| Unit name | Introduction to Czech History and Culture |
|---|---|
| Unit code | RUSS10038 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Chitnis |
| Open unit status | Open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Russian |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
In this unit, students will study the history of the Czechs chronologically from ‘Good King’ Wenceslas to President Havel. They will develop a sound introductory knowledge of key overarching themes and interpretations of Czech political and cultural history. Classes will focus on key figures, episodes or periods, including the reign of Charles IV, the early church reformer, Jan Hus, Bohemia and the Thirty Years War, the nineteenth-century National Revival, Tomáš Masaryk and the creation of Czechoslovakia, the German occupation and the Communist period. Alongside the study of competing historiographical interpretations, students will also explore works of literature, art, music and film created in a given period and/or representing it.
Students will a) have a sound introductory understanding of key episodes, events and figures in Czech history. They will also be able to b) discuss key recurring themes, including the Czech position between East and West, Czech-German relations and the role of nationalism in shaping and interpreting Czech history. They will also c) have a developing knowledge of Czech culture’s relationship with Czech history and Czech national identity, and will be able to d) analyse this relationship in key texts.
1 x weekly lecture, 1 x weekly seminar (split group)
2000-word essay (50%) plus 2-hour exam (50%), testing ILOs a-d.
Karel Erben, A Bouquet of National Folk Tales (1853) Jaroslav Hašek, The Good Soldier Švejk (1921) Mary Heimann, Czechoslovakia: The State that Failed, London, 2011. Derek Sayer, The Coasts of Bohemia: A Czech History, Princeton, NJ, 1998. R.W.Seton-Watson, A History of the Czechs and Slovaks, London, 1943.
