Events / Program: Jan Patočka Fellowship

	Title	Date	Type Sort ascending	Speakers
	European Universities	Mon, 15.04.2019	Seminars and Colloquia	Christian Rogler Jakub Jirsa	European Universities Mon, 15.04.2019 Speakers: Christian Rogler Jakub Jirsa Series: Seminars and Colloquia Universities all around the globe nowadays find themselves in an almost schizophrenic situation: highly successful and growing on one hand, yet suffering from pressure and uncertainty on the other hand. The presentation will explain how this situation is caused by problems of accountability that universities face in the age of popular democracy. Secondly, it will more specifically discuss the problems of humanities departments in Central Europe. These institutions share the global problems, but in addition face specific problems that originate from the troubled history of the region (both before 1989 and after). In many cases, this leads to the failure of local universities to enact their own legislation that would create a transparent and stable environment for research and education. The talk referred to particular cases that nicely demonstrate the tremendous impact that these problems have on concrete university life. Read more
European Universities Mon, 15.04.2019 Speakers: Christian Rogler Jakub Jirsa Series: Seminars and Colloquia Universities all around the globe nowadays find themselves in an almost schizophrenic situation: highly successful and growing on one hand, yet suffering from pressure and uncertainty on the other hand. The presentation will explain how this situation is caused by problems of accountability that universities face in the age of popular democracy. Secondly, it will more specifically discuss the problems of humanities departments in Central Europe. These institutions share the global problems, but in addition face specific problems that originate from the troubled history of the region (both before 1989 and after). In many cases, this leads to the failure of local universities to enact their own legislation that would create a transparent and stable environment for research and education. The talk referred to particular cases that nicely demonstrate the tremendous impact that these problems have on concrete university life. Read more
	Idealism and Capitalism: Two Sides of the Beginnings of Private Higher Education in the Czech Republic	Tue, 19.04.2022	Seminars and Colloquia	Ludger Hagedorn Milada Polišenská	Idealism and Capitalism: Two Sides of the Beginnings of Private Higher Education in the Czech Republic Tue, 19.04.2022 Speakers: Ludger Hagedorn Milada Polišenská Series: Seminars and Colloquia The lecture will focus on the origins and early years of private colleges in the Czech Republic. Polišenská’s earlier research on this topic will be supplemented by the findings in the framework of her Fellowship investigating the impact of underground universities on the post-communist transformation of tertiary education in Czechia. The private higher education in Czechia, preconditioned by the collapse of Communism, was part of the post-communist transformation and was impacted by the dynamic international changes in higher education in the late 1990s and by the accession of the Czech Republic to the EU in 2004. Read more
Idealism and Capitalism: Two Sides of the Beginnings of Private Higher Education in the Czech Republic Tue, 19.04.2022 Speakers: Ludger Hagedorn Milada Polišenská Series: Seminars and Colloquia The lecture will focus on the origins and early years of private colleges in the Czech Republic. Polišenská’s earlier research on this topic will be supplemented by the findings in the framework of her Fellowship investigating the impact of underground universities on the post-communist transformation of tertiary education in Czechia. The private higher education in Czechia, preconditioned by the collapse of Communism, was part of the post-communist transformation and was impacted by the dynamic international changes in higher education in the late 1990s and by the accession of the Czech Republic to the EU in 2004. Read more
