For the March evening we invited Prof. PhDr. Milena Lenderová CSc. The original intention was to follow up on the “MDŽ”, because she is devoted to feminism, women’s issues – … however, after conversations, we came to the conclusion that perhaps even more general and affecting everyone is the topic of Childhood (by the way, at the end of last year, her book The Great History of the Czech Crown Lands: Childhood was published). The things we know, think, and behave are, it seems from recent research, learned rather than inherited. We pick up patterns of behaviour from the environment that shapes and influences us… we are in for an interesting debate, we believe.
Dr. Lender is a historian and psychologist. She once called herself a feminist. Her main interests are 19th century history, gender history, history of everyday life and Czech-French cultural relations. In 2001 she was appointed professor in Czech history. Since 2007 she has been a professor at the Department of Historical Sciences, Faculty of Arts, University of Pardubice.
From conception and birth through upbringing and education and the acquisition of first work experience to the threshold of adulthood in the environment of the city, village and noble families, in the family, school or orphanage, in war and peace. The first generous summary shows how the theme of childhood is not only informed by knowledge of the development of education or law, of the diet of the time, of housing, clothing or the crafting of toys, but also by psychological research on trauma or studies on the emergence and development of paediatrics as a separate medical field. Childhood, however, also has its own “great historical story”. Whether it is child marriage in medieval monarchical houses, Enlightenment reforms and the gradual enforcement of legal protection for the child, the celebration of childhood as the hope of humanity in the early stages of the communist regime, or, conversely, the fear of the subversive potential of youth during the age of normalisation, the child is always a political topic too. And although in many of these cases it is more of an abuse, thanks to civilizational shifts from the Middle Ages to the present day, there are nevertheless more joyful moments in childhood. Milena Lenderová and Collective A team of historians from research and academic institutions in Pardubice, Prague and Opava worked under the direction of Milena Lenderová and consisted of Martina Halířová, Martin Franc, Jiří Knapík, Eduard Maur, Martin Nodl and Karel Rýdl.
Sign up below, as usual. The event will be in the Konvikt, for in-person and online participation
Looking forward to Petr Šedivý and Radim Horák