SVÄTOPLUK IN CZECH AND CZECH-WRITTEN HISTORIOGRAPHY. A FEW CRITICAL REMARKS PART ONE: UP TO THE 1960s

• Authors: Homza Martin
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

In the 19th-21th centuries, Czech historiography has set the main themes and trends in the research of Svätopluk. This article analyses in detail the first part of the development arc the interpretation of Svätopluk – from his glorification to his downgrading – has undergone within this Central European school of history in the period under review. The vast scope of this subject made it necessary to divide the article into several shorter periods. Among the initial and underlying themes included in the interpretation of Svätopluk up to 1918 is his legitimist perception as the predecessor of the later Bohemian kings, as well as understanding Svätopluk’s kingdom as the archetype of the Habsburg monarchy. With the development of Czech political thought around 1914 – 1918, Svätopluk was perceived as the unifier of the Czechs and Moravians and eventually, with the establishment of the first Czechoslovak Republic, of the Slovaks as well. The traditional Czech anti-papal stance has logically resulted in Czech historians failing to pay the necessary attention to the Roman dimension of Svätopluk’s politics. Likewise, scholarly perspectives often fall short in emphasising his prevailing pro-Empire policy. Up to the 1960s – with few exceptions (Václav Novotný and František Graus) – Czech historiography focused in just certain issues and topics connected with the person and reign of Svätopluk. In the same spirit, it is obvious that the Czech interpretation of the first of the Moymirids aimed at meeting the current political demands of the Czech elites.

Keywords

EN

SVÄTOPLUK; CZECH-WRITTEN HISTORIOGRAPHY; CENTRAL EUROPE; PAPACY

• Publisher: Univerzita Konštantína Filozofa v Nitre
• Journal: Konštantínove listy
• Year: 2024
• Volume: 17
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 98 - 112

Contributors

author

Homza Martin

• Comenius University Bratislava, Faculty of Arts, Gondova 2, 811 02 Bratislava, Slovak Republic

• https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9557-0908

Identifiers

DOI

10.17846/CL.2024.17.2.98-112