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From the Archives“Hooligans and swindlers”: the communist regime and the Plastic People
In the 1970s the communist authorities tolerated popular music as long as
it was insipid, colourless and unoriginal – everything that the Czech
psychedelic rock band The Plastic People of the Universe most definitely
was not. Their music was inspired by Frank Zappa and The Velvet
Underground, their lyrics anarchic, their behaviour unconventional and
their hair long. In 1976 four members of the band were sentenced to prison
terms for what was described as “organised disturbance of the peace”,
and in December of the same year Czechoslovak Radio broadcast a documentary
that painted the band in the darkest possible colours and included extracts
from their music, recorded secretly at their concerts. More
SpecialVáclav Havel’s literary agent Jitka Sloupová on his plays, their foreign productions and his image as an author
The late Václav Havel is now being remembered as a great statesman and
human rights advocate. But he was also a prominent literary figure. In
fact, before he became an opposition leader in communist Czechoslovakia, he
was already established playwright whose plays appeared on stages
worldwide. Václav Havel’s literary agent Jitka Sloupová, from the Aura
Pont agency, talks about what inspired his dramas that quickly gained
acclaim both at home and abroad. More
Czech BooksThe prison poet: remembering Ivan Martin Jirous
Last month was the end of an era in Czech poetry. The man who practically
embodied the poetic underground of the 1970s and 80s, Ivan Martin Jirous
– alias Magor, or Loony in English – died at the age of 67. Not only
was Magor one of best Czech poets of his generation, but also the driving
force behind the underground rock scene. He embodied the longing for
rebellion and freedom, as so-called “normalization” sucked the air out
of Czech and Slovak society. In Czech Books, David Vaughan talks to one of
Magor’s close friends and associates. More
Current AffairsCzech underground legend Ivan Martin Jirous dies aged 67
One of the legends of the Czech underground, poet Ivan Martin Jirous, died
in Prague on Thursday at the age of 67. Ivan Jirous, or Magor – literally
“the crazy one” as he was affectionately called by his friends – was
perhaps best-known as the artistic manager and spiritual leader of the
underground band The Plastic People of the Universe, but this eternal rebel
was also a sensitive, contemplative poet and master of the Czech language. More
Current AffairsForeign Ministry honours promoters of good name of Czech Republic
Since 1997, the Czech Foreign Ministry has been honouring those who promote
the good name of the Czech Republic abroad with the annual Gratias Agit
awards. Last Friday, October 14, Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg
handed out the awards to thirteen personalities from around the globe to
thank them for their outstanding work. More
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