Central Europe Review: politics, society and culture in Central and Eastern Europe
This week's articles are listed below

THEME:

The Uses of History

Reckoning and Reconciliation

Making History
in Czech Film


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MEDIA
PARTNERS:

Transitions Online

Britske listy (in Czech)

Domino Forum (in Slovak)


REGULAR COLUMNISTS:

Mel Huang:
Ageing Baltic War Criminals

Catherine Lovatt:
A Marshall Plan for Romania

Vaclav Pinkava:
Czech Education

Sam Vaknin:
Answering My Critics

Tomas Pecina:
On Czech Servility


INTERVIEW:

John Keane on Rethinking Havel


Readers' Choice:
The most popular article last week

Democracy's Disappointment


FILM:

KINOEYE ARCHIVE


NEWS:

Croatia NEW!
Estonia
Hungary
Latvia
Lithuania
Poland
Romania


Students!
Contact CER to find out more about our Virtual Internship Programme


FEATURE:

Latvia's Irresponsible Press


SERIES:

Russia:
Where has the green money gone?
(part 4)


BOOKS:

Eva
Prose by Daniela Drazanova

The CER
Book Shop


MUSIC:

Slovenian Musical Continuity

The CER
Music Shop


ON DISPLAY:

Central European
Culture in the UK

Review of Last Week's Cultural Highlights in Poland


ELSEWHERE ON THE NET:

Region:
CEU:
Examining CEFTA.

Serbia:
Granta:
Diary of a Political Idiot.

Region:
Prospect:
EMU Caused Ethnic Cleansing.

UN Hunger Site:
Click once per day to feed a hungry person in the world at no cost to you.


NEXT WEEK:

Health


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Vol 1, No 15, 4 October 1999

Click to jump to the various sections of CER.
John Keane
John Keane:
Re-examining myths
I N T E R V I E W:
Pricking Havel's Bottom

Recently described as "one of Britain's leading political thinkers," John Keane has just completed an unauthorised biography of Vaclav Havel. In this interview for Central Europe Review, Keane explains how his book aims to demythologise the playwright turned president by looking behind Havel's mask of moralism.

Jan Culik


Read all about it M E D I A:
Turning Yellow
Latvia's Irresponsible Press

Latvia has had no shortage of scandals since the restoration of independence in 1991, but the recent pedophile scandal - though barely two weeks old - is shaping up to be the most disturbing.

Steven C Johnson


Shoemaker Bridge S L O V E N I A:
A Not Entirely
Harmonious Success

Slovenia managed to establish independence with a surprisingly small amount of violence for a break-away Yugoslav state. Just as everyday life has continued smoothly for Slovenians, so has the development of contemporary music, with flourishing strands of avant-gardism, modernism and post-modernism.

Niall O'Loughlin


ENVIRONMENT:
Working with Russia (part 4)
John Massey Stewart
The investment into solving Russia's vast environmental problems has been notable. But has the money been spent wisely?

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The Uses of History Theme of the Week
The Uses of History
HISTORY TODAY:
Reckoning and Reconciliation
Joanna Rohozinska
The problem of distinguishing history from historiography is certainly not unique to this region; however, it is here that the blurring of the lines between the two has spawned some of the most serious conflicts within living memory.
HISTORY TODAY:
Making History
Andrew J Horton
Czech directors have often looked to the past for their subject matter. But historical reality has not always been a paramount consideration, and many films, such as Kolja, have glossed over painful truths to gain their popularity.

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CER's Regular Columns:
THE AMBER COAST:
It's Never Too Late
Mel Huang
Age should play no role in the prosecution of the Baltic States' war criminals.
BALKAN ENCOUNTER:
The Doctor's Postbag
Sam Vaknin
with Emilija Geleva

Dr Vaknin defends his articles on the Balkans in correspondence with a friend who is also a government advisor in the region.
KALEIDOSCOPE:
Living by Numbers
Vaclav Pinkava
In the Czech Republic, there are far too many people with letters after their names; the university degree has become a necessary prop without which you are a complete nobody.
MIORITA:
Fishing for a Marshall Plan
Catherine Lovatt
In line with international recommendations, Romania has developed a programme which they hope will help bring stability and security to the Balkans.
A WESTERNER'S (SURVIVAL) GUIDE TO THE CZECH REPUBLIC, PART XI:
A Right to Fight
Tomas Pecina
If Czechs want a better life, they should stop complaining and raise merry hell every time a postal clerk keeps them waiting or a waiter brings them cold and tasteless soup.

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Scene from Kolya Kinoeye

Keeping an eye on Central and East European film.

HISTORY ON FILM:
Making History
Andrew J Horton
The Academy Awards are notorious for favouring rosy films which have comforting and unchallenging interpretations of life. Do the Czech Republic's Ocar-winning films - all historical dramas - fall into this category?

THE KINOEYE ARCHIVE
Resources on Central and East European cinema.

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Books and Literature
PROSE:
Eva

Czech-born writer Daniela Drazanova paints a bleak picture of one couple's emigre life in Cleveland.

Daniela Drazanova

S U P P L E M E N T:
The CER Book Shop:
Books about Central and Eastern Europe

Have a look at CER's list of books on the region - all available from Amazon.com. The list is divided into five subject headings: cinema, literature, politics, history and economics.

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M   u   s   i   c

S U P P L E M E N T:
The CER Music Shop

In co-operation with Amazon.com, Central Europe Review offers you this on-line shopping supplement.

 

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O n   D i s p l a y
EVENTS:
Coming Up in the UK

Details of selected Central and East European cultural events in the UK over the next few weeks.

Andrew J Horton

CULTURE  ROUND-UP:
Poland's Week in Culture

Highlights of cultural events in Poland for the week starting 27 September 1999.

Wojtek Kosc

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Last Week's News in Central Europe:

Croatia NEW!
Sasa Cvijetic

Estonia
Mel Huang

Germany
RP Online

Hungary
Paul Nemes

Latvia
Mel Huang

Lithuania
Mel Huang

Poland
Joanna Rohozinska
and Donosy-English

Romania
Catherine
and David Lovatt

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