Komunističtí intelektuálové a proměna jejich vztahu ke KSČ (1945-1989)
Communist intellectuals and the transformation of their relationship to the CPC (1945-1989)
Author(s): Jan Rychlík, Vlasta Jaksicsová, Norbert Kmeť, Jiří Křesťan, David Kovařík, Ján Gavura, Zdeněk Doskočil, Adam Hudek, Jaroslav Pinkas, Petr Kopal, Kamil Činátl
Contributor(s): Jaroslav Pažout (Editor)
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, History, Social Sciences, Theatre, Dance, Performing Arts, Education, Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Media studies, Communication studies, Political history, Social history, Recent History (1900 till today), Special Historiographies:, History of Education, History of Communism, Film / Cinema / Cinematography, Politics of History/Memory
Published by: Ústav pro studium totalitních režimů
Summary/Abstract: Opravdu se sem těch několik zvláštních bolestných slov na rozloučenou nehodí? Takto přece odcházela ztracená generace mladých, kteří umřeli na válku nemající do té doby v dějinách obdobu. Takto odcházeli i příslušníci dalšího pokolení, jež pohltily flanderské, verdunské, karpatské, tannenburské, piavské mlýnky na maso. Mnozí z těch, kteří přece jen přežili, se v odpovědích na neodbytnou otázku otázek, jak se to mohlo stát, obrátili proti řádu, který ještě nedávno vypadal na civilizační triumf a důstojný život, a teď se jevil téměř jako inspirátor útoku pochybné či zneužité civilizace na lidské žití. Vzplanuly barbussovské ohně hněvu a zároveň touhy, aby bylo jinak.
- Print-ISBN-13: 978-80-87211-93-9
- Page Count: 254
- Publication Year: 2013
- Language: Czech
Čeští a slovenští intelektuálové a jejich vztah ke komunistické straně v kontextu východní Evropy
Čeští a slovenští intelektuálové a jejich vztah ke komunistické straně v kontextu východní Evropy
(Czech and Slovak intellectuals and their relations to the communist party in the context of Eastern Europe)
- Author(s):Jan Rychlík
- Language:Czech
- Subject(s):Political history, Social history, Modern Age, Recent History (1900 till today), History of Communism
- Page Range:18-31
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:Easter Europe; communist party; Czechoslovakia; intellectuals; USSR;
- Summary/Abstract:The whole Marxist-Leninist theory is quite complex and its understanding requires a specific knowledge of philosophy and economy, and even advanced ability of abstract thinking. Only people of elites with their education, insight and management skills were able to become real leaders of the communist movement. Intellectuals were important part of these elites. They did not earn their living by physical work, but contemplated about world and its problems. After the Great War the communists thought that the Russian revolution was only a beginning of the world revolution and establishment of other soviet republics. At first the USSR was supposed to be a global union of states. In reality was this state continuously matched with former Russia, that was indeed its biggest part. This term was used this way not only beyond borders, but by communists too. Understanding of the communist idea by intellectuals was in Eastern Europe influenced by relations their specific state/nation had with Russia during the course of history. This did not prove to be an issue in the case of Czech and Slovak intellectuals of the interwar and post-war Czechoslovakia, because they traditionally and openly inclined to Russia. This attraction was only strengthening in the Second World War:USSR („new socialist Russia“) became an ally and liberator. Similar situation existed in Bulgaria and Yugoslavia immediately after the war. On contrary Poland, Hungary and Romania were rusophobic due to previous encounters. Communists in the countries mentioned above (not very numerous after war) were perceived as a fifth column instead of heroes of the anti-Nazi resistance. As a result the relation of the intellectuals in these countries was ambivalent or negative towards the local communist parties.
