The specific feature of the tramping is the fact that, in špite of its 80-year-tradition and a reál mass character, it has always verged on becoming illegal. This is a consequence of the very substance of the activity - a free camping outdoors, outside the parcels or objects sanctioned for this purpose by competent statě authorities or private owners. The intensity of the restrictive measures of the administrativě machinery towards tramping is unsteady - sometimes the activity has been tolerated, sometimes sujfered in silence, but also occasionally or systematically persecuted. This occurred during all regimes - at the times of the first Czechoslovak Republic, during Nazi occupation, during the „ building of the socialism “ times, but also nowadays. The motives that drove the oppression of the tramp movement for part of the statě organs of course differed considerably. Between the wars the tramp movement has been restricted by the police, who applied especially the so called „ Kubát ’s law forbidding the camping and outdoor activities of the single youths of the opposite sex. During the occupation times the tramps háve been persecuted by the security organs of the protectorate police and by the German Gestapo, who suspected them of being involved in the resistance movement and helping the partyzans. In the socialist era the tramps had to liide from the foresters, police forces and their wardens stationed in the villages, who resented the existence of the relatively informal tramp movement outside the oficial structures, their free movement over the country as well as their traditional sympathies toward the heroes of the American West, showed by their clothing and other atributes. In the last tenyears, the tramps are being accused of breaking the nátuře protection laws and they are persecuted especially by the representatives of the State conservation department.
The study relating to the history of ethnology assesses the importance of a significant memory institution, the Masaryk University Archives in Brno, for the investigations aimed at the research into ethnographical activities developed within 1945-1989 in Moravia, especially in Brno. The essay submits an overview of particular collections which offer a plenty of noteworthy documents about the department of ethnography at the Faculty of Arts at Brno University, its history, educational and research work, leading personalities and study of numerous graduates. Special attention is paid to the personal estate of Professor Antonín Václavík, the larger part of which is stored there.
The First World War marked not only the “great” history, but it also entered the everyday lives of the inhabitants in the states at war; that means also in the Czech lands. It did not steer clear of pubs of different kinds. The war sorrows influenced the operation of hospitality establishments to a large extent. The war noticeably restricted the services the hospitality establishments delivered to accidental visitors as well as to regular clients,whereby the drastic decrease in basic refreshments, especially beer and other intoxicating beverages, as well as other kinds of refreshment was undoubtedly the most acute problem. As aconsequenceof various restrictions in hospitality establishments operation, the war conflict endangered the existence of many operators and owners of such firms whose business lost its sense the leisure time of wide layers of inhabitants, and the social life suffered as a consequence of the stifling atmosphere as well, as the pubs and inns were natural centres of social life. In addition, a considerable decrease in the number of those who usually were involved in local entertainments and pastimes made itself felt. Although politicizing was considerably restrictedat pubs and inns at that time, because it was strictly forbidden and checked, some establishments became a place of conspiracy against the existing monarchy. Pubs played an important role on the occasion of the declaration of independence in October 1918.
Since the Middle Ages, inns served almost exclusively to men, women appeared there only exceptionally. This fact was given by the historical development, typical (not only) for the area of Central Europe. The position of women changed only during the industrial revolution, as they started to take part in the social process of common work, which created conditions for their emancipation.
The process of female emancipation was also expressed in
violation of male domains, especially all kinds of places of recreation. While in the 19th century women were allowed to enter an inn only exceptionally and exclusively in the company of their husbands, fathers or other male relatives, in the 20th century they started to appear here regularly. Women associated in clubs and societies and held their meetings in inns. Particularly female intellectuals and artists followed by other strata of women in twos or alone more and more often sought out suitable facilities, especially coffee houses.
Cultural historian and ethnographer Čeněk Zíbrt, scientist, university professor and editor of popular periodicals, entered the awareness of his contemporaries as a prominent, erudite specialist. As such he had been accepted not only in Bohemia, but also in Moravia. To his fame contributed also his role of an editor of the ethnographic journal „Český lid“ [Czech Folk], published since the year 1892. Precisely for the Moravian ethnographes the contacts with this journal and with Zíbrt himself were of multilateral importance. They were sending him their publications, books and various treatises to be reviewed or propagated in Český lid. Themselves they also contributed to the journal with their articles, texts of varied quality and different genres, extensive studies, shorter articles and various bagatelles. An important contribution represented also the illustrations, sent from Moravia by artistically competent ethnographers and photographers. Český lid, on the other hand, offered a welcome source of income to many authors. However, Zíbrt selected carefully from the contributions sent by the ethnographers, so many of them waited long for the publication of their article. Many of the contributors asked their texts and illustrations to be returned to them, sometimes not successfully. Such inauspicious experiences with publicating in Český lid resulted in limitation of contacts of some ethnographers with Zíbrt. In špite of this, the majority of them appreciated the periodical very much. This fact was documented also by their not pretended joy from the renewal of Český lid in the 1920 ’s. Zíbrt, editor of the renewed journal, was contacted by new or renewed contributors.