The Department of History at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln hosted Prague Spring 50, a major international event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Prague Spring and the aftereffects of the Soviet-ordered Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968.
Led by Alexander Dubček, Prague Spring was a well-intentioned, but ill-fated attempt to liberalize the authoritarian political system, and it would take another 20 years before the dissident playwright Václav Havel would lead one of the greatest political revolutions of our lifetime - the Velvet Revolution.
Speakers reflected on Prague Spring and 1968, twenty years of “normalization” behind the Iron Curtain, and the significance and meaning of the Velvet Revolution.
Photo above from the Josef Josten Papers, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Archives and Special Collections
April 3-7, 2018
Sheldon Museum of Art,
Abbott Auditorium
Free and open to the public
Photo Exhibitions
Concerts
We hosted several concert events, including "Prague Spring 50: From Dvorak to Husa, and Beyond," a concert featuring music by Czech composers; a Jazz Orchestra performance and masterclass with Martin Kratochvíl and Tony Ackerman; and a talk-jazz concert with Kratochvíl and Ackerman.
Support the study of Czech history and culture and to further the Department of History’s commitment to modern Czech history.