Komunistický intelektuál - víťaz hodnotového sporu v „medzičase“ pred komunistickou diktatúrou
Komunistický intelektuál - víťaz hodnotového sporu v „medzičase“ pred komunistickou diktatúrou
(A communist intellectual - the winner of the argument of values in the “break” before the communist dictatorship)
- Author(s):Vlasta Jaksicsová
- Language:Czech
- Subject(s):Political history, Social history, WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism
- Page Range:32-53
- No. of Pages:22
- Keywords:Czechoslovakia; communist party; 20th century; postwar period; intellectuals;
- Summary/Abstract:The story of the European “communist intellectual” (Czech or Slovak intellectuals included) began in 1920s. It was him, who used the crisis of the modern society to spread the myth of just heaven in Lenin’s soviet Russia (after 1917) and in 1930s in Stalin’s Soviet Union. The disillusion caused by the failure of the European civilization and demise of the “old world” and its order in the first world war played a crucial role in establishment of the leftist oriented European avant-garde of the 1920s. Repeated (and intensified) feeling of disappointment from the failure of the civilization was brought by the second world war and invigorated the mind of the communist intellectual in his faith in the communism as the only possible and right social project. In the minds of the people became the end of the Second World War a psychological, economical and cultural turning point. The war disintegrated traditional system and created new ones in a time, when return of the past looked thanks to previous war experience inconceivable. In the Czech-Slovak and wider European context was the war followed by three years of rivalry between socialist and communist view on democracy and the liberal and conservative Christian democracy. Dispute over values (ideal, esthetical, ideological and concepts and visions) was a result of a deep and fundamental change of the reality of the post-war society, which was the cause of the inclusion of Slovakia as part of the renewed Czechoslovak republic in the Stalin’s sphere of interest. This (in foreign affair context and with the victory of democracy over fascist dictatorship) was comprehended as a leftist or socialist choice of values in the local cultural and social conditions that limited pluralism and got a label of “people democracy”. It is not very surprising, that the war of values between communist left with liberal or conservative right became a conceptual part of a wider cultural and artistic discourse in Slovak environment, where literature and journalism played an important role in the society. It is well known that communist intellectual triumphed in this important fight in the Eastern Europe under Stalin’s control. He was convinced that his only conceivable way of life is a communist way. “Soviet ally” and a big “Slavic brother” for European “liberating” project entered a favorable times for imposing socialist ideas in the heads of important political and cultural elites of post-war Czechoslovakia.
Intelektuáli na Slovensku v rokoch 1948 - 1989 a premena ich vzťahu ku KSČ
Intelektuáli na Slovensku v rokoch 1948 - 1989 a premena ich vzťahu ku KSČ
(Slovak intellectuals and evolution of their relations to the Communist party of Czechoslovakia from 1948 till 1989)
- Author(s):Norbert Kmeť
- Language:Czech
- Subject(s):Political history, Social history, Recent History (1900 till today), WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism
- Page Range:54-73
- No. of Pages:20
- Keywords:Czechoslovakia; 20th century; postwar period; communist party; Slovak intellectuals;
- Summary/Abstract:At least till 19th century an argument has been led about who is or is not an intellectual and what is his role in the society. Vague definition of “intelligence” and “intellectual” is also a part of this discussion. There are in fact many definitions of the word “intellectual”. A basic determination of an intellectual is to express his thoughts on social, political and cultural issues of the society and the era. He presumes that he is going to influence the society and he expresses various views on policy and power. Most of the intellectuals were interested in having their own position of power. In case of the relationship intellectual-power (not only a communist power) resulted in most cases in the personal and public disillusion from actual course of history. On the outside initially profitable cooperation ends with a disillusion of both involved parties. After 1948 the intellectuals not only accepted Marx-Leninist teaching, some of them left it off. After they got to know the fundamentals of the very real and matter-of-fact collective faith, they returned to an individual and reality. There always were arguments between intellectuals and representatives of the communist establishment, form of these arguments relied on the phase the regime was undergoing – liberalizing or restrictive. Fundamental cause of this latent conflict arose from the question of to what degree could a representative of establishment tolerate or repulse intellectual freedoms.
