This thesis deals with the use of didactic games in geography lessons in Czech schools. Its main goal is to use the questionnaire survey to find the so-called examples of good practice in schools. In the introduction there is a short literature search and definition of the term didactic game according to various authors. The main research method is an electronic questionnaire. A total of 72 faculty schools of the Faculty of Science of Charles University were addressed. Finally, 30 primary and secondary school teachers took part in the research.The questionnaire was divided into four parts. In the first part the general opinion of teachers on the concept of didactic game was investigated. The following section of questions was focused on teachers who use didactic games - the extent of games usage, in which topics of geography, as well as specific examples of games and their evaluation. The third section of the questions was intended for teachers who do not use games and found out the reasons that prevent them from using games. The last section of the questions deals with the sociodemographic characteristics of the research sample. The work contains analysis and interpretation of the questionnaire survey, including graphic outputs. The results were processed qualitatively and quantitatively...

Wälder stellen wichtige Ökosystemleistungen und -güter bereit und tragen damit maßgeblich zur Lebensgrundlage der Menschen bei. Sie unterliegen jedoch vielseitigen Bedrohungen, welche die volle Funktionsfähigkeit des Ökosystems gefährden und deren Entwicklung beeinträchtigen. Inwiefern sich diese auf die Funktionsweise und die Walddynamik in Kasachstan äußert, ist aufgrund der wenigen durchgeführten dendroklimatischen Untersuchungen im Detail unklar. Hinzu kommt, dass für die qualitative Bewertung der Klima-Wachstums-Beziehungen diese Studien in ihrer räumlichen und zeitlichen Abdeckung unzureichend sind. Zu den bereits verfügbaren Informationen fehlen zur Einschätzung gemeinsamer Muster und Unterschiede hinsichtlich der Reaktion des Baumwachstums auf das Klima qualitative Analysen. Hierfür wurden alle verfügbaren Publikationen zu den dendroklimatischen Untersuchungen in Kasachstan analysiert. Diese Analyse ermöglichte nicht nur die Zusammenfassung der verfügbaren Informationen zu den Beziehungen zwischen Klima und Wachstum, sondern lieferte zudem konkrete Informationen zu vorhandenen Forschungslücken. Einige dieser Lücken wurden durch die Untersuchungen der variierenden Klima-Wachstums-Beziehungen der Schrenks Fichte im Einzugsgebiet des Ile-Flusses geschlossen. Die durchgeführte Studie verdeutlicht unterschiedliche Reaktion von Früh-, Spätholz und Gesamtringbreite auf den Klimawandel. Der starke Einfluss des Klimawandels wurde durch die Abnahme des Temperatursignals um die 1970er-Jahre beobachtet. Eine erkennbare Periodizität bei Schwankungen der Baumringindizes lässt auf einen Einfluss bestimmter Klimaindizes, z. B. der Nordatlantischen Oszillation u. a. schließen. Die im Rahmen dieser Dissertation durchgeführten Untersuchungen tragen zur Entwicklung eines Baumring-Netzwerkes in Kasachstan bei. Die erhoben Daten sind für die Bewertung möglicher Auswirkungen des Klimawandels auf die Wälder der Schrenks Fichte in Kasachstan hilfreich. / Forests are very important for people’s livelihood. They provide important ecosystem services and goods. However there are many threats that interfere with the normal functioning and development of forest ecosystems. The influence of climate change processes on functioning and dynamics of forests in Kazakhstan is understudied, and is observed in the relatively small number of dendroclimatic studies. Additional limitations in understanding of climate-growth relationships arise from insufficient spatial and temporal coverage of those studies and the absence of a qualitative analysis of already available information for identification of common patterns and differences in the impacts of tree growth on climate. The main research goal of this thesis was accordingly to address these limitations. An analysis of all available publications on dendroclimatic studies in Kazakhstan was performed. This analysis not only summarized the available information on climate-growth relationships, but also provided certain information about existed research gaps. Some of those gaps were addressed by an investigation of variation of climate-growth relationships of Schrenk spruce in the Ile River basin. The study revealed certain differences in reaction of earlywood, latewood and total ring width on climate in four mountain ranges of the Ile River basin. The strong influence of climate change was observed in a decreasing temperature signal around the 1970s. Revealed periodicities in the fluctuation of tree-ring indices suggested an influence of certain climate indices such as North Atlantic Oscillation and the Tropospheric Biennial Oscillations. Collectively, the analysis in this dissertation contributes to development of the tree-ting network of Kazakhstan. Obtained information should help in assessment of possible impacts of climate change on Schrenk spruce forests in Kazakhstan.

