LFU:online

To enlarge students’ knowledge about the “neighbor next door” – from behind the “Iron Curtain”, Czechoslovakia / Slovakia. The course will pay most attention to the every-day life situations in the second half of the 20^th century. Looking at the issue with a 30 years gap since the fall of the regime.

An overview of the everyday life in (Czecho-) Slovakia under the totalitarian regime. The communist regime besides determining the political ideology of the state, defined at the same time also the daily and festive lives of people - their lifestyles, habits, social relations, social mobility paths and socialization strategies. Meanwhile, the authoritarian rule has built up an internal resistance of many people, as well as processes of adaptation to new conditions. These could not completely be removed of the “traditional” values.

The wide range of social strata within the Slovak society will be introduced; from rural to urban people, paying attention to conditions in agriculture, factories, transport, services, health and education. Even though we will mostly follow the everyday lives of common people, we will keep in mind that powerful politicians, distinguished scientists, famous actors were part of these lives as well – as role models or referential people. Fates of victims, persecuted, and oppressed people of the regime also illustrate the life from behind the Iron Curtain.

The course will be composed of lectures and seminars. As part of their seminar work, students will be asked to do basic internet research – adding topics, questions as well as visual material to the discussion (e.g. explore vtedy.sk and other possible sources). Lectures will also feature screenings of films, reading of fiction short stories and discussions on the issues of everyday life.

Written essay

Johnson, L. (1996): Central Europe: Enemies, Neighbors, Friends.

Karpinsky, P. (2015) The Dedalus Book of Slovak Literature

Kundera, M. (1992) The Joke (first published 1967)

Mannová, E.- Daniels. D. (2000) A Concise History of Slovakia

Mullek, M. and  Sherwood, J. (2017) Into the Spotlight. New writing from Slovakia. The anthology of Slovak literature.

One Hundred Years of Slovak Literature/ An Anthology

https://www.gwern.net/docs/fiction/2000-bratislava-onehundredyearsofslovakliterature.pdf

https://www.mzv.sk/documents/30297/2379606/SLOVENSKO_anglicke_nahlad.pdf/55225b6b-dab3-46c1-abc6-d117278dc270

Films on offer ( with English subtitles):

Hoří má panenko/ The Firemen's Ball (1967)

Medená veža /The Copper Tower (1970)

Vesničko má středisková / My Sweet Little Village (1985)

Kolja/ Kolya (1996) Kolya wins 1997 academic award for foreing language film