Zdeněk Nejedlý, komunismus a problém „zrady vzdělanců“
Zdeněk Nejedlý, komunismus a problém „zrady vzdělanců“
(Zdeněk Nejedlý, communism and the case of “betrayal of scholars”)
- Author(s):Jiří Křesťan
- Language:Czech
- Subject(s):Political history, Social history, Recent History (1900 till today), History of Education, WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism
- Page Range:76-88
- No. of Pages:13
- Keywords:Czechoslovakia; Zdeněk Nejedlý; communist party; intellectuals; 20th century; postwar period; education; USSR;
- Summary/Abstract:The case of Zdeněk Nejedlý is a proof that inclination of intellectuals and artists to the communist party was not an uniform and simple process that could be expressed by a simple slogan like “betrayal of scholars”. Since the 1930s was the communist party able to intrigue a wider spectrum of citizens and the Second World War put a stress on the words about “defence of the nation” and united communists and non-communists. Communists gained a lot of credit and respect during the war against fascism and Soviet Union also benefited from this fact. Moreover the Stalinism found another boost in Czech countries. The plebeian democracy, inclination to equalitarianism, respect for authority, looking for foreign support and relying upon it, establishing national unity through repudiation of “enemies” – all these factors existed in Czech political thinking and vibrated with the voices of Stalinist bolshevism. The Nejedlý 1946 idea describing the communists as the followers of the best traditions of the Czech nation came out of his older thoughts about the necessity of socialist outcome of the course of the Czech history. In 1920s and 1930s Nejedlý maintained contacts with various socialist movements. He had objections towards the communist party and did not become its member until 1939 in Moscow. Until the fifties he described the communist program as a climax of the Masaryks program. The Nejedlý’s admiration of 19th century classics, of Palacký, Havlíček or Masaryk and acceptance of interwar avantgarde were to a certain extent an obstruction to rampaging radicals attempting to repudiate pre-revolution culture. He opposed the sovietisation of education in Czechoslovakia and prior to the passing of the education reform in 1953 he had to be dismissed from the office of the minister of education.
Stranický historik ve víru stranických dějin Pavel Reiman a jeho kariéra v KSČ
Stranický historik ve víru stranických dějin Pavel Reiman a jeho kariéra v KSČ
(The party historian in the whirlwind of the party history - Pavel Reiman and his career in the Communist party of Czechoslovakia)
- Author(s):David Kovařík
- Language:Czech
- Subject(s):Political history, Social history, Recent History (1900 till today), Interwar Period (1920 - 1939), WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism
- Page Range:90-112
- No. of Pages:23
- Keywords:Czechoslovakia; 20th century; postwar period; communist party; Pavel Reiman; historian; intellectuals;
- Summary/Abstract:The study analyses the life story of a top member of the KSČ Pavel Reiman in the almost half century long party career. It describes the time from his admission to communist organisation at the beginning of the 1920s till his exclusion from party in the time of first normalization purges in KSČ at the beginning of normalization. Reiman belonged to educated group and intelligence of the communist party – that influenced also the course of his career in politics and party, mainly in the section for culture in the secretariat of KSČ. Later he worked in the Institute of KSČ history, where he took part in creating the official party historiography. In the beginning of his party career Reiman exhibited allegiance to Bolshevik and Stalinist stream, but at the beginning of the 1950s, when the Stalinist era culminated, he was pushed away from position of power, which led at first to his inclination to the reform communism and eventually his final break up with communism. The study also analyses an important social and national factor, which influenced the whole Reiman’s party career. Reiman rose from German speaking Jewish intelligence. It had a deep impact on Reiman’s life, particularly in turbulent times from 1930s till 1950s. He involved himself in problems of nationhood, in German and Jewish question. As a German party member he had to put up with deviation of the party from an international conception to nationalization and to reduction of the influence of the German members. At the beginning of the fifties he had to face the antisemitism in KSČ as a member of a Jewish descent. He was also dragged as a witness into fabricated “anti-jewish” political process. Before the Second World War he managed to get into a conflict with the party leadership over ideology issues (case Fried, Guttmann’s affair), and after the war he came to grips with the Czechoslovak writers with his almost fanatical approach to the “purification” of the Czech literature. The study takes notice also of the role of Pavel Reiman as a party historian, author of two monographs about KSČ history, literary scholar and Germanist, who for instance helped to organize the Kafka conference in 1963.