	Kidnapped from Nazism, or the Greek Tragedy of Central Europe	Mon, 18.05.2020	Seminars and Colloquia	Aspen Brinton Ludger Hagedorn Tomáš Korda Vlasta Kordová	Kidnapped from Nazism, or the Greek Tragedy of Central Europe Mon, 18.05.2020 Speakers: Aspen Brinton Ludger Hagedorn Tomáš Korda Vlasta Kordová Series: Seminars and Colloquia The paper recalls the essay The Tragedy of Central Europe, written by the Czech novelist Milan Kundera. Vlasta Kordova and Tomas Korda criticize the unhistorical cold-war image of the West that Kundera employs. In his reading, the Second World War just did not take place. They do not mean this objection as an external critique. Since why should someone be interested in Kundera’s omission, after all. They mean their criticism as immanent in the sense that ignoring the WWII, as the “truth” and result of the severe nationalism that was then spread across the continent, precludes the very possibility to apprehend the moral equality or equal legitimacy of the “socialist” East and the “capitalist” West. Since a tragic collision of two powers is set up only by their equal essentiality, Kundera cannot grasp the tragical dimension of the Cold War, and Central Europe respectively. Underpinned by the WWII and thereby elevated into the genuine Greek tragedy, the Cold War cannot know any victors, losers or pure victims and, moreover, both powers of equal essentiality must experience their own respective demise. Read more
Kidnapped from Nazism, or the Greek Tragedy of Central Europe Mon, 18.05.2020 Speakers: Aspen Brinton Ludger Hagedorn Tomáš Korda Vlasta Kordová Series: Seminars and Colloquia The paper recalls the essay The Tragedy of Central Europe, written by the Czech novelist Milan Kundera. Vlasta Kordova and Tomas Korda criticize the unhistorical cold-war image of the West that Kundera employs. In his reading, the Second World War just did not take place. They do not mean this objection as an external critique. Since why should someone be interested in Kundera’s omission, after all. They mean their criticism as immanent in the sense that ignoring the WWII, as the “truth” and result of the severe nationalism that was then spread across the continent, precludes the very possibility to apprehend the moral equality or equal legitimacy of the “socialist” East and the “capitalist” West. Since a tragic collision of two powers is set up only by their equal essentiality, Kundera cannot grasp the tragical dimension of the Cold War, and Central Europe respectively. Underpinned by the WWII and thereby elevated into the genuine Greek tragedy, the Cold War cannot know any victors, losers or pure victims and, moreover, both powers of equal essentiality must experience their own respective demise. Read more
	Social and Ecological Movements in “Apocalyptic Times”	Mon, 15.06.2020	Seminars and Colloquia	Adam Ramsay Ludger Hagedorn Matyáš Křížkovský	Social and Ecological Movements in “Apocalyptic Times” Mon, 15.06.2020 Speakers: Adam Ramsay Ludger Hagedorn Matyáš Křížkovský Series: Seminars and Colloquia Ecological discourses are in upheaval once again. After the 2018 IPCC report made clear that the timeframe to avoid the worst scenarios is rapidly shrinking, new societal groups have taken the streets. Discerning different strategies for social transformation and their respective relations to utopian/dystopian ecological imaginaries, the paper outlines three ideal types of social movements. This framework is then used to analyse Extinction Rebellion as the best known and most revolutionary newcomer – but also the most controversial, even for many ecological activists. What are the promises and possible dangers of this new attempt to revolutionize ecological issues? Read more
Social and Ecological Movements in “Apocalyptic Times” Mon, 15.06.2020 Speakers: Adam Ramsay Ludger Hagedorn Matyáš Křížkovský Series: Seminars and Colloquia Ecological discourses are in upheaval once again. After the 2018 IPCC report made clear that the timeframe to avoid the worst scenarios is rapidly shrinking, new societal groups have taken the streets. Discerning different strategies for social transformation and their respective relations to utopian/dystopian ecological imaginaries, the paper outlines three ideal types of social movements. This framework is then used to analyse Extinction Rebellion as the best known and most revolutionary newcomer – but also the most controversial, even for many ecological activists. What are the promises and possible dangers of this new attempt to revolutionize ecological issues? Read more
