We would like to invite you to the international conference
Between State Plan and Research Freedom: Ethnology in Central Europe between 1945 and 1989,
which will take place on 17–18 March 2016 in the hall of the Institute of Ethnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Puškinovo náměstí 9, Prague 6).
The conference is hosted by the Institute of Ethnology of the CAS, the Masaryk Institute and Archives of the CAS, and the Institute of Contemporary History of the CAS.
Main conference themes include the institutional, personal, theoretical, methodological, and epistemological development of ethnology (comprising ethnography, social and cultural anthropology, folklore studies, etc.) in Central Europe from the 1950s to the 1990s. Ethnology as an independent discipline is in the focus. Papers may concentrate on describing and analysing this subject, which developed into a specific research field with strong internal dynamics, despite being circumscribed within the rather specific social, cultural, and political conditions of a society governed by a totalitarian regime.
Ethnology as a research field developed along multiple lines; official paradigms, with aspects both positive and deeply controversial, coexisted alongside individually carved “research niches” characterized by considerable creativity and research freedom. Czechoslovak ethnology was thus defined by the dynamic interrelations between the official and the individual and was further influenced by the input of international disciplinary and epistemological frameworks.
The conference’s intention is to make a decisive contribution to the study of ethnology, including its history and formation, in Central Europe. It is a sparsely studied subject, and by opening it up to examination we hope to initiate a more inclusive debate concerning the history of ethnology and related disciplines as well as a more nuanced study of the situation of science and research under totalitarian regimes. Consequently, we would like to invite not only specialists in the field of ethnology and related disciplines in the region but also researchers from related fields and, more generally, experts on the history of science and scholarship.
Conference Schedule
Thursday, 17th March
9:00–9:30 Welcome speeches
9:30–10:45 Session I
Chair: František Bahenský
- KAREL ALTMAN, Antonín Václavík (1891–1959) a jeho škola [Antonín Václavík (1891–1959) and His School]
- LYDIA PETRÁŇOVÁ, Karel Chotek (1881–1967) a jeho škola [Karel Chotek (1881–1967) and His School]
- MAGDALÉNA PARÍKOVÁ, „Poslovia“ vedeckých a študentských medzinárodných výskumných kontaktov a spolupráce na Katedre etnológie a folkloristiky FF UK v Bratislave koncom 60. rokov 20. storočia. Medzinárodný zborník – Ethnologia Slavica et Slovaca a Seminarium Ethnologicum – Medzinárodné študentské semináre [The “Pioneers“ of the International Scientific and Student Research and Cooperation at the Department of Ethnography and Folkloristic of the Comenius University in Bratislava in the 1960s. The International Miscellany Ethnologia Slovaca et Slavica and Seminarium ethnologicum (International Students Seminars)]
10:30–10:45 Panel discussions
10:45–11:10 Coffee break
11:10–12:40 Session II
Chair: Lydia Petráňová
- ANNA DROŻDŻ, Polský a slovenský etnografický atlas – relikty dávných dob nebo zdroj nových interpretačních možností? [Polish and Slovak Ethnographic Atlas – Relics of Past Times or a Source of the New Ways of Interpretation?]
- JIŘÍ WOITSCH, Etnografické atlasy a lexikony – společné rysy i nejhlubší rozdíly středoevropské etnografie 2. poloviny 20. století [Ethnographic Atlases and Lexicons – Common Features and the Deepest Differences of Central-European Ethnography of the 2nd Half of the 20th Century]
- ADÉLA JŮNOVÁ MACKOVÁ, Ústav pro etnografii a folkloristiku ČSAV v letech 1953–1954 [The Institute of Ethnography and Folkloristics CSAS 1953–1954]
- ALEŠ SMRČKA, Etnografický výzkum tradiční dopravy v českých a slovenských zemích v letech 1945–1989 a jeho význam pro současné badatele [Ethnographic Research of Traditional Transport in the Czech and Slovak Lands between 1945–1989 and Its Importance for Contemporary Researchers]
12:20–12:40 Panel discussions
12:40–14:00 Lunch
14:00–15:20 Session III
Chair: Adéla Jůnová Macková
- ŽELJKO OSET, Labyrinths of Academic Survival in Slovenia (1945–1960): Case of Ethnology
- MOJCA RAMŠAK, Lexicon of Slovene Ethnology: The Last Fundamental Collective Work in Slovene Ethnology
- ALEXANDRA COTOFANA, Documentary Film, Ethnography and Witchcraft in Socialist Romania
- KAISA KULASALU, Folklore for Whom?: The Purposes of Folklore Studies in Soviet Estonia
15:00–15:20 Panel discussions
15:20–15:40 Coffee break
15:40–17:10 Session IV
Chair: Karel Altman
- VĚRA FROLCOVÁ, Podíl etnografie na interdisciplinárním výzkumu socialistické vesnice a perspektivy současné historické etnologie [The Participation of Ethnography in the Interdisciplinary Research on Socialistic Village and the Perspectives of Contemporary Historical Ethnology]
- BLANKA SOUKUPOVÁ, Dělnická etnografie – mezi prorežimní rétorikou a badatelským výkonem [The Ethnography of Labourers – between a Pro-regime Politics and Actual Research]
- GABRIELA KILIÁNOVÁ, „Výskum ukrajinského etnika“ 1954–1968 v Národopisnom ústave SAV: Vedecký projekt verzus politická úloha [“The Research on Ukrainian Ethnic Group”1954–1968 in the Institute of Ethnology of Slovak Academy of Sciences: Scientific Project Versus Political Task]
- MARKÉTA KŘÍŽOVÁ, Iberoamerikanistika a její pozice v rámci Ústavu pro etnografii a folkloristiku v 70. a 80. letech 20. století [Ibero American Studies and Its Position at the Institute of Ethnography and Folkloristics CSAS in 1970s and 1980s]
16:50–17:10 Panel discussions
18:00 Social Event, Villa Lanna, V Sadech 1, Prague 6 Bubeneč
Friday, 18th March
9:30–10:35 Session V
Chair: Jiří Hlaváček
- ZDENĚK R. NEŠPOR, „Za největší provinění budiž považováno bránit jinému v jeho názoru.“ Sekce integrální antropologie Československé sociologické společnosti [“Let Preventing Anyone from Expressing His Opinion Be Considered the Worst Offence.” The Department of Integral Anthropology of the Czechoslovak Sociological Association]
- JURAJ PODOBA, Z 19. do 20. storočia a späť. „Etnografia súčasnosti“ [From the 19th to 20th Century and Back Again. “Ethnography of Contemporary Society”]
- NIKOLA BALAŠ, Dovezená tradice: Výzva, nebo hrozba? [An Imported Tradition. A Challenge or a Threat?]