Komunistický intelektuál Ladislav Novomeský
Komunistický intelektuál Ladislav Novomeský
(Communist intelectual Ladislav Novomeský)
- Author(s):Ján Gavura
- Language:Czech
- Subject(s):Political history, Social history, Recent History (1900 till today), Interwar Period (1920 - 1939), WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism
- Page Range:114-127
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:Czechoslovakia; 20th century; Slovak intellectuals; Ladislav Novomeský; communist party;
- Summary/Abstract:The life story of Ladislav Novomeský, Slovakian poet, Czech-Slovak journalist and a politician has been for a long time an object of interest of literature researchers, historians and journalists. This study analyses the milestones of Novomeský life journey and work and also describes some of the breaking points which are the product of individual-society interaction. The author calls attention to humanistic motives in Novomeský thoughts and work that after 1948 got him in some issues in conflict with various tendencies of the KSČ, the power in control of the whole society. J. Gavura makes an effort to describe a gradual change in the relationship between loyal communist “idealist” and course of history, which brought fame and success for Novomeský, but also ostracizing, prison and abuse of his name.
Historik ve spárech politiky Milan Hübl v šedesátých letech dvacátého století
Historik ve spárech politiky Milan Hübl v šedesátých letech dvacátého století
(Historic in the whirlwinds of politics - Milan Hübl in 1960s)
- Author(s):Zdeněk Doskočil
- Language:Czech
- Subject(s):Political history, Social history, Recent History (1900 till today), Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism
- Page Range:128-173
- No. of Pages:46
- Keywords:Czechoslovakia; 20th century; intellectuals; Milan Hübl; communist party;
- Summary/Abstract:Czech historian Milan Hübl (1927-1989) is mostly remembered in connection with the political career of Gustáv Husák, whom he helped to return to politics in 1960s. The contemporary historiography has paid a much lesser attention to Hübl’s polytematic research work and political activities during so-called Prague spring and dissent. In 1960s Hübl was one of the important intellectuals, who formed and influenced the public discourse in a reformist sense. His papers and disputations were a part of critical attacks of Czech and Slovak Marxist historians, who got rid of the restrictions of the dogmatic Stalinism and thought over the former schematic assessments of events from KSČ and Czechoslovak history. He was probably the first Czech post-war historian, who started to research the relations between Czechs and Slovaks. In the Czech environment he was particular thanks to a rare sensitivity to Slovak issues and empathy to opinions of intellectuals from Bratislava. He was aware, that the solution for relationship of the both nations is the key for the success of the reformist movement in the whole state. Interest in Slovak issues quickly dragged him into politics. He became to be well known in 1963–1964 period, thanks to his employment in Barnabitska Rehabilitative Committee and publishing of few papers criticizing attitude of Czech intellectuals to Stalin’s repressions. This led him into conflict with the party and he got a label of nonconformist rebel. In 1968 he entered the high politics. He became a chancellor of the University of Politics, he collaborated on preparations of the Constitutional Act on the Czechoslovak Federation and in August 1968 he became a member of the Central Committee of the Czechoslovak Communist Party. After the soviet occupation he had to face attacks of conservative dogmatics. Gustáv Husák, who became a first secretary of the Communist party of Czechoslovakia in April 1969 largely thanks to Hübl, disavowed him. Hübl was dismissed from all political positions, expelled from the party and prohibited from working in his field of specialization. He did not give up and took part in various activities of the reformist communist opposition, which led to his arrest. In summer 1972 he was sentenced to six and a half years in prison.
