Budapest Summer University students might find it interesting and exciting to learn more about the recent history, societies, and political systems of the wider region. In addition, we believe that the format of the Summer University and the generational characteristics of the young people who come here are conducive to a departure from traditional, "textbook-style" university education, and that historical, social, and scientific knowledge may be more easily absorbed in forms that are, in our opinion, just as meaningful.
In line with the above, the central element of the course would be the viewing and joint analysis and discussion of films with outstanding historical, social, and political relevance to the region of Eastern and Central Europe. We would like to supplement this with the reading and analysis of carefully selected literary and academic texts, as well as by involving experts in the relevant fields in classroom discussions. The available space does not allow for a detailed course plan, so I would like to give some examples of the films, literary works, and invited experts that will be covered:
Films:
The Witness (Péter Bacsó, 1969)
The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Philip Kaufman, 1988)
The Lives of Others (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2006)
Katyn (Andrzej Wajda, 2007)
Chernobyl (TV series, Craig Mazin, 2019)
Literary works, essays:
Czeslaw Milosz: The Captive Mind (1953)
Alexander Solzhenitsyn: One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (1962)
Imre Kertész: Fatelessness (1975)
Vaclav Havel: The Power of the Powerless (1979)
Tom Stoppard: Leopoldstadt (2020)
Expert guests:
István Papp (historian/communism researcher)
Milán Pap (historian of ideas/Kádárism)
Andrea Szabó (political scientist/sociologist/youth researcher)
Eszter Zsófia Tóth (historian/women's history)
Tibor Valuch (social historian)
COURSE SUMMARY
The course aims to provide an opportunity for students of Budapest Summer University to get more closely acquainted with the near historical past, and the societies and political systems of the Central and Eastern European region. In this special course we intend to go beyond traditional, textbook based methods of learning, incorporating forms of historical, social and political knowledge acquisition which are perhaps more easily approachable for younger generations, without compromising on scholarly quality. The central part of the course will be watching and discussing movies and television series with special relevance regarding the 20th century history and social and political systems of East Central Europe. This will be supplemented by reading and analysing carefully selected literary and scholarly texts, with the help of specialist experts in the various fields, eras and themes covered in class.
VENUE
ELTE Faculty of Law, Egyetem tér 1-3.
LECTURERS
Professor Dr. Krisztina Arató
Full Professor, Director
ELTE Faculty of Law, Institute of Political Science
krisarato@ajk.elte.hu
Dr. Tibor Mándi
Associate Professor, Deputy Director
ELTE Faculty of Law, Institute of Political Science
mandit@ajk.elte.hu
SCHEDULE
Week 1
Day 1
09.00-10.30 Pre-movie discussion: The second world war: the Eastern front
11.00-12.30 Movie: ‘Katyn’ (Andrzej Wajda, 2007)
13.30-15.00 Post-movie discussion: Killing the soul of a nation
Day 2
09.00-10.30 Pre-movie discussion: The 1950’s: Socialism the hard way
11.00-12.30 Movie: ‘The Witness’ (Peter Bacsó, 1968)
13.30-15.00 Post-movie discussion: Totalitarianism and satire
Day 3
09.00-10.30 Pre-movie discussion: The 1960’s: Fallen hopes of socialism with a human face
11.00-12.30 Movie: ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being’ (Philip Kaufman, 1988)
13.30-15.09 Post-movie discussion: Staying or leaving?
Week 2
Day 1
09.00-10.30 Pre-move discussion: The 1980’s: The workings of the police state
11.00-12.30 Movie: ‘The Lives of Others’ (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2006)
13.30-15.00 Post-movie discussion: The power of art
Day 2
09.00-10.30 Pre-movie discussion: 1986: Systemic failure
11.00-12.30 TV series (episodes): ‘Chernobyl’ (Craig Mazin, 2019)
13.30-15.00 Post-movie discussion: The denial of reality
Day 3
09.00-10.30 Pre-movie discussion: 1989: Regime change
11.00-12.30 Movie: ‘Moscow Square’ (Ferenc Török, 2001)
13.30-15.00 Post movie discussion: The in-between generation