works was incomplete. In addition to histori-ans, some teachers who admired Comenius engaged in searching for new facts that would con-tribute to answering some issuable questions. One of them was František Slaměník, the founder of the oldest Comenius Museum. This paper focuses in detail on Slaměník’s reports from his private travels abroad to places linked to Comenius’ life. Slaměník’s texts are interesting evi-dence of comeniological discourse in the Czech lands at the last quater of 19th century with overlap to the beginning of 20th century.

Czech medical personalities in Vienna during the 19thcentury.

During the entire 19thcentury, Czech lands (Bohemia and Moravia) were part of the Austrian Empire (from 1867, Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy). Obviously, there used to be quite frequent migration of Czechs of all social groups towards Austria, particularly to the capital Vienna. It is estimated that in the year 1900, from the 1.6million inhabitants of Vienna, there were 250-300 thousand Czechs. And this tendency concerned also medicine. In this paper, the most important Czech-born medical personalities working in Vienna in the 19thcentury will be briefly presented-in pathology Wagner, Rokitansky, Kolletschka, and Dlauhy; in internal medicine Skoda, Oppolzer, Duchek, and Chvostek; in surgery Pitha and Albert; in physiology and ophthalmology Prohaska; in pediatrics Bednar; and in dermatology Hebra.