Ľubomír Lipták ako komunistický intelektuál
Ľubomír Lipták ako komunistický intelektuál
(Ľubomír Lipták as a communist intellectual)
- Author(s):Adam Hudek
- Language:Czech
- Subject(s):Political history, Social history, Recent History (1900 till today), Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism
- Page Range:174-189
- No. of Pages:16
- Keywords:Czechoslovakia; 20th century; Slovak intellectuals; Ľubomír Lipták; communist party;
- Summary/Abstract:Ľubomír Lipták was in various ways a perfect example of his generation’s Czech and Slovak Marxist intellectuals. His thoughts and ideology were formed by resolute support for the communist regime in the fifties, gradual revision of previous opinions in the sixties, active participation on social reform during Prague spring and consequent forced departure from research position in the times of normalisation. Analysis of this opinion arch allows us to describe a transformation of a loyal party historian to a critically thinking communist intellectual. “Destalinisation and self-reflection” combined with gradual liberalisation of the ideology oversight resulted inevitably in criticism of the communist regime and his top representatives. The fact, that Lipták’s critical analyses of the 20th century events exceeded the issue of Czech-Slovak settlement sealed his fate in normalisation. Changes in Lipták’s relationship to regime of socialist dictatorship in the same time illustrates shift in the communist establishment’s approach to intellectual elites. At the beginning of the fifties the establishment made an effort to „breed“ its own loyal intelligence only to find out that the communist party accomplished only to unintentionally create its own critics.
Intelektuál v normalizační propagandě Proměny obrazů intelektuála a jejich didaktické využití
Intelektuál v normalizační propagandě Proměny obrazů intelektuála a jejich didaktické využití
(Intellectual in normalization propaganda - Transformation of the image of an intellectual and its didactical utilization)
- Author(s):Jaroslav Pinkas
- Language:Czech
- Subject(s):Media studies, Political history, Social history, Recent History (1900 till today), Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism, Film / Cinema / Cinematography
- Page Range:192-212
- No. of Pages:21
- Keywords:Czechoslovakia; 20th century; postwar period; media; film; normalization propaganda; intellectuals; communist party;
- Summary/Abstract:First part of the text focuses on relationship between communist establishment and intellectuals. It describes two instances of intellectual involvement in a project of new society – at first in the bounds of Stalinism in the fifties, then in the bounds of the Socialism with Human Face in the second half of the sixties. Suppression of Prague spring and coming of normalization meant for most of the intellectuals ultimate break up with establishment, which projected itself in the way intellectuals were portrayed. Whereas the presentments of intellectuals in movies and later in television in the fifties and sixties granted them a decent portion of dignity, in seventies and eighties is the intellectual portrayed either as apolitical figure or as a seditious element. Intellectuals were ridiculed and lampooned, their function in society was taken over by other social groups (medicine doctors, educated engineers, party office holders, “wise men of the people”). The main focus of the second part of this text is the utilization of this topic in a classroom. Emphasis is stressed on legitimacy of this topic and its educational value (the values of intellectuals are to a large extent same as the educational objectives of the school). Specific methodical techniques are proposed, especially analyses of final portraits of intellectuals from a movie Hyppo (Hroch, director Karel Steklý) and 30 cases of major Zeman (Třicet případů majora Zemana) (episodes addressing year 1968). Possibility for comparing normalization portrayal of intellectuals with contemporary movies, for example from movie Walking Too Fast (Pouta, 2009, director Radim Špaček) is also introduced. Text also describes other possibilities for combining medial images with memories of personal observers.
