Events: April 2015
March 2015
May 2015
Satyricon, or who does this benefit?
April 1, 2015, 10:30
Are television, radio and the press lacking in satire? Why? What is the status of art and entertainment in the media sphere and how might they develop? Should humour offer gentle and objective relief? And are there limits to humour? The debate, featuring speakers such as David Vávra, Tomáš Žižka and Lenka Bočková, will be chaired by Petr Placák. More
Magnesia Litera III
April 1, 2015, 19:00
Reading by authors nominated for some of the seven categories in the annual Magnesia Litera book awards. More
Václav Havel and the transformation of Czech society in photographs I: Karel Cudlín
April 7, 2015, 19:00
A series presenting the work of photographers who captured Václav Havel over a period of several years. The first evening is dedicated to Karel Cudlín, who presents pictures of Václav Havel from the 1980s until recent times, as well as photographs capturing society, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe – photos of refugees, foreign labourers, war veterans, the Jewish and Roma communities.
Václav Havel as Creator of the Judiciary
April 7, 2015, 17:00
A debate on the book Padni komu padni (Whoever Gets Hurt Gets Hurt), a biography of Constitutional Court judge Eliška Wagnerová, chaired by Jindřich Šídlo. Invited guests include Miroslav Sylla, the book’s author Tomáš Němeček, Constitutional Court judge Kateřina Šimáčková and lawyer Vojen Güttler.
Karel Cudlín: Václav Havel and the transformation of Czech society in photographs II
April 7, 2015, 19:00
A series presenting the work of photographers who captured Václav Havel over a period of several years. More
The Underground Phenomenon: Abbé Libánský
April 8, 2015, 10:00
A series of lectures on the Czech underground as a social, political and historical phenomenon organised by the Historical Sociology department at Charles University’s Faculty of Humanities and the Václav Havel Library and headed by sociologist Nicolas Maslowski.
Magnesia Litera IV
April 8, 2015, 19:00
Reading by authors nominated for some of the seven categories in the annual Magnesia Litera book awards. More
The Genocide of Armenians during WWI
April 9, 2015, 19:00
This year marks 100 years since the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. Considering the roots of the genocide, its denial and reflections on it will be Armenian Studies experts Haig Utidjian and Milada Kiliánová from Charles University’s Faculty of Arts and Šimon Krbec, a lawyer at the Faculty Evangelical Theology of Charles University and the Archaeology of Evil Research Centre. Historian Petr Šulc will chair the discussion.
When Mangoes Fall
April 13, 2015, 19:00
Vojtěch Bílý was spending a year as a volunteer teacher in the Central African Republic when civil war broke out, driving over a million inhabitants from their homes. Working at a Carmelite mission that was transformed into a refugee camp, he monitored war crimes and witnessed the expulsion of Muslims, a move that severed tribal and friendly ties. Bílý has documented his experiences in the book Když padají manga (When Mangoes Fall). More
The Underground Phenomenon: Dáša Vokatá
April 15, 2015, 10:00
A series of lectures on the Czech underground as a social, political and historical phenomenon organised by the Historical Sociology department at Charles University’s Faculty of Humanities and the Václav Havel Library and headed by sociologist Nicolas Maslowski.
Marek Orko Vácha: From 19th Century Eugenics to the Human Genome Project
April 15, 2015, 19:00
What nature has done blindly and randomly over aeons we are now about to do in a quick and targeted manner. In 1895 Charles Darwin published his most famous work. More
The Secrets of an Arizona Suitcase
April 20, 2015, 19:00
The life of J. A. Holman (1901–1980) At the beginning of this year a heavy suitcase containing the estate of J. A. Holman made its way from the Arizona desert to the VHL. Why did this happen? And what do the initials stand for – Josef Alfred or Jan Alfred? More
The Challenges, Paradoxes and Plays of Václav Havel: The Mistake
April 21, 2015, 19:00
The micro-play The Mistake is set in a prison cell, its “heroes” are six cons and the theme is the communication between them, respectively communication between people as such. More
“I welcome you, Holy Father, among us sinners.”
April 22, 2015, 18:00
An evening dedicated to Václav Havel’s meetings with Pope John Paul II, their personal friendship, John Paul II’s relationship to Czechoslovakia and the first ever papal visit in Czech history. Chaired by Veronika Sedláčková; Tomáš Halík, František Mikloško and Pavel Fischer are due to attend. Part of the series Our return to the map of the world. The discussion will be broadcasted in live by TV Noe. More
Cities for People, People for Cities
April 23, 2015, 15:00
A discussion on the ideals and practice of civic participation in local government involving local politicians who are attempting, or have in the recent past attempted, to transform the way municipalities are run. More
Chrobák and Puzuk
April 23, 2015, 19:00
The Havels in the Scouts An evening focused on the time Václav and Ivan Havel spent in the scouts. Ivan Havel (scout name Puzuk), Alois Strnad (Lojza), Radko Trohař (Radko) and several others will refer to notes from unique chronicles recalling their time in the movement. The director of the Scouting Institute Miloš Říha (Šípek) will chair the evening. More
Women in the Syrian Revolution
April 24, 2015, 18:00
Activist Lamis Khalilová Bartůšková, Sandra Bitar, a Syrian activist with Czech roots, and painter Marie Sibaiová will discuss the insecurity of life at the centre of revolutionary Syria and particularly Syrian women who have become involved in the fight for human dignity. Šádí Shanaáh will chair the discussion. More
Havel, un rêve français : rencontre avec Aurélie Morel
April 27, 2015, 17:00
Aurélie Morel est auteure de la pièce « Château hippie », qui se situe au moment de la venue de Franck Zappa à Prague, invité par le tout nouveau président Vaclav Havel, en janvier 1990. More
Tomáš Glanc: Russian Performance Art Between Orthodoxy and Activism
April 27, 2015, 20:00
The third evening in the lecture series Living Souls: Current Russian Culture and its Czech Connections with Russian Studies expert Tomáš Glanc (Universität Zürich). More
Journey to Israel
April 28, 2015, 15:00
Václav Havel was the first president in the history of Czechoslovakia to visit the State of Israel, on a trip that took place from 25–27.4.1990. More
Ralph Young: Dissent – The History of an American Idea
April 29, 2015, 18:00
At its founding the United States committed itself to lofty ideals. When these ideals were not fully realized, many protested and demanded that the United States live up to its promise. More
Prague Odyssey – The Future of the City as a Common Mission II
April 30, 2015, 19:00
A discussion series on the future of Prague as a successful, safe, healthy and competitive 21st century city. More