On the literature and mentality of Central and Eastern Europe, the dissent prior to 1989 and its significance today, and present-day issues such as racism and anti-Semitism, as well as the current political situation.

Readings from the writer’s “most personal book” Peníze od Hitlera (Money from Hitler) (Host, 2006) and her ironic latest novel Příspěvek k dějinám radosti (Contribution to the History of Joy) (Host, 2014).

In connection with the presentation of the anthology of theoretical texts Paměť a trauma pohledem humanitních věd (Memory and Trauma from the Perspective of the Humanities)

(Akropolis, 2015), these questions will be considered by Neela Winkelmann (Platform of European Memory and Conscience), Alexander Kratochvil (Institute for Czech Literature, editor of the anthology), filmmaker David Vondráček and other guests.

The discussion will focus primarily on the relationship between memory, trauma and identity in the science and literature of Central Europe’s post-communist societies.

It took less than two decades for the policies of two leaders – Hitler and Stalin – to result in the deaths of 14 million people. The succession of disasters that passed this way cannot be explained on the basis of the particularity or history of individual nations, but only in terms of the special position of these countries in Europe, the motives of the two totalitarian regimes, and the aims and methods of the two dictators and the connections between them.

The discussion will be supplemented with excerpts from the audio books, which were read by Jiří Plachý.

Doctorrr: Ivan M. Havel
Patient: Pavel Kohout
Dirrrectorrr: Michael Žantovský

“Pavel Kohout always noticed my rhotacism and, it seemed to me, was even excited by it. I’m not too excited by my rhotacism because I don’t hear it.”

Václav Havel, Rozrazil 2008/no. 4

Jan Drábek will introduce his book Dva životy Vladimíra Krajiny (The Two Lives of Vladimír Krajina), the story of a teacher and politician who was one of the most important figures in the domestic resistance during the Protectorate era.

Along with the author, Jaroslav Čvančara, Martina Fialková and publisher Michal Moravec will discuss exceptional figures in recent Czech history.

Vratislav Ebr will host the evening.

The perception of reality through altered states of consciousness has a long tradition in Russian Modernism but also in medieval writings and later Soviet and post-Soviet projects by radical artists and performers, as well as, of course, in shamanic, psychoanalytical, hypnotic and other methods of treatment. In his literary and visual art cycles, Pepperštejn links Greek mythology with Malevich’s Suprematism and the distant future with the ancient past. Where does the artist, who heard the cartoon characters Křemílek and Vochomůrka in the voice of Václav Havel in 1991, draw inspiration? And what does his artistic method point to?

Third evening in a series of lectures by Russian Studies expert Tomáš Glanc (Universität Zürich) entitled Living Souls II: Contemporary Russian Culture in Words and Images.

In his book Black Fever, he describes a depressed region that most Ukrainians associate with social and environmental disaster, the unlimited power of local oligarchs, deeply ingrained organised crime, pro-Russian sentiment and, in recent times, also war. Without illegal coalmines the war in Donbass wouldn’t be possible, Denis Kazansky argues convincingly.

The evening will be hosted by Lenka Víchová.

To discuss romantic stereotypes, present-day realities and the growing appeal of Southeast Europe, Rejmer will be joined by René Kubášek, former director of the Czech Centre in Bucharest.

Lucie Zakopalová will moderate.

Third meeting in a series jointly organised by the Polish Institute in Prague and the Václav Havel Library introducing the phenomenon of the Polish school of literary reportage and its most distinctive present-day representatives.

Translator and beat generation aficionado Josef Rauvolf will discuss US poet Allen Ginsberg’s visit to spring-time Prague in 1965, which was significant both to the writer and to the local arts scene, his subsequent StB-managed deportation, and how both the poet and officialdom reflected on his Czech sojourn.

Held as part of the American Spring festival.

Tomáš Tožička’s lecture will draw on his expertise in the field of regional development and international developmental cooperation, as well as his experiences of working in Angola, Bangladesh, Nicaragua and Zambia.

The seminar will be helmed by Jan Dvořák and Jan Horník from the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes.

The issues of who has influenced and inspired this generation and what its members hope to bring to contemporary Czech society and how will be discussed by:

Dominik Feri, the youngest local councillor in the history of the Czech Republic, Stream.cz reporter Janek Rubeš, volunteer Zuzana Schreiberová and Marek Fanderlík, author of the secondary school textbook Matika pro spolužáky (Maths for Classmates).

Tomáš Sedláček will chair the discussion.

Organised by the recently formed association Generace Ypsilon.

The evening will be hosted by sinologists Olga Lomová and Martin Hála.

Jáchym Topol will interview the photographer, traveller and expert on the Hispanic world Pavel Hroch.

In his time as president, Havel made a marked contribution to Prague Castle becoming more welcoming, while places linked to the latter years of his life are not neglected either. It is a mosaic of structures with all kinds of functions – from favourite pubs, cafés and theatres to dissidents’ apartments, StB stations and prisons to innovations at the Castle. Some 70 buildings and spaces in Prague are arranged chronologically and presented alongside biographical information linked to individual periods of his life, detailed maps and a glossary of architectural terms.

The evening will be hosted by Osamu Okamura, architect and programme director of reSITE, an international festival and conference focused on more liveable cities.

Václav Havel’s European Dialogues are an international project that aims to initiate and stimulate a discussion about issues determining the direction of contemporary Europe while referring to the European spiritual legacy of Václav Havel. This year’s conference will explore the following issues:

Migration and European security: European borders and Schengen: the Balkan route: the future of Central Europe.

Confirmed participants: Bohuslav Sobotka, Věra Jourová, Karel Schwarzenberg, Natalie Nougayrède, Attila Melegh, Catherine Wihtol de Wenden, Jacques Rupnik, Tony Curzon Price, Ivan Vejvoda, Alexander Smolar, Martin Šimečka, Luděk Niedemayer and others.

The conference will take place in English and Czech and be simultaneously interpreted into both languages.

For the latest programme and conference registration go to http://www.vaclavhavel-library.org/en/dialogue/praha-2016

Among the confirmed speakers are:

• Roman Shutov, Program Director at Detector Media and Telekritika (http://www.telekritika.ua/)
• Natalia Shuga, Head of the NGO Kharkiv Crisis Infocenter (http://civilforum.com.ua/)
• Ivan Syniepalov, Head of Gramadske TV of Azov (http://priazov.tv/)

The debate will be moderated by Ondřej Soukup, journalist and former Moscow correspondent for the Czech daily Hospodářské Noviny.

The event in English is organized by the Prague Security Studies Institute in cooperation with the Vaclav Havel Library and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.