	The Sociological Truth of Fiction	Mon, 01.03.2021	Seminars and Colloquia	Jan Vana Kapka Kassabova Ludger Hagedorn	The Sociological Truth of Fiction Mon, 01.03.2021 Speakers: Jan Vana Kapka Kassabova Ludger Hagedorn Series: Seminars and Colloquia Social scientists often refer to literary fiction as a source of inspiration, social understanding, and deep insights into the “Zeitgeist” or “episteme”. In passing, they often subsume literature into conceptual frameworks, approaching it as “fictional” data to be translated or converted into “factual” scholarly discourse. This presentation tried to develop an epistemological-theoretical model which treats novels as allies endowed with their own agency – not passive objects to be gutted by sociological theory. Read more
The Sociological Truth of Fiction Mon, 01.03.2021 Speakers: Jan Vana Kapka Kassabova Ludger Hagedorn Series: Seminars and Colloquia Social scientists often refer to literary fiction as a source of inspiration, social understanding, and deep insights into the “Zeitgeist” or “episteme”. In passing, they often subsume literature into conceptual frameworks, approaching it as “fictional” data to be translated or converted into “factual” scholarly discourse. This presentation tried to develop an epistemological-theoretical model which treats novels as allies endowed with their own agency – not passive objects to be gutted by sociological theory. Read more
	Beyond the “Power of the Powerless“	Mon, 14.01.2019 - Mon, 14.01.2019	Seminars and Colloquia	Milan Hanys Muriel Blaive	Beyond the “Power of the Powerless“ Mon, 14.01.2019 - Mon, 14.01.2019 Speakers: Milan Hanys Muriel Blaive Series: Seminars and Colloquia A closer look onto the intellectual context of Havel’s famous essay reveals that, among Czechoslovakian dissidents, there were more serious critiques of his piece than outspoken supporters. The fact that Havel became an iconic figure of the 1989’s revolution and the successive road towards freedom makes it difficult to look impartially on the discourse of political thought in the 70s. However, does that fact imply that Havel‘s ideas on politics were practically better and theoretically more valuable than that of his critiques? The presentation tried to show that a study of this neglected and almost forgotten discourse may reveal something valuable for the political theory of power, authoritarianism, and dissent. Read more
Beyond the “Power of the Powerless“ Mon, 14.01.2019 - Mon, 14.01.2019 Speakers: Milan Hanys Muriel Blaive Series: Seminars and Colloquia A closer look onto the intellectual context of Havel’s famous essay reveals that, among Czechoslovakian dissidents, there were more serious critiques of his piece than outspoken supporters. The fact that Havel became an iconic figure of the 1989’s revolution and the successive road towards freedom makes it difficult to look impartially on the discourse of political thought in the 70s. However, does that fact imply that Havel‘s ideas on politics were practically better and theoretically more valuable than that of his critiques? The presentation tried to show that a study of this neglected and almost forgotten discourse may reveal something valuable for the political theory of power, authoritarianism, and dissent. Read more
	Slavic Bazaar: Performances and Instrumentalizations of the Slavic discourse 1791 - 2017	Mon, 10.01.2022	Seminars and Colloquia	Katherine Younger Ludger Hagedorn Tomáš Glanc	Slavic Bazaar: Performances and Instrumentalizations of the Slavic discourse 1791 - 2017 Mon, 10.01.2022 Speakers: Katherine Younger Ludger Hagedorn Tomáš Glanc Series: Seminars and Colloquia The ideology of Slavic unity and reciprocity has been a crucial pattern of European thought and culture since the beginning of the 19th century, and it is still relevant today. In his presentation, Tomáš Glanc will discuss the development, the teleology, and the typologies of this heterogeneous discourse. The talk will outline performative practices of “Slaventum” rich in contradictions, geopolitical phantasms and geopoetic fictions. Glanc will use examples from different disciplines such as literature, art, linguistics, but also referring to political essays, institutional history, and the history of gymnastics. Read more