Občan Brych a spol - Film, televize, intelektuálové a KSČ
Občan Brych a spol - Film, televize, intelektuálové a KSČ
(Citizen Brych and co. - Movie, television, intellectuals and Communist party of Czechoslovakia)
- Author(s):Petr Kopal
- Language:Czech
- Subject(s):Political history, Social history, Recent History (1900 till today), Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism, Film / Cinema / Cinematography
- Page Range:214-226
- No. of Pages:13
- Keywords:Czechoslovakia; 20th century; intellectuals; movie; television; ideology;
- Summary/Abstract:The first part of the study deals with specific function of the movies and TV in the communist system. Together with the repressive actions was the quasi-religious imagination a substance of modern totalitarism. It was quite similar to film propaganda, in other words – film was a main communist and Nazi tool for ideological manipulation. This tool provided the totalitarian regimes with the ability to change the whole society (including intellectuals) however it liked. Intellectuals of course played an important role as the enthusiastic creators of the film propaganda. In 1950s and 1960s the television became the principal “mouthpiece” of the communist ideology. Very soon a regimes own “think tank”, intellectual elites turned around and used mostly movies but television too to express critical opinions of many young dramaturgists, screenwriters and directors. The second part describes basic types of portrayal of intellectuals in television and movies: 1) Intellectual – asocial (enemy). He refuses to take part in creating of the new society, he undermines it and spreads ideological “infection”. Quite often we can find especially in the movies an example of hesitating intellectual, who “opens his eyes” and sets to work on the new society – becomes a member of the working class. In 1960s a perspective from “the other side” emerged and so did the type of intellectual-enemy/victim – Joke (Žert) and Larks on a String (Skřivánci na niti). 2) Intellectual-neutral. Intellectual is an apolitical person forced by the circumstances to express explicit view. In the 1950s is the most common intellectual the wavering, hesitant one, who eventually finds his way to the “right side”. 3) Intellectual-hero. The TV serials of the normalization era introduced rows of skilled specialist-communists with a college education. It was no longer true, that the right background was enough for holding a professional office.
Národní divadlo jako symbolické centrum paměti
Národní divadlo jako symbolické centrum paměti
(National Theater as a symbolic center of national memory)
- Author(s):Kamil Činátl
- Language:Czech
- Subject(s):Theatre, Dance, Performing Arts, Architecture, Political history, Social history, Recent History (1900 till today), Interwar Period (1920 - 1939), WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism, Politics of History/Memory
- Page Range:228-233
- No. of Pages:6
- Keywords:Czechoslovakia; 20th century; communist party; national theater; national memory; architecture; Aleida Assmann;
- Summary/Abstract:The study uses methodology “cultural memory studies” to feature the National Theater as a place of memory. It focuses on the building as a symbol and attempts to describe the way, in which the symbolic architecture represents the past and enters the memory praxis of the nation (decoration of the theater, canonical repertoire, festivities, collections and so-called theater trains as actions of national participation). The author adds a dynamic extent of remembrance to a traditional approach – place of memory as a depository of representations of history. He contemplates the National Theater as an “empty place” – a framework of a specific social and cultural context to deliver substance of the past. The study analyses the process of the National Theater constitution as a place of memory – especially in the connection with the 1881 fire. This “national tragedy” symbolized one of the most powerful experiences of the modern Czech nation, that as a strong shared affection reflected itself in the process of constitution of the national identity. In this instance the study utilizes theme of trauma used by Aleida Assmann in the frame of the memory studies. The study uses a few cases to demonstrate memory praxis closely linked to a symbolic space of the National Theater (production of the Čapek’s theater play the White Disease (Bílá nemoc) in 1937, role of the theater during political changes in 1989).
Summaries
Summaries
(Summaries)
- Author(s):Author Not Specified
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Theatre, Dance, Performing Arts, Media studies, Political history, Social history, Recent History (1900 till today), History of Education, Film / Cinema / Cinematography, Politics of History/Memory
- Page Range:234-242
- No. of Pages:9
- Keywords:Czechoslovakia; 20th century; communist party; intellectuals; education; ideology; culture; theater; media; film; politics; summaries;
Přehled autorů
Přehled autorů
(List of authors)
- Author(s):Author Not Specified
- Language:Czech
- Subject(s):Recent History (1900 till today)
- Page Range:244-245
- No. of Pages:2
- Keywords:authors list;
Seznam zkratek
Seznam zkratek
(List of abbreviations)
- Author(s):Author Not Specified
- Language:Czech
- Subject(s):Recent History (1900 till today)
- Page Range:246-247
- No. of Pages:2
- Keywords:abbreviations list;
Osobní rejstřík
Osobní rejstřík
(Personal register)
- Author(s):Author Not Specified
- Language:Czech
- Subject(s):Recent History (1900 till today)
- Page Range:248-254
- No. of Pages:7
- Keywords:personal register;