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In this course, Dr. habil Csaba Horváth, a literary scholar from the Károli Gáspár University in Budapest, will introduce you to Hungarian literature at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. The reading materials have been selected to be available in both English and Czech translations.
The course will be taught in five sessions (on Mondays from 15:50 to 19:00): 1) 29 September 2025 (online, MS Teams, enrolled students can find the meeting ID & passcode in Learning resources / Studijní opory below) 2) 20 October 2025 (in-person) 3) 10 November 2025 (in-person) 4) 8 December 2025 (in-person) 5) 5 January 2026 (online) The course is open to all interested participants from any field. No prior knowledge of Hungarian literature is required. Poslední úprava: Januška Jiří, Ph.D. (18.09.2025)
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Is Hungary a legacy of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy or a lonely island in the Slavic Sea? Does the heroic 1956 Revolution represent it because of its past, or is it an illiberal democracy of today? Can we see the "Goulasch Communism" of the 1970s in relation to the alternative art movements of the 1980s? Based on Budapest's nightlife, summer by Lake Balaton, and the wines of Eger, is Hungary's culture central or peripheral to "real life"? With the replacement by the prominent Czech, Polish, and Slovak phenomena, the different happier or sadder historical periods, every Central-European culture would be a mirror of the other. The course offers an overview of late 20th-century and contemporary Hungarian film and literature. The English-language seminar provides a "mixed plate á la Hongroise," featuring unique yet familiar variations of well-known regional themes. These include topics such as housing estates, hidden family traumas, frustrated provincialism as an identity marker, and alternative art as a means of escape, among others. The books and films selected for study are available in both English and Czech, so to fully engage with the material, participants should have a keen interest in contemporary Central-European history, sociology, art, and popular culture, rather than needing any proficiency in the Hungarian language. The semester will focus on the works of some of the most renowned contemporary Hungarian authors and filmmakers, as well as on various genres of popular culture, including Netflix series and popular music. Rather than following a strict chronological order, the thematic approach of this seminar will provide a broad introduction to today's most prominent Hungarian artists such as Imre Kertész, Péter Esterházy, Krisztina Tóth, György Dragomán, László Krasznahorkai and Béla Tarr. Each book or film examined will be placed within a broader Central European cultural context and analyzed in relation to visual arts, architecture, music, and cinema. The course is open to both BA and MA students. Poslední úprava: Januška Jiří, Ph.D. (18.09.2025)
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Requirements for passing include familiarity with the course material, active participation in at least two-thirds of the classes, writing a test paper on the primary works, and preparing a research project on a topic related to the course material. Throughout the semester, both face-to-face and online consultations will be available. Poslední úprava: Januška Jiří, Ph.D. (18.09.2025)
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The course is organized into 5 teaching blocks per semester: two online sessions and three in-person sessions. Poslední úprava: Januška Jiří, Ph.D. (18.09.2025)
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1) I. „It is very hard to lie if one doesn't know the truth” - An introduction to the Political and Social Background of the Second Half of the 20th Century and a History that is hard to be Told The literature that will be the focus of the lesson:
Potential supplementary reading:
II. The Housing Estate as a Metaphor The Housing Estate as a Cultural Phenomenon - Is it an „Other place” by Foucault or a Non-Place by Augé? The literature that will be the focus of the lesson (Extracts from the books of Krisztina Tóth, György Dragomán, The Neighbours (TV Series 1987-1999)):
Potential supplementary reading:
-------------------- 2) III. „Ok, so we will live here.” The problems of Education in Contemporary Hungarian Film and Literature The problems of the Education in a contemporary short-story: „Pencilcase" by Krisztina Tóth The literature and movies that will be the focus of the lesson:
Potential supplementary reading:
-------------------- 3) IV. Tangos of the Satan: A Novel by László Krasznahorkai , A Film by Béla Tarr and its Tragicomic Version: "The Glass Tiger" by Péter Rudolf The literature and movies that will be the focus of the lesson:
Potential supplementary reading:
-------------------- 4) V. "Crime is always a Metaphor" The Hungarian Crime Fiction as a Mirror of History Crime Fiction as a Social Panorama: "The Gray Pigeon" by Sándor Tar. Crime Fiction as Historical novel: "Budapest Noir" by Vilmos Kondor. Crime Fiction as a new Popular Genre The Informator by Bálint Szentgyörgyi. The literature that will be the focus of the lesson:
Potential supplementary reading:
-------------------- 5) VI. Conclusions and consultations Poslední úprava: Januška Jiří, Ph.D. (18.09.2025)
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