Civilisations d'Europe centrale II

The course focuses on exploring the phenomenon of Czechoslovak dissidence, which was born at the dawn of 1977 and broke up following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The aim is to retrace its genesis and dynamics, focusing on its main protagonists and the various unofficial activities they carried out in the context of the Normalisation that was established following the fall of the Prague Spring in August 1968. Emphasis will also be placed on other unofficial or oppositional activities, with a view to deconfining the paradigm of dissidence by restoring its complexity and protean character.

To work on and develop a critical mindset in relation to a contemporary historical episode, with an acute understanding of what is at stake and why, while considering the transnational and plurivocal dimensions of a phenomenon that was and is open to interpretation.

Required and corequired courses

Ex cathedra courses and guest lectures.

Contribution to the teaching profile

Understand the political, cultural and historical issues that define the emergence of a phenomenon, grasp the notion of cultural transfer, compare different historical and cultural perspectives, analyse texts critically.

References, bibliography, and recommended reading

• Bolton, Jonathan. Worlds of Dissent: Charter 77, The Plastic People of the Universe, and Czech Culture under Communism. Harvard University Press, 2012.
• Brinton, Aspen E. Confronting Totalitarian Minds: Jan Patočka on Politics and Dissidence. Karolinum Press, 2021.
• Chenu, Roselyne. En lutte contre les dictatures : le Congrès pour la liberté de la culture (1950-1978). Éditions du Félin, 2018.
• Christofferson, Michael Scott. Les intellectuels contre la gauche : L’idéologie antitotalitaire en France, 1968-1981. Agone, 2009.
• Dissidences. Presses Universitaires de France, 2005.
• Entangled Protest: Transnational Approaches to the History of Dissent in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. Dirigé par Robert Brier. Fibre, 2013.
• Framing Public Life: Perspectives on Media and Our Understanding of the Social World. Édité par Stephen D. Reese et al. Routledge, 2001.
• Garton Ash, Timothy. La chaudière : Europe centrale 1980-1990. Gallimard, 1990.
• Gorbanevskaia, Natalia. Midi, place Rouge : Dossier de la manifestation du 25 août 1968 sur la place Rouge. Robert Laffont, 1970.
• Grémion, Pierre. PARIS-PRAGUE : La gauche face au renouveau et à la régression tchécoslovaque : 1968-1978. Julliard, 1985.
• Havel, Václav. Essais politiques. Calmann-Lévy, 1989.
• Jan Patočka : První skica k podobizně. OIKOYMENH, 2017.
• Jednoho dne se v našem zelináři cosi vzbouří: eseje o Moci bezmocných. Édité par Jiří Suk et Kristina Andělová. Ústav pro soudobé dějiny AV ČR, 2016.
• Mayer, Françoise. Les Tchèques et leur communisme : Mémoires et identités politiques. Éditions de l'École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, 2003.
• Moyn, Samuel. The Last Utopia: Human Rights in History. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2010.
• Nový historismus/New Historicism. Édité par Jonathan Bolton. Host, 2007.
• Procès à Prague. Le V.O.N.S : Comité de défense des personnes injustement poursuivies. Petr Uhl, Vaclav Havel, Jiri Dienstbier, Vaclav Benda, Otta Bednarova et Dana Nemcova devant leurs juges. 22-23 octobre 1979. François Maspero, 1980.
• Pynsent, Robert B. Pátrání po identitě. H & H, 1996.
• Rezek, Petr. Filosofie a politika kýče. OIKOYMENH, 1991.
• Skilling, Harold Gordon. Samizdat and an Independent Society in Central and Eastern Europe. Ohio State University Press, 1989.
• Suk, Jiří et al. Šest kapitol o disentu. Ústav pro soudobé dějiny AV ČR, 2017.
• Suk, Jiří. Politika jako absurdní drama. Václav Havel v letech 1975- 1989. Paseka, 2013.
• Szulecki, Kacper. Dissidents in Communist Central Europe: Human Rights and the Emergence of New Transnational Actors. Palgrave Macmillan, 2019.
• Tucker, Aviezer. The Philosophy and Politics of Czech Dissidence from Patočka to Havel. University of Pittsburgh Press, 2000.
• Wciślik, Piotr. Dissident Legacies of Samizdat Social Media Activism : Unlicensed Print Culture in Poland 1976-1990. Routledge, 2021.

Course notes

• Université virtuelle

Contacts

Astrid Muls
Astrid.Muls@ulb.be
 

Campus

Solbosch

Method(s) of evaluation

• Other

Other

Students will be assessed on the basis of a written assignment relating to one of the themes explored during the course.

Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)

The grade will be based on the written work submitted by the students (100%).

Language(s) of evaluation

• french
• (if applicable english )