Village restoration in the Czech Republic

Abstract

The recent political changes in the Czech Republic have led to a major re‐evaluation of the role of the countryside. An extensive Village Restoration Programme is now underway, which is here described, with a detailed example from south Moravia. The holistic nature of the programme is notable.     

Logboats from Europe and the CD-ROM, or a solution to the endless search for documents (2000 edition)

Bibliographic data capture of logboats from Europe is available as a database which includes more than 6000 pictures or files (corresponding to the same number of A4 pages): as the result of the processing of 700 works dealing with 2400 logboats; 6500 links were established between those logboats and bibliographical references.     

Performing refugeeness in the Czech Republic: gendered depoliticisation through NGO assistance

The article examines the gender micropolitics of non-governmental assistance to refugees in the Czech Republic – a post-socialist society which is becoming a country of immigration. It critically examines relations of power between refugees and local non-governmental organisations (NGOs). These NGOs act as mediators between refugees and the state, media, wider public and academic production of knowledge. It is argued that despite the important roles they play in securing refugees' access to rights, their assistance is often perceived as problematic by refugees. The article analyses these relations in a wider context of the institutions of the refugee system where the state has increasing power in defining the conditions under which NGO assistance to refugees is provided. The study is based on qualitative research among recognised refugees from the former Soviet Union living in the Czech Republic and local NGOs assisting them with integration into society. I demonstrate how particular forms of assistance and public representation depoliticise refugees in a sense of fostering rather than challenging unequal power relations that lock refugees in a position of clients lacking political means of influencing their place in a receiving society. This is done by conceptualising ‘a refugee’ as a performative identity that is being produced and enacted in feminised NGO spaces. The analysis highlights refugees' critical reflections on their position in the relations of assistance.     

Two Unusual Benign Tumours in Skulls from the Ossuary at Křtiny (Czech Republic)

Among 554 skulls of adult individuals from the ossuary at K𝔯̌tiny, Moravia (late thirteenth to the mid-eighteenth centuryAD ), three (0.54 per cent) showed evidence of malignant tumours and two others (0.36 per cent) had changes suggestive of unusual benign tumours, which are described in the present article. The calvarium of a 20–25-year-old female has two osteoplastic overgrowths in the region of the left tuber parietale and in the left lateral part of the frontal bone. A macroscopic section showed a porotic structure with regularily arranged trabeculae. This was confirmed by radiographic examination, which detected two similar smaller shadows, and by histology and scanning electron microscopy, which showed the non-lamellar, unevenly calcified structure of these curious multiple osteomatous formations (osteomas, hyperostosis). A calvarium of a 40–50-year-old male showed a horseshoe-shaped excavation in the posterior part of the processi palatini of the maxilla, with destruction of the lower half of the nasal septum and the paramedial structures of the nasal cavity. These defects were well delimited macroscopically, radiographically and histologically, and seemed to be the result of pressure atrophy, perhaps from a slow growing benign tumour such as a fibroma or angiofibroma.     

A Case of Osteosarcoma in a Late Medieval–Early Modern Skull from Kyjov (Czech Republic)

After the reconstruction of the original parish church of the Moravian town of Kyjov in the latter part of the seventeenth century, human skeletal remains from the disturbed graves of the surrounding cemetery were gathered in a vault which was partially excavated in 1994. Among disarticulated bones of at least 106 individuals, a fragmented skull of a young male was found, with a massive outgrowth of bone on the right parietal, originally continuing fluently on the non-preserved frontal scale, on edges lifting the outer lamina. The inner lamina was covered less intensively by the bony growth. Radiography and CT scans showed a non-homogeneous structure, the inside being irregular and the outside granulated or radially striated. A metastatic lytic focus was detected in the same bone. Histology and SEM examination showed an uneven mineralization of the bone tissue, consisting of rough, thickened and irregularly spaced trabeculae, with cellular remains or mineralized matrix on the surface. The differential diagnosis took meningioma into consideration but the most probable diagnosis was osteogenic sarcoma, which is still infrequent in the palaeopathological record from the Old World and its localization in the cranial vault is very rare. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Biosocial archaeology of the Early Neolithic: Synthetic analyses of a human skeletal population from the LBK cemetery of Vedrovice,Czech Republic

Bioarchaeology is a powerful tool in the examination of prehistoric collections of human skeletal remains. Application of a few bioarchaeological techniques (ancient DNA, carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes, and dental micro-wear) to the human osteological remains from the Early Neolithic LBK settlement of Vedrovice (Moravia), has allowed us to reconstruct not only broad cultural patterns but also the life histories of the individuals with insights into diet, migrations, ancestry, personal identity, social position and life experience. Vedrovice acted as a gateway settlement for a farming community with close ties to western Hungary and northeast Bohemia. The individuals showed clear differences in status and migration histories, giving glimpses of more complex social practices and patterns than could have been determined through the traditional culture-historical studies.     

