Public guest lecture at the occasion of the centenary of the foundation of Czechoslovakia

Václav Šmidrkal (Czech Academy of Sciences/Charles University Prague):

The Making of a Republic. How Czechoslovakia was founded 100 years ago

By the foundation of Czechoslovakia in 1918 a brand new nation state appeared on the map of Europe. While the attractive idea of a new beginning enhanced the legitimacy of the state, Czechoslovakia was also based on strong continuities with Austria-Hungary. These tensions between old and new became a characteristic feature of young Czechoslovakia seeking its own statehood on the ruins of the ancien régime.

After the lecture and the discussion, the Embassies of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic will sponsor a small reception with a glass of Czech beer or Slovak wine! The reception takes place in Building 1461, room 616.