Culture, Civilization and Early Literature

An overview of the political, social and cultural history of the territory of actual Czech and Slovak Republic from the 9th century to 2000 with special emphasis on recognizing and understanding the Central Europe cultural area. Lectures based on key texts and personalities show the social processes in the historical Czech lands and in upper Hungary and their transformation into national state formations after 1918.
The content of the course is divided into two parts, which complement each other in a meaningful way. Literature deals with topics from older Czech and Slovak literature from the Middle Ages to the end of the 18th century with special emphasis on the cultural aspect of reading.
The second part deals with the Czech and Slovak cultural space from the perspective of the 20th century and is an entry condition for understanding the processes in Czech and Slovak society. In addition to the geopolitical situation of the Czech Republic and Slovakia in the 20th century, issues of national and wider regional identity (Visegrad Group, Slavism, Central Europe) at the intersection of the German, Slavic and Hungarian space will be presented. The focus will be on a regional development, an overview of art over time in the field of architecture, theater and film. The course deals with the attitude towards neighboring nations and nationalities (Germans, Hungarians, Poles, Ruthenians, Jews), issues of minorities, confessional affiliation and ethnological peculiarities.