|
Václav Benda
Václav Benda (August 8, 1946, Prague – June 2, 1999) was a Czech Roman Catholic activist and intellectual, and mathematician. Under Communist rule in Czechoslovakia, Benda and his wife were rare in that they were devout Roman Catholics among the leadership of the anti-communist dissident organization Charter 77. After the Velvet Revolution, Benda became the head of an organization charged with investigating the former Czechoslovakian secret police and their many informants. The ideas expressed in Benda's iconic essay ''A Parallel Polis'' influenced the thought of other dissidents like Vaclav Havel and Lech Walesa. In the 2010s and 2020s, American Paleoconservative writer Rod Dreher and Russian-American writer Masha Gessen have drawn on these events and ideas from Cold War-era eastern Europe in disparate works for popular audience. The first English translation of Benda's collected samizdat essays was published by St. Augustine's Press in 2017. Life The son of a lawyer, Bend ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its Prague metropolitan area, metropolitan area is home to approximately 2.3 million people. Prague is a historical city with Romanesque architecture, Romanesque, Czech Gothic architecture, Gothic, Czech Renaissance architecture, Renaissance and Czech Baroque architecture, Baroque architecture. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia and residence of several Holy Roman Emperors, most notably Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV (r. 1346–1378) and Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf II (r. 1575–1611). It was an important city to the Habsburg monarchy and Austria-Hungary. The city played major roles in the Bohemian Reformation, Bohemian and the Protestant Reformations, the Thirty Years' War and in 20th-century history a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The term ''Cold war (term), cold war'' is used because there was no direct fighting between the two superpowers, though each supported opposing sides in regional conflicts known as proxy wars. In addition to the struggle for ideological and economic influence and an arms race in both conventional and Nuclear arms race, nuclear weapons, the Cold War was expressed through technological rivalries such as the Space Race, espionage, propaganda campaigns, Economic sanctions, embargoes, and sports diplomacy. After the end of World War II in 1945, during which the US and USSR had been allies, the USSR installed satellite state, satellite governments in its occupied territories in Eastern Europe and N ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Benedict Option
''The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation'' is a 2017 book by writer and conservative commentator Rod Dreher on Christianity and Western culture. Drawing very loosely on the writings of early Christian monk Benedict of Nursia and the philosophy of Alasdair MacIntyre, Dreher argues for the formation of virtuous Christian communities in response to an increasingly secular culture. The book produced discussion and debate in Christian and secular circles over the issues of cultural engagement and the direction of Christian communities. Although Alasdair MacIntyre was claimed as an inspiration for the movement, MacIntyre has criticized its proposal of retreating from broader society. Themes ''The Benedict Option''s title is taken from a quote by Alasdair MacIntyre in his book '' After Virtue'' in which he writes, "If the tradition of the virtues was able to survive the horrors of the last dark ages, we are not entirely without hope ... We are w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Holešovice
Holešovice () is a district in the north of Prague situated on a meander of the River Vltava, which makes up the main part of the district Prague 7 (an insignificant part belongs to Prague 1). In the past Holešovice was a heavily industrial suburb; today it is home to the main site of the Prague's National Gallery with the Trade Fair Palace ( Veletržní palác), and the National Technical Museum. In 1928, the Libeň Bridge was opened on the site of a wooden temporary bridge from 1903, and is still the longest river bridge in Prague. In 2020, ''The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...'' named Holešovice as one of the 10 coolest neighborhoods in Europe. Etymology The name came from the family name, Holíš, (which can mean either "bald" or "beardless ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
University Of Washington
The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the United States. The university has a main campus located in the city's University District. It also has satellite campuses in nearby cities of Tacoma and Bothell. Overall, UW encompasses more than 500 buildings and over 20 million gross square footage of space, including one of the largest library systems in the world with more than 26 university libraries, art centers, museums, laboratories, lecture halls, and stadiums. Washington is the flagship institution of the six public universities in Washington State. It is known for its medical, engineering, and scientific research. Washington is a member of the Association of American Universities. According to the National Science Foundation, UW spent $1.73 billion on research and develo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Senate Of The Czech Republic
The Senate () is the upper house of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. The seat of the Senate is Wallenstein Palace in Prague. Structure The Senate has 81 members, chosen in single-seat constituencies through the two-round system. If no candidate receives a majority of votes in the first round, there is a second round between the two highest-placed candidates. The term of office for Senators is six years, and elections are Staggered elections, staggered so that a third of the seats are up for election every two years. A candidate for the Senate does not need to be on a political party's ticket (unlike in the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic, Chamber of Deputies). The Senate has one President and four Vice-presidents. Its members participate in specialised committees and commissions. The Senate Chancellery has been created to provide professional, organisational and technical services. The Senate occupies several historical palaces in centre of Prague, in Malá Str ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Augusto Pinochet
Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006) was a Chilean military officer and politician who was the dictator of Military dictatorship of Chile, Chile from 1973 to 1990. From 1973 to 1981, he was the leader of the Government Junta of Chile (1973), military junta, which in 1974 declared him President of Chile, President of the Republic and thus the dictator of Chile; in 1980, 1980 Chilean constitutional referendum, a referendum approved Chilean Constitution of 1980, a new constitution confirming him in the office, after which he served as ''de jure'' president from 1981 to 1990. His time in office remains the longest of any Chilean ruler.Carlos Huneeus, Huneeus, Carlos (2007)Las consecuencias del caso Pinochet en la política chilena Centro de. Estudios de la Realidad Contemporánea. Augusto Pinochet rose through the ranks of the Chilean Army to become General Chief of Staff in early 1972 before being appointed its List of comm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Chile had a population of 17.5 million as of the latest census in 2017 and has a territorial area of , sharing borders with Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage to the south. The country also controls several Pacific islands, including Juan Fernández Islands, Juan Fernández, Isla Salas y Gómez, Desventuradas Islands, Desventuradas, and Easter Island, and claims about of Antarctica as the Chilean Antarctic Territory. The capital and largest city of Chile is Santiago, and the national language is Spanish language, Spanish. Conquest of Chile, Spain conquered and colonized the region in the mid-16th century, replacing Incas in Central Chile, Inca rule; however, they Arauco War ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Moscow Helsinki Group
The Moscow Helsinki Group (also known as the Moscow Helsinki Watch Group, ) was one of Russia's leading human rights organisations. It was originally set up in 1976 to monitor Soviet compliance with the Helsinki Accords and to report to the West on Soviet human rights abuses. It had been forced out of existence in the early 1980s, but was revived in 1989 and continued to operate in Russia. In the 1970s, Moscow Helsinki Group inspired the formation of similar groups in other Warsaw Pact countries and support groups in the West. Within the former Soviet Union Helsinki Watch Groups were founded in Ukraine, Lithuania, Georgia and Armenia, as well as in the United States ( Helsinki Watch, later Human Rights Watch). Similar initiatives sprung up in countries such as Czechoslovakia, with Charter 77. Eventually, the Helsinki monitoring groups inspired by the Moscow Helsinki Group formed the International Helsinki Federation. In late December 2022 the Russian Ministry of Justice file ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ostrava
Ostrava (; ; ) is a city in the north-east of the Czech Republic and the capital of the Moravian-Silesian Region. It has about 283,000 inhabitants. It lies from the border with Poland, at the confluences of four rivers: Oder, Opava (river), Opava, Ostravice (river), Ostravice and Lučina (river), Lučina. Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic in terms of both population and area, the second largest city in the region of Moravia, and the largest city in the historical land of Czech Silesia. It straddles the border of the two historic provinces of Moravia and Silesia. The wider conurbation – which also includes the towns of Bohumín, Havířov, Karviná, Orlová, Petřvald (Karviná District), Petřvald and Rychvald – is home to about 500,000 people, making it the largest urban area in the Czech Republic apart from the capital Prague. Ostrava grew in importance due to its position at the heart of a major coalfield, becoming an important industrial engine of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Committee For The Defense Of The Unjustly Prosecuted
The Committee for the Defense of the Unjustly Prosecuted (; as a result the acronym VONS is used) was a Czechoslovak dissident organization founded largely by Charter 77 signatories. VONS was founded on 27 April 1978. Founding and political aims VONS was founded on 27 April 1978. Seventeen Czechoslovakian dissents and activists co-founded VONS and are named in the organization's founding 1978 declaration: Rudolf Battěk, Otta Bednářová, Jarmila Bělíková, Václav Benda, Jiří Dienstbier, Václav Havel, Přemysl Janýr, Elzbieta Ledererová, Václav Malý, Ivan Medek, Dana Němcová, Ludvík Pacovský, Jiří Ruml, Gertruda Sekaninová-Čakrtová, Anna Šabatová, Jan Tesař, and Petr Uhl.Výbor na obranu nespravedlivě stíhaných stavující listina In: ''VONS.cz – webové stránky o dějinách Výboru na obranu nespravedlivě stíhaných (1978–1989)'' nline �2015 it. 8. 11. 2019 Dostupné z: https://www.vons.cz/data/images/zakladajici_prohlaseni_vons ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parallel Polis
Parallel Polis is a socio-political concept created by Czechoslovakia, Czech political thinker and dissident Vaclav Benda in connection with the informal civic initiative, Charter 77. Benda and other philosophers sought to build a theoretical framework for social events in dissident circles. Social structure The alternative culture, or underground, was described in Parallel Polis in 1978 for the first time. A political scientist, Benda noticed the emergence of a new social structure in artistic and intellectual circles as a tool to escape the Totalitarianism, totalitarian Communist state, communist regime and detected the following pillars of the new "field": * Constant monitoring and verification of Civil and political rights, civic rights and freedoms, which the state tends to restrict. Parallel Polis consists of people who actively advocate for (and protect) their rights. * "Alternative" (underground) culture is independent, and consists of art which is developed without the pe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
