Deadline to Apply: January 31, 2019
Program leader: Dr. Veronika Tuckerova, vtuckerova@fas.harvard.edu
This program is situated in Prague, Czech Republic, one of the world’s most beautiful cities that for centuries benefitted from its position at the crossroads of cultures and languages. You will learn the Czech language in class, through immersive exploration of the city with its rich history and vibrant present, and through interactions with the locals. You will broaden your global perspectives on politics, philosophy, and history, and expand your knowledge of Central Europe.
Introductory language instruction is combined with examination of the complex cultural, religious, and political forces that have shaped Czech society. A particular emphasis is placed on studying the local richly-layered architecture and urbanism. You will participate in walking tours of Prague — visiting churches, castles, synagogues, museums, and monasteries — as well as other towns in Bohemia and Moravia.
Please note: While this program is organized around a language course for beginners, those who have already completed a year of Czech language may also participate. Please contact the program director for information about alternative tracks of study.
COURSES:
CZEC S-Aab counts as one full-year course (8 credits) of degree credit, and can also count as 8 credits toward the foreign language requirement. Prerequisites: none.
This course consists of the study of Czech language and Czech literature, history and culture, in a broader Central European context. Intensive language study (equivalent to one year of university Czech) in the mornings is combined with walking tours of Prague as well as visits to museums, archives, theaters, concerts, and cafes. Our readings and lectures trace some of the major themes of Czech history and literature, paying special attention to the interaction between politics, aesthetics, and national identity whether in the middle ages, amidst the religious turmoil of the fifteenth-century Hussite wars, during the nineteenth-century National Revival, under Nazi occupation, communist rule in the twentieth century, or post 1989 transition to democracy. Our discussions revolve around the topics of modernity, the experience of totalitarianism and dissidence, the transition to democracy, and the multilingual and multiethnic (Czech/German/Jewish) legacies of Central Europe. Readings (all in English) include works by Kundera, Havel, Hrabal, and Kafka.