Die Steppen Kasachstans haben seit dem Zusammenbruch der Sowjetunion einen tiefgreifenden Wandel erfahren. Insbesondere die Veränderung der Landnutzung, welche traditionell von der Acker- und Weidenutzung geprägt ist, sowie die daraus resultierenden Effekte auf das Feuerregime sind aktuell noch nicht ausreichend verstanden. Das Hauptziel dieser Dissertation besteht daher in der Kartierung und Analyse der Veränderungen im Mensch-Umweltsystem des nördlichen Kasachstans seit den 1980er Jahren. Ein auf jährlichen Landsat-Zeitreihen basierender Ansatz wurde entwickelt, um den Zeitpunkt der Aufgabe und Rekultivierung von landwirtschaftlichen Flächen mit hoher räumlicher und zeitlicher Auflösung zu dokumentieren. Dieser Datensatz ermöglichte z.B. die Schätzung des Anteils organischer Kohlenstoffbindungen im Boden auf Basis der Nutzungsgeschichte der letzten Jahrzehnte. Eine Kartierung der Änderungen im Feuerregime zeigte eine siebenfache Zunahme an verbrannter Fläche und eine Verachtfachung von Bränden innerhalb des Untersuchungszeitraumes. Sowohl landwirtschaftliche Feuer als auch die Landaufgabe waren mit einem erhöhten Brandrisiko assoziiert. Darüber hinaus wurde mithilfe von Spektralindizes und einem Random Forest Modell quantifiziert, wie sich der Beweidungsdruck nach dem Zerfall der Sowjetunion verändert hat. Die Analyse ergab einen Rückgang des Beweidungsdrucks in der kasachischen Steppe nach 1992, meist in der Nähe von aufgegebenen Nutzviehhaltestationen. In dieser Dissertation konnte gezeigt werden, wie Landsat-Zeitreihen genutzt werden können, um den Einfluss von Landnutzungsänderungen auf die Ökologie von Steppen besser zu verstehen. Die entwickelten Datensätze ermöglichen es, die Prozesse, die zur Landaufgabe und den damit zusammenhängenden Auswirkungen auf die kasachische Steppe führten, zu entwirren und können zur Entscheidungsfindung in der Landnutzungs- und Naturschutzplanung verwendet werden. / The steppes of Kazakhstan are one of the world regions that experienced massive changes in land-use intensity and widespread land-use change after the breakdown of the Soviet Union. Cropping and grazing regime changes across the steppes of Kazakhstan are understudied, and related spatio-temporal changes, e.g. in fire regimes, are still poorly understood. The main research goal of this thesis was to develop a methodology to map related change at appropriate scales and to provide novel datasets to enhance our understanding of how the coupled human-environment in Northern Kazakhstan has changed since the 1980s. An approach was developed to identify the timing of post-Soviet cropland abandonment and recultivation in northern Kazakhstan. Knowing the timing of abandonment allowed for deeper insights into what drives these dynamics: for example, recultivation after 2007 happened mainly on land that had been abandoned latest. Knowing the timing of abandonment allowed for substantially more precise estimates of soil organic carbon sequestration. Mapping changes in fire regimes highlighted a sevenfold increase in burnt area and an eightfold increase in number of fires after the breakdown of the Soviet Union. Agricultural burning and abandonment were associated with increased fire risk. Grazing probabilities, derived from Landsat using a random forest, were found to provide the best metrics to capture grazing pressure. The analysis revealed a general decline in grazing pressure in the Kazakh steppe after 1992, especially near abandoned livestock stations. Collectively, the dissertation highlights how dense records of Landsat images can be utilized to better understand land use changes and the ecology of steppes across large areas. The datasets developed within this thesis allow to disentangle the processes leading to and the impacts of agricultural abandonment in the temperate Kazakh steppes, and may be used to support decision-making in land-use and conservation planning.

