The aim of this paper is to describe 18th century "language criticism" (Sprachkritik) in the Bohemian Lands and underline its role within the process of establishing of the literary criticism. In the Habsburg monarchy, the language criticism can be traced back to the late 1740s; its origins are linked to the southern German sense of cultural (and thus linguistic), political and economical backwardness and to the efforts to catch up with the mostly protestant countries of Central and Northern Germany. The authors of this article examine not only reflections of used language and style in particular works, but also the position, prestige and function of various languages (German, Latin, Czech) themselves. The trends in language criticism and - in the narrower sense - language cultivation are examined with the use of both expert contributions to learned discussions and publicistic articles in critical journals aiming at a larger audience. In the whole process, several moments that meant a significant impulse for language criticism can be observed. The first one would be the appointment of Karl Heinrich Seibt as university professor of Schöne Wissenschaften (belles lettres), rhetoric, historia litteraria and ethics in 1763, followed by the efforts to establish a learned society, Josephine reforms and foundation of a chair of Czech language and literature at Prague university in 1791. Finally, the tightening of censorship from the second half of 1790s on had a considerable influence on criticism; its subject started to change and it began to focus on a different group of intended readers: while it used to try to educate potential future authors, afterwards it concentrated more and more on educating of the "common reader" and engaging him into critical reflections on belles lettres., Václav Petrbok a Ondřej Podavka., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
In the present text I have attempted to describe the profession of elementary school teacher and the changes it underwent in the last quarter of the 18th century. At that time, the education of the majority of children between the ages of six and twelve or thirteen was mostly in the hands of village schoolmasters, and these are my primary focus. Following the reform of the education system by Maria Teresa, teachers in Bohemia and Moravia were trained predominantly in what were known as preparanda at the Normal School in Prague. Their training differed from that of their predecessors in that their knowledge was now tested in examinations, with greater emphasis on teaching methods and closer supervision. Drawing on lists of teacher training graduates and other sources, I have analysed how many graduated every year and under what conditions, what textbooks they later used in the classroom, and the official view of pedagogy at that time. From those lists I was able to conclude that graduates who only spoke Czech ended up teaching only in small Czech-medium village schools. By looking at certain individual teachers more closely (such as the composer Jakub Jan Ryba, the pastor Tomáš Juren and several members of the Vlach family of teachers from Boleslav), my aim was to describe in outline the career of these "Czech" village schoolmasters, their motivation, level of knowledge, and deduce what they probably taught. From 1787 on, they were subject to inspection by regional school commissioners. I focussed on the first sixteen of these (one for each region), noting in particular how they were selected, their duties and aims. For it is they who were the guarantors of the new school system and the disseminators of the new thinking.As a result of the reforms, mandatory training and more exacting standards, elementary school teachers were able to improve their social standing and prestige., Michal Kneblík., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
As servants of their church community, teachers had to spend much of their time on activities that today we might consider secondary - tasks relating to their ancillary duties as cantor, organist or verger. But in rural communities the teachers, alongside the priests, were often the only educated men in the parish and played a not inconsiderable role in the early stages of the national revival movement. The school reforms passed in 18th century Hungary opened the way for teachers - even those in elementary schools - to improve their social standing and prestige, on condition they fulfilled certain expectations as formulated in the basic reform programme, Ratio educationis (1777). Our paper examines the new types of school (normal, preparatory) that offered teachers better chances of social advancement and public acceptance. Drawing on case studies of teachers in several schools, it documents how they managed to meet the demands made on them while still pursuing and realizing their own ambitions., Eva Kowalská., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
The article considers the writings of the sculptor Andreas Schweigl (1735-1812) and the painters Ignaz Chambrez (1758-1842) and Josef Heřman Agapit Gallaš (1756-1840). Around the year 1800, these three Moravian artists recorded their thoughts and insights in a number of texts that variously combined the traditional literary genre of artist’s biography with artistic topography, art criticism and a historical interpretation of early Moravian art and culture. Since all three were in some way connected with the new system of art education, the aim of this study is to examine whether and in what way standardized education affected not only their professional careers, but also their thinking. For all three, that thinking was rooted in a historical interpretation of the early art and culture of Moravia. All three discuss the function of art, artistic ideals, and to some extent the concept of the creative genius, as well as reflecting, directly or indirectly, on the theme of decadence as one stage in the cyclical view of history, in line with the paradigm of the age. The author sets out to compare their texts and in general terms show 1) how artists themselves viewed the importance of art education at the end of the 18 century; 2) how they responded to the changing role of the artist in society; and 3) how they defined artistic ideals and the artist’s social purpose. It is the wider implications of these changes in the artist’s social status, and in the function of art in Moravia and Central Europe generally, that form the primary focus of this study., Pavel Suchánek., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
This work deals with the changes of rhetorical education and emotional orders in the second half of the 18th century. The aim of the research is to assess the relations among language education, funtions of medias, anthropological models and expression of emotions on the Threshold of enlightenment. The background of the research shapes the transformation of rhetorical tradition. The research of the broad field of pedagogical, rhetorical and moral discurs is focused on the collegium of Karl Heinrich Seibt., Václav Smyčka., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
The aim of the following study is to analyze Voltaire’s biography about Charles XII as an early part of Voltaire’s historiographical work and also to analyze the ideas of the Enlightenment the author used. The study also tries to answer the question which lesson a reader should get and which interpretations should be on the other hand avoided., Martin Liška., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
The contribution explores the Prague origines of the first Prague and Austrian female author of the Enlightenment, Maria Anna Sager, born Rosskoschny (1719-1805). The reconstruction of the carreer of her father Anton Ferdinand Rosskoschny (1679-1734) at the Böhmische Statthalterei - he ended as "Registrator" and "Expeditor" - proves his social ambitions. On the other hand egodocuments of him conserved in the National Archives at Prague reveal the sorrows and the "stress" of the wellestablished fonctioner, not only his fear in front of the people, but also for his reputation, his family and his soul., Helga Meise., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy