070294 UE Guided Reading Austrian History 2 - History of Czech Lands After 1815 (2024S)

The history of the Czech lands in the 19th and 20th centuries is a story of turbulent political, social, and economic changes. While the long nineteenth century is inevitably linked to the Habsburg monarchy, after 1918, the Lands of the Czech Crown – newly within the state of Czechoslovakia – entered a new phase of their existence. In the course of eighty years, the state has radically changed its nature multiple times, surviving two eras of totalitarian regimes.
The aim of this course is to introduce participants to the themes that defined the lands of the Czech Crown between 1815 and 1989 through the innovative or influential texts of Czech and foreign authors. Although the course will follow the basic axis established by the major historical-political turning points (1848, 1918, 1938, 1945, 1968, or 1989), the aim is not to provide an extensive insight into political history. Rather, the guided reading will deal with social issues, on the basis of which it will try to present the fundamental changes of identities in the territory of today’s Czech Republic. At the same time, the course will highlight topics that resonate and move the Czech public space to this day. The course enriches the current curricula by focusing on non-Austrian space, deepening participants' knowledge of the country that was part of the monarchy and its fate after the dissolution of the Habsburg Empire. Moreover, it clarifies many processes and experiences (national renascence, nationality issues, new identity-building, lived experience of totalitarianism, etc.) that are not relevant only for the Czech lands but for small states in Central Europe in general.