The thesis focuses on the cultural and historical potential of the development of peripheral regions of Czechia. The case study covers three model areas - regions of municipalities with an authorised municipal office Horažďovice, Kašperské Hory and Netolice. The aim of the thesis is to accomplish a discursive analysis of the concept of the cultural and historical potential, together with related terms, and to consider feasibility of its embodiment into the context of surrounding regions development in Czechia, to identify cultural and historical potential of selected model areas and to propose possibilities of its usage. The methodology lies in the study of literature and in the research of selected areas. The cultural and historical potential is rated from the identifiable elements and their particular importance. The potential is relative to the area, number of inhabitants and the number of parts of the municipality. The thesis highlights several findings: (i) the coherent definition of the term cultural and historical potential does not exist in scientific literature; (ii) usage of tourism perspectives in the regional development is ahead of focus on local population (regional identity and local cultural life is less frequent); (iii) cultural and historical potential differentiate in the border...

Drawing on rigorous foreign, both Western and non-Western, literature, this thesis introduces sexuality and its connected spatial conceptualizations to Czech geography. In the beginning of the theoretical part, I discuss the framework under which geography studies sexuality. Then, I discuss the crucial terminology while pointing out at some changes in it. After understanding some of the major terminological issues, I delve into a description of the multiple and diverse development of sexuality related geographies. Focusing on queer geography, I delineate the queer standpoint and concentrate on understanding the spatial construction of sexuality in space while unveiling the heteronormativity of space. Using the queer approach, I implicitly deconstruct the binary of public and private space by pointing out at its spuriousness regarding the sexuality. I present a queer bar as a typical queer space while revealing the sexual closetedness of LGBTIQ people. Then I introduce the school environment as, for the time being, a typical heteronormative space and institution. In the end of the theoretical part, I discuss the queer practices of destabilizing heteronormativity both at school and in public space. In the empirical part of the thesis, I discuss the methodology of my internet based chain-referral...

Matýsková, P. (2010): Mathematical skills applied to the teaching of geography at secondary schools in the topic the Earth as a cosmic orb. Department of Social Geography and Regional Development, Charles University in Prague. Submitted diploma thesis deals with interdisciplinary relationships between mathematics and geography at grammar schools in the topic the Earth as a cosmic orb. The relationships are generally described from the point of view of three curriculum forms (intended, implemented and achieved). In the area of the intended curriculum there is an analysis of curriculum documents carried out, especially of the Framework educational programme and of selected school educational programmes. Subsequently, the links between selected secondary school textbooks of geography and mathematics are evaluated on the basis of required curriculum, its quality, intelligibility and occurrence of examples from the practice. The subchapters of the selected unit, in which an application of mathematical skills can be found, are defined in detail and specified on the basis of the carried analysis. Deep, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the teachers at selected grammar schools for the purpose of the study of the implemented curriculum. The achieved curriculum was found out on the basis of the...

The study deals with application of related variety concept and other evolutionary economic geography approaches in the economic landscape of postsocialist states of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The goal was to define different types of variety and explore the relationship between these varieties and economic development in CEE countries between 1993 and 2009. The analysis is based on the theoretical and analytical framework presented in studies realized in the most developed countries of Western Europe. The important finding is that this kind of research allow to conclude that different types of variety influence the economic development, but some of the results are different from those in prior studies. The porfolio effect of unrelated variety was not confirmed. However, the results show strong evidence that related variety stimulates employment growth and usually contributes to GDP growth of CEE countries. The results also indicate, that high variety of related sectors could be crucial for future development of new industries (especially in Central Europe). Keywords: evolutionary economic geography, related and unrelated variety, economic development, Central and Eastern Europe

The thesis discusses the importance of leisure as a part of an individual's everyday life for the formation of social relationships and ties influencing whole society. In fact, leisure is understood as a sample of practices and activities with underlying social and cultural factors. These practices are allocated in time and space, having an impact on space. The study is devoted to the use of leisure, its position and importance in the general time framework of a day. There is also a discussion of the trends and shifts in society associated with broader cultural and institutional processes (transformation of the labour market, globalisation, individualisation, differentiation, post-communist transformation, and the gender question). In addition, the study empirically examines the importance and potential of leisure activities for the formation of place attachment and associated processes of the creation of social capital, contact networks and knowledge transfer. Through these effects, leisure can contribute to the endogenous development of distinct types of area. In fact, attention is focused on two ways of leisure time activities with a considerable local tie and potential for the creation of social capital. These are the second home tourism and activities performed within voluntary associations....

