The Czech Reader: History, Culture, Politics

INTRODUCTION I.BETWEEN MYTH AND HISTORY (The Premyslid Dynasty) Report on a Journey to Prague in 965 / Ibrahim ibn Yaqub at-Turtushi Legend of Saints Cyril, Methodius, Wenceslas and Ludmila / Kristian Bohemian Chronicle / Cosmas Letter to Agnes of Prague / Clare of Assisi II. NAVEL OF THE WORLD (Charles IV) Chronicle of the Prague Church / Bene' Krabice of Weitmile The Ointment Seller / Anonymous Tkadlecek / Anonymous III. AGAINST EVERYONE (Hussite Revolution) Letter to the Czechs / Jan Hus Who are God's Warriors? / Hussite hymn Letter to the Hussites / Joan of Arc The Net of Faith / Petr Chelcicky IV. STRUGGLES FOR CITY, COURT, COUNTRY (Vladislav II-Rudolph II) Dove and Picture / Elizabeth Jane Weston To the Memory of Tycho Brahe / Jan Campanus Description of Prague in the time of Rudolph II / Pierre Bergeron Letter of Majesty of Rudolph II V. DEFEATED PROTESTANTS, VICTORIOUS CATHOLICS (Ferdinand II-Charles VI) Labyrinth of the World and Paradise of the Heart / Komensky Jan of Nepomuk / Bohuslav Balbin The Rakovnice Christmas Play / Anonymous VI. FROM THE ENLIGHTENMENT TO ROMANTIC NATIONALISM (Maria Teresa to the Revolution of 1848) On Slav Nations / Johann Gottfried Herder Ms. of Zelena Hora (Judgment of Libu'e) / Hoax Home Cookery / Magdalena Dobromila Rettigova History of the Czech Nation in Bohemia and Moravia / Franti'ek Palacky May / Karel Hynek Macha Where is My Home? / Josef Kajetan Tyl VII. DEFEATED POLITICIANS, VICTORIOUS INTELLECTUALS (1848-1867) Water Sprite / Karel J. Erben Grandmother / Bouena Nemcova "Let Us Rejoice" from Bartered Bride / Bedrich Smetana libretto by Karel Sabina VIII. FROM NATIONAL SELF-DETERMINATION TO COSMOPOLITANISM (1867-1918) The Three Lilies / Jan Neruda The Ballad of Blanik / Jaroslav Vrchlicky Late Towards Morning / Karel Hlavacek Letter from the New World / Antonin Dvorak Golem / Alois Jirasek Report to an Academy / Franz Kafka Sole Work / Otokar Brezina Marycka Magdonova / Petr Bezruc IX. THE FIRST CZECHOSLOVAK REPUBLIC (1918-1938) The Fateful Adventures of Good Soldier evejk / Jaroslav Ha'ek R.U. R. / Karel Capek Valerie and Her Week of Wonders / Vitezslav Nezval Summer of Caprice / Vladislav Vancura X. BETWEEN HITLER AND STALIN (1938-1948) Munich Agreement At the Tomb of Czech Kings / Jaroslav Seifert Life with a Star / Jiri Weil On the Elimination of the Czech People / Reinhard Heydrich The Cowards / Josef ekvorecky A Little Boy's Hair Was Cut Right down to the Scalp / Josef Kainar XI. "IDEAL" SOCIALISM (1948-1968) From the Last Letters / Milada Horakova Cigarette / Ivan Blatny Prometheus's Liver / Jiri Kolar A Night with Hamlet / Vladimir Holan The Garden Party / Vaclav Havel The Joke / Milan Kundera Two Thousand Words / Ludvik Vaculik Close the Gate, Little Brother / Karel Kryl XII. "REAL" SOCIALISM (1968 - 1989) Magic Prague / Angelo Maria Ripellino In-House Weddings / Bohumil Hrabal Head of the Virgin Mary / Jaroslav Seifert What are Czechs? / Jan Patocka Charter 77 Czech Dream Book / Ludvik Vaculik Politics and Conscience / Vaclav Havel Culture / Gene Deitch Utz / Bruce Chatwin XIII. AFTER THE VELVET REVOLUTION (1989-- ? ) City Sister Silver / Jachym Topol Prague 1989, Theater of Revolution / Michael Andrew Kukral Czech-German Declaration After the Revolution / Erazim Kohak Europeana. A Brief History of the Twentieth Century / Patrik Ourednik April 5, 2009 Speech in Prague / Barack Hussein Obama Epilogue Notes Acknowledgments Suggested Reading