10:20–10:35 Panel discussions
10:35–11:00 Coffee break
11:00–12:50 Session VI
Chair: Marie Bahenská
- JIŘÍ HLAVÁČEK, „Když dva dělají totéž, není to totéž“ aneb Orální historie ve výzkumu dějin etnografie a folkloristiky v českých zemích po roce 1948 [When Two People do the Same Thing, It Is Never the Same. Oral History in the Research on History of Ethnography and Folkloristics in the Czech Lands after 1948]
- HANA HLÔŠKOVÁ, Andrej Melicherčík – osobnosť v dobe, doba v osobnosti [Andrej Melicherčík – A Personality in Its Era, the Era in Personality]
- ZUZANA BEŇUŠKOVÁ, Osobnosti slovenskej etnológie v audiovizuálnych záznamoch [Personalities of Slovak Ethnology in Audiovisual Material]
- MARGITA JÁGEROVÁ, Etnológia na periférii – Ján Olejník [Ethnology at the Periphery – Ján Olejník]
- JANA POSPÍŠILOVÁ, Jeden specifický příklad z Brna. Čtenářské edice folkloru Evy Kiliánové [A Specific Example from Brno. The Readers´ Folklore Editions of Eva Kiliánová]
- ANDREA ZOBAČOVÁ, Dagmar Klímová a její osobní fond [Dagmar Klímová and Her Personal Collection]
12:20–12:50 Panel discussions
12:50-14:00 Lunch
14:00–15:50 Session VII
Chair: Jiří Woitsch
- FRANTIŠEK BAHENSKÝ, Se sovětským národopisem na věčné časy! Fikce, či realita? [With Soviet Ethnography Forever! A Fiction or Reality?]
- DOUBRAVKA OLŠÁKOVÁ, Od plánů k realitě aneb Vývoj československé etnologie podle státních plánů (1945–1989) [From Plans to Reality. The Development of Czechoslovak Ethnography according to the State Plans (1945–1989)]
- PETR JANEČEK, Dědictví pozitivistické tradice nebo inspirace zpoza železné opony? Česká prozaická folkloristika pohledem zvenčí [A Heritage of the Pozitivist Tradition or Inspiration from behind the Iron Curtain? The Czech Prosaic Folklore from the Outside Perspective]
- MARTIN SOUKUP, Opožděný obor [A Delayed Discipline]
- ALEXANDRA NAVRÁTILOVÁ, Paradox vědeckého projektování v etnologii [A Paradox of Scientific Planning in Ethnology]
15:30–15:50 Panel discussions
15:50–16:10 Coffee break
16:10–17:10 Session VIII
Chair: Doubravka Olšáková
- KATARÍNA OČKOVÁ, Vznik a budovanie celoslovenského múzea v prírode a podiel Juraja Langra na budovaní múzeí v prírode na Slovensku [The Origin and Establishing the Pan-Slovak Open-air Museum and Juraj langer’s Participation in Creating the Conceptions of the Open-air Museums in Slovakia]
- LUKÁŠ F. PELUNĚK, Neuskutečněné plány založení Bartošova národopisného musea v přírodě [The Unaccomplished Plans for Establishing Bartoš’s Open-air Ethographic Museum]
- HELENA ŠENFELDOVÁ, Práce etnologů v Ústředí lidové umělecké tvorby – aplikovaný výzkum [The Ethnographic Research in the Centre of Artistic Production – Applied Research]
- HANA DVOŘÁKOVÁ, Neznámý pokus o „zasíťování“ – kontakty českých a německých badatelů v letech 1963–1969 [An Unknown Attemp to Network Between Czech and German Researchers 1963–1969]
16:50–17:10 Panel discussions