Slavic Bazaar: Performances and Instrumentalizations of the Slavic discourse 1791 - 2017 Mon, 10.01.2022 Speakers: Katherine Younger Ludger Hagedorn Tomáš Glanc Series: Seminars and Colloquia The ideology of Slavic unity and reciprocity has been a crucial pattern of European thought and culture since the beginning of the 19th century, and it is still relevant today. In his presentation, Tomáš Glanc will discuss the development, the teleology, and the typologies of this heterogeneous discourse. The talk will outline performative practices of “Slaventum” rich in contradictions, geopolitical phantasms and geopoetic fictions. Glanc will use examples from different disciplines such as literature, art, linguistics, but also referring to political essays, institutional history, and the history of gymnastics. Read more
	Das Leben Passiert Nicht Außerhalb der Geschichte	Mon, 15.05.2023	Seminars and Colloquia	Radka Denemarková Ludger Hagedorn	Das Leben Passiert Nicht Außerhalb der Geschichte Mon, 15.05.2023 Speakers: Radka Denemarková Ludger Hagedorn Series: Seminars and Colloquia Im Fellows Colloquium präsentierte Radka Denemarková ihre literarische Auseinandersetzung mit dem intellektuellen Vermächtnis Václav Havels und Jan Patočkas. Im Hintergrund spielen jedoch die mitteleuropäischen Erfahrungen des 20. Jahrhunderts und insbesondere die tschechoslowakische Dissidenz eine wichtige Rolle. Read more
Das Leben Passiert Nicht Außerhalb der Geschichte Mon, 15.05.2023 Speakers: Radka Denemarková Ludger Hagedorn Series: Seminars and Colloquia Im Fellows Colloquium präsentierte Radka Denemarková ihre literarische Auseinandersetzung mit dem intellektuellen Vermächtnis Václav Havels und Jan Patočkas. Im Hintergrund spielen jedoch die mitteleuropäischen Erfahrungen des 20. Jahrhunderts und insbesondere die tschechoslowakische Dissidenz eine wichtige Rolle. Read more
	A New World (Dis-)Order	Wed, 02.09.2020	Panels and Discussions	Timothy SnyderLubomir Zaoralek, Dagmar Rychnovská	A New World (Dis-)Order Wed, 02.09.2020 Speakers: Timothy SnyderLubomir Zaoralek, Dagmar Rychnovská Series: Panels and Discussions The Czech Embassy in Vienna, in cooperation with the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) generously supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, invited for an evening discussion at the Czech Embassy in Vienna. The debate addressed the growing geopolitical insecurity and the new challenges posed by the global pandemic. Read more
A New World (Dis-)Order Wed, 02.09.2020 Speakers: Timothy SnyderLubomir Zaoralek, Dagmar Rychnovská Series: Panels and Discussions The Czech Embassy in Vienna, in cooperation with the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) generously supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, invited for an evening discussion at the Czech Embassy in Vienna. The debate addressed the growing geopolitical insecurity and the new challenges posed by the global pandemic. Read more
	1989 in a Day	Wed, 06.11.2019	Panels and Discussions	Aleksandra Głos Andrzej Waskiewicz Holly Case Ivan Vejvoda Kateryna Ruban Philipp Ther Volodymyr KulykErhard Busek, Vuk Velebit, Ralf Beste, Dagmar Rychnovská, Georgi Pirinski, Jana Tsoneva, Jennifer Bergerova, Raluca Alexandrescu	1989 in a Day Wed, 06.11.2019 Speakers: Aleksandra Głos Andrzej Waskiewicz Holly Case Ivan Vejvoda Kateryna Ruban Philipp Ther Volodymyr KulykErhard Busek, Vuk Velebit, Ralf Beste, Dagmar Rychnovská, Georgi Pirinski, Jana Tsoneva, Jennifer Bergerova, Raluca Alexandrescu Series: Panels and Discussions This is a series of conversations spanning various Eastern and Central European societies between someone, who was an active participant, or a close observer, of an event on a crucial date in 1989, and a person, who was still very young in 1989. Both speakers will start with personal reflections that will be followed by a debate about the relevance of this date/event today. Read more
1989 in a Day Wed, 06.11.2019 Speakers: Aleksandra Głos Andrzej Waskiewicz Holly Case Ivan Vejvoda Kateryna Ruban Philipp Ther Volodymyr KulykErhard Busek, Vuk Velebit, Ralf Beste, Dagmar Rychnovská, Georgi Pirinski, Jana Tsoneva, Jennifer Bergerova, Raluca Alexandrescu Series: Panels and Discussions This is a series of conversations spanning various Eastern and Central European societies between someone, who was an active participant, or a close observer, of an event on a crucial date in 1989, and a person, who was still very young in 1989. Both speakers will start with personal reflections that will be followed by a debate about the relevance of this date/event today. Read more