This paper is based on the analysis of cultural cooperation between the Serbian and Czech nations in terms of theoretical observations of cultural characteristics of the “Sokol” movement or social organization that emerged in the early twentieth century along with the process of national awakening of the Slavic peoples, and contemporary trends that initiated its renewal in Serbia. The “Sokol” movement was a Slavonic national organization, with societies in all Slavic countries. The movement’s task was to educate its members in the spiritual and national unity of their body, guided by the principles of morality, ethics, aesthetics and democracy in terms of ideas, set by its founder Miroslav Tyrš. The idea of Tyrš’s “Sokol” movement could be defined as the whole idea of comprehensive education of individuals, covering both their spiritual and physical activities in accordance with the characteristics derived from a synthesis of national feelings, cultural cooperation, harmony, and the height of one‘s ideals. The Czech “Sokol” movement was an expression of the national resistance and unity of all Slavs. The Serbian “Sokol” movement strove to equate “Sokol” thinking with Serbian ideas of the liberation, unity and progress of the whole Serbian nation. The movement constituted part of the rich cultural traditions of the Czech and Serbian peoples. Theoretically, the outcome of the work would be reflected in the form of descriptions of the origin, dynamics and effects of the Slavonic association of two cultures through this movement. At the same time we must not lose sight of the fact that theoretical observations can be a significant advantage but not a sufficient condition for the successful consideration of the studied effects of cultural cooperation between the Serbian and Czech nations.
This paper deals with the foundation of the Sokol organization in Brno. However, the main focus is put on the origins of exercise in the Sokol Brno I women´s units that were the biggest and the oldest unions in Moravia. The paper analyses the origins of the emancipation movement of Czech women at the beginning of the 20th century, in relation to two culture centres (Prague and Brno). Among others, it recalls a significant period of Brno’s cultural history before World War 1 from two points of view: the development of physical education and the origins of the Brno women´s movement. Obstacles that often impeded the enforcement of progressive thoughts are depicted. Prague was the leading city of Czech national life in the 19th century. However, it could not become a central point for Moravia due to the distance factor. Therefore, Brno adopted this role, although its situation was more complicated, as its population was mostly German at that time. And the German population did not support the origin of Czech national emancipation. The Sokol movement was not an exception in the process of gradual delimitation mostly against the Germans in progress since 1860 which eventually led to national liberation and independence.
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