Unfinished and Paired Logboats from Bavaria, Germany

Though Bavaria is far inland, at least 20 logboats are known, but only recently have some been properly recorded. This paper deals with two vessels discovered in the early 1990s. The remains at Laufen-Pfaffing represent a semi-manufactured logboat, which was purposely sunk as was the custom in Austria until the mid-20th century. The vessel from Wessobrunn-Blaik is also unfinished and shows several tool-marks. It is too narrow to float on its own: therefore it is part of a paired logboat. There is plenty of archaeological evidence for this kind of craft, but no ethnographic evidence. Apart from use as ferries, other uses are discussed.
© 2005 The Nautical Archaeology Society     

Identity of non‐self‐evident nation: Czech national identity after the break‐up of Czechoslovakia and before accession to the European Union*

ABSTRACT. In this study the authors analyse Czech national identity after the break‐up of Czechoslovakia and before accession to the European Union. National identity is understood here as a construct consisting of several elements, four of which the authors analyse: territorial identity (localism, regionalism, patriotism, and Europeanism), the image of the nation – the cultural nation (ethno‐nation) and the political nation (state‐nation), national pride (in general, and in cultural performance and in the performance of the state), and love for the nation – nationalism (or more precisely, chauvinism) and patriotism. To create a more complex picture of Czech national identity the authors compare it with national identities in eleven other European countries. To conclude, the authors analyse the attitudes of Czechs toward the European Union, and national identity is used as an important explanatory element of the support for EU governance.     

Embodied negotiations: identity,space and livelihood after trade zones in the Dominican Republic

In this article, I analyze socio-spatial processes of subject-making at the center of the restructuring of export industries. To do so, I develop the concept of ‘embodied negotiations’ to explain the spatial and corporeal experience of trade zone workers reproduced as migrants with the collapse of garment exports in the Dominican Republic. Drawing on ethnographic research, I examine ‘rural return’ as both a livelihood strategy and a discourse shaped by inter-related gender and racial ideologies of labor as well as the uneven transnationalization of rural and urban localities. I show how the negotiation of social position by subjects marked by race, gender and class is always also a negotiation of spatial position in and between localities structured through raced, gendered and class relations. Men's efforts to remain in urban areas as a form of social ‘whitening’ are compared to women's resistance to rural return as an attempt to stay in circulation as paid labor. Overall, I argue that feminist research on global production should be ‘spatialized’ by attending to livelihoods and practices of subject-making that emerge in parallel to export restructuring.     

EU Enlargement,the New Central European Member States,and Austria

A noted Austrian-based geographer examines impacts of the EU accession of Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Slovenia on these four countries as well as on the neighboring state of Austria. The paper examines broad macro-economic and regional development issues (including, more specifically, spatial disparities, cross-border relations, migration, and the political landscape) as well as attendant or projected changes in transportation infrastructure. An effort is made to discriminate between changes initiated or strengthened by accession per se versus measures introduced earlier, in anticipation of accession. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: F02, J61, O11, O18. 7 figures, 60 references.     

清至民国时期茶叶消费主体的新变化及其影响

清至民国时期茶叶消费主体呈现许多新特征、新变化.平民百姓的茶叶消费带有更多的市场行为,少数民族茶叶消费数量更多,军士以茶充饷现象屡见不鲜,国外消费主体异军突起,官僚文人、富商大贾、和尚道士的茶叶消费与茶叶市场关系更紧密,皇亲国戚的茶叶消费披上了浓浓的市场色彩.这些新特征、新变化对茶叶市场发展产生了深刻影响.茶叶消费主体的消费数量、消费能力、消费层次、消费习惯、消费方式从某种程度上决定着茶叶市场的基本走势.     

