The Velvet Revolution was a non-violent uprising in Czechoslovakia that saw the overthrow of the Communist government. On November 17, 1989, police suppressed a peaceful student demonstration in Prague. Among the protesters were many young employees of Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences. Based on the November events, civil forums were created at worksplaces. In consequences of the political evolvement, some of the compromised directors from institutes left their positions and during the following six months all directors had to be evaluated. Scientific committies began to form. On November 6, 1989, the entire presidium of ČSAV resigned and December 12, the Chamber of elected representatives of ČSAV was established. This organ became a carrier of fundamental changes, for example the first Czech science foundation was set up and proposals for evaluation of the institutes formed. The new organization structures of Academy were created. and Antonín Kostlán.
In this issue, we feature two articles on the 120th anniversary of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Arts. The first, written by Luboš Velek, director of the Masaryk Institute and Archives, describes several predecessors of the ASCR. In his article, Antonín Kostlán of the Institute of the Contemporary History focuses on the origin and development of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (1952-1992), which comprised research institutes, a learned society and a body of academicians and corresponding members. and Antonín Kostlán.