Central Europe A common history? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxDyJ_6N-6A#t=173.838986

What does it look like? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YsAZHlg0RA Czech Republic What does it look like? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YsAZHlg0RA

Czech Republic Where is it? https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/%C4%8Cesk%C3%A1+republika/@49.8037633,15.4749126,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x470b948fd7dd8243:0xf8661c75d3db586f?hl=cs

Czech Republic Czechs and their historical experience ● important mediaeval kingdom under Charles IV (14th century) ● Czech invented protestantism in early 15th century (Jan Hus) ● The Hussite Revolution (wars in the first half of the 15th century, then a compromise) ● A century of religious tolerance (16th century) ● Defeat at the White Mountain (1620) – protestant nation absorbed by Catholic Habsburg, Austrian Empire – until 1918!

Czech Republic Czechs and their historical experience ● The Czech National Revival – cultural emancipation – 19th century ● The independent Czechoslovak Republic – 1918 – 1938 ● Nazi occupation: 1939 – 1945 ● democratic interregnum 1945 – 1948 ● the communist era: 1948 – 1989: ● postcommunism: 2004: entry into the European Union

The Czech Republic is a country of computer games developers: http://amanita-design.net/games.html Other companies: Bohemia Interactive (the creators of Army and DayZ), Madfinger Games, Warhorse nebo Cinemax. SCS Software, the creators of the prize-winning Euro Truck Simulator 2

Based on an illustrious tradition of Czech animation: Czech Republic Based on an illustrious tradition of Czech animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vmSh3wl1Ec https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6TLxYGc1UI

Czech Republic Weird cult nonsense: Jožin z bažin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo%C5%BEin_z_ba%C5%BEin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4aqM_wu6Ns

Film in the hot Czech summer: Czech Republic Film in the hot Czech summer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OsSbx-of70

Czech Republic Education in the Czech Republic is completely free A pint of beer costs less than a pound There is free health service and the longest maternity leave in the world – four years Czechs drink most beer in the world and invented it – Pilsner comes from Pilsen The Czechs are total atheists They have a weird sound “ř” of which they are very proud: “TŘI STA TŘICET TŘI STŘÍBRNÝCH STŘÍKAČEK STŘÍKALO PŘES TŘISTA TŘICET TŘI STŘÍBRNÝCH STŘECH

Tongue twisters: STRČ PRST SKRZ KRK Czech Republic Tongue twisters: STRČ PRST SKRZ KRK

Czech Republic One of the oldest universities in the world: Charles University, founded in 1348 Currently the lowest unemployment in the EU (2,2%) Current annual economic growth 4,5%

Job opportunities for native speakers of English with Czech Czech Republic Job opportunities for native speakers of English with Czech Translating and interpreting jobs in Brussels – salary: 4000 euros per month

Czech Republic Slavonic Studies at Glasgow - 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ya3QJxz7v0o Slavonic Studies at Glasgow - 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuhZaHj7Fr8 Slavonic Studies at Glasgow 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-igR4qBMG8A Now within the Comparative Literature programme School of Modern Languages and Cultures

Czech Republic Further reading: Modern history: Mary Heimann, Czechoslovakia, the State that Failed, Yale, 2007 20th century Czech literature: Jiří Holý, Writers under Siege, Sussex Academic Press, 2008, 2010 Czech feature film: Jan Čulík, A Society in Distress, Sussex Academic Press, 2014, 2015

Czech Republic Online resources on Czech literature, politics and culture in English: https://legacy.blisty.cz/art/45080.html Articles on recent Czech politics in The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/uk/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=Jan+Culik