1954—1961年朝鲜实习生来沪培训述论

朝鲜战争后,根据中朝双方签订的经济及文化合作协定,大批朝鲜实习生于1954—1961年来到中国接受培训。中国有关部门、上海各实习工厂自上而下地构建起相应的组织管理体系,为朝鲜实习生顺利完成培训任务创造了良好的条件,并在日常生活方面对他们给予了周到细致的照顾,探索建立了一套行之有效的培训体系,使朝鲜实习生回国时大多具备了一定的专业技术能力,有的还在某些领域取得了突出的成绩,为朝鲜国民经济的恢复和发展培养了不可或缺的技术人才。     

民国前期的立宪主义及其实践

北洋集团掌握中央政权的民国前期,政局比较混乱,社会思想也比较复杂,但立宪主义思潮意外呈现出活跃态势,开国会、制宪法成为一些当权者以及广大宪政主义者的重要诉求,在此背景下开展的一系列制宪活动,也取得了值得称道的宪法性成果和制度性成果。时人对宪政的内在价值了解有限,当权者的政治表现也不完美,但这不能抵消立宪的积极意义。民国前期的立宪主义及其实践,构成了近代中国政治进程的重要一环,书写了中国宪政运动史的重要一页。     

渐进的共和：李仲公与《晨钟报》研究

就任《晨钟报》编辑期间;李仲公发表多篇文章阐述自己的政治思想,主张在中国实行渐进的共和。此种政治思想的形成,既是其民族主义立场和爱国主义情结的使然,又与当时中国社会局势的动荡和多变有密切关联,还与个人的学术背景和知识构成有极大关系。由于缺乏对中国政局的本质了解,此种政治思想的最后结果只能是不切实际的空想。     

民国时期日本称谓中国国号之演化及用心考论

日本政府延至1913年10月才正式承认中华民国,但又规定在内外公文中要以“支那”或“支那国”称呼中国。在30年代末和40年代初,又先后将其改为“中华民国”和“中国”。每一次改称背后都包含着分裂或独占中国的野心,也是民国时期日本对华政策和中日交涉中的一个症结。     

罗马共和国后期行省治理的弊端与规范

行省治理是罗马共和国后期政治生活的一个重要内容,直接关乎共和政治的运作与国家的命运。然而,在行省治理过程中,作为实际治理者的罗马官员滥用权力,通过多种途径大肆搜刮钱财,成为行省治理中的首要弊病。为遏制这种弊病,规范行省治理,罗马当局围绕着官员搜刮钱财现象,不断加强法律建设,呈现出立法条款细致化、诉讼程序固定化以及惩处严厉化的倾向。但是,行省治理制度中总督权力缺乏制衡,荣誉任职的传统观念以及税收体系的混乱等因素为罗马官员滥用权力、非法敛财提供了条件,而相关法律实践过程面临着距离、语言、时间与经济成本等实际障碍,且法庭充斥着腐败与偏见,导致治理局面未因法律建设的加强而得以有效改善。行省治理的失当从行省与共和国政治两个层面加速了共和政治的失序,推动了内战的爆发,进而加速了罗马共和国的衰亡。     

清至民国时期中国茶叶海外市场分析

清至民国时期,中国茶叶海外市场遍及亚洲、欧洲、美洲、大洋洲、非洲等地,其中欧美市场最为重要;就国别来看,荷兰、英国、俄国、美国、加拿大等国及澳洲、北非则是这一时期中国茶叶最重要的海外承销市场.与此同时,在这一时期的不同阶段,上述各国茶叶市场的地位和份量呈现出动态特性.     

Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai at the dawn of the People's Republic

As the founders of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai dedicated themselves to the construction of the new country. Mao Zedong drew up the overall strategies for China and Zhou Enlai was responsible for their concrete implementation. They had good working relations. At the same time, Mao and Zhou had different opinions and disagreed on certain issues, as it was natural to have different perspectives and thinking. Despite sharing a common objective to carry out a socialist modernization, they slightly disagreed on priorities.     

明末至民国前期天津慈善组织的演变与特点

关注历史时期城镇慈善事业的发展状况,不仅有助于传统慈善事业研究的深入,也是城镇社会史研究的重要内容。本文在占有各种历史资料的基础上,完整展现了明末至1936年间天津慈善组织发展演变的历史过程,并对其时空特点进行了归纳。     

论清末民初政坛上的梁士诒

清末科举出身的梁士诒 ,受维新思想启发 ,积极吸收“实用之学” ,在兴办实业、筹款修建铁路、革新铁路管理方面具有较多建树。并由此奠定了他在财界的基础。民国初年 ,梁为袁世凯所重用 ,其行政权力仅次于袁 ,政治生涯达到峰巅 ,由于积极拥戴袁世凯称帝 ,因而遭到世人的谴责 ,被迫避罪逃亡。日后利用军阀之间的矛盾 ,一度登上国务总理宝座 ,出现了短暂的“辉煌” ,最终在军阀混战中下野 ,亦无法避免其悲剧式国务总理的结局