Die Untersuchung befasst sich mit dem Grundgedanken, dass, trotz der im Friedensvertrag von Versailles festgelegten Aberkennung der deutschen überseeischen Besitzungen, das koloniale Regel- und Wertesystem des Kaiserreichs in der Weimarer Zeit durch die Führungskräfte der kolonialen Behörde weiter aufrechterhalten wurde und so weiterhin wirksam war. Die Führungskräfte sind zugleich als „kulturelle Akteure“ zu betrachten. Die Handlungen der „kulturellen Akteure“ standen nicht nur im nationalen, sondern auch im europäischen Kontext in Zusammenhang mit der Verflechtung zwischen Völkerrecht und Imperialismus. In dieser Dissertation geht es um die Fragen: Innerhalb welcher nationalen und europäischen Regelsysteme lässt sich die koloniale Behörde und ihre Funktionsfähigkeit verorten? Welche kulturellen Praktiken der Behörde können im Umgang sowohl mit den deutschen kolonialen Vereinen und Vereinigungen als auch mit den afrikanischen Zuwanderern festgestellt werden? Zudem soll beleuchtet werden, wie sich die Umorganisation der Behörde nach dem Ersten Weltkrieg und dem Ende des Deutschen Kaiserreiches auf die Kontinuität von Funktion, Inhalt und Zielen der kolonialen Behörde während der Weimarer Republik auswirkte. Der „koloniale Gedanke“ beinhaltet die Kerngedanken des kolonialen Wertesystems des Kaiserreiches und wurde an die soziale Ordnung der Weimarer Zeit angepasst. Die Erforschung des deutschen Kolonialismus erfordert sowohl die Aufstellung einer geeigneten theoretischen Grundlage als auch die Auswahl einer methodischen Vorgehensweise, die kritische wie auch reflektierende Blicke auf die historischen Geschehnisse beinhaltet. Durch die Auswertung und Analyse von historischen Quellen, darunter Archivalien, Verhandlungen des Parlaments und League of Nations Permanent Mandates Commission Minutes wurden die kulturellen Praktiken und Handlungsweisen der leitenden Akteure in der kolonialen Behörde beleuchtet. / After the First World War, the victorious European powers acquired Germany’s overseas possessions. The phasing out of the colonial administrative apparatus, established in Berlin during the German Empire, began before the ratification of the Treaty of Versailles during the Paris Peace Conference. By the mid-1920s, the former Colonial Ministry had been transitioned and made a subordinate department. My dissertation focuses on the senior colonial administrators as kulturelle Akteure who were responsible for developing and implementing policies around “der koloniale Gedanke,” which advanced domestic and foreign policy goals of successive governments during the Weimar Republic. Employing the methodology of Quellenanalyse, I analyze primary unpublished and published sources, including interdepartmental correspondence, the proceedings of the parliament, and the League of Nations’ Permanent Mandates Commission Minutes. The main research themes center on the continuity of administrative functions, policies and goals; the central function of colonial cultural norms and values, the presence and status of African immigrant groups and individuals; and the intersection of international law and imperialism. Indeed, I argue that as a theoretical framework, Die Hegemonie der ‘Europäischen Kulturgemeinschaft’ supports a paradigm shift for both the disciplines of History and Cultural Anthropology from a position of “if” to a critical analysis of “how” European states, especially the German Empire, established its system of imperialism on the African continent. It also contends that books and articles written by senior colonial actors as well as African and African Diasporic actors offer a more nuanced and multifaceted colonial narrative than previously known. Moreover, senior colonial administrators based their fundamental assumptions on colonial cultural norms and values, revealing the importance of German colonial afterlives to interwar politics in and beyond the nation.

The thesis "Electoral Geography of Postcommunist Countries in Central and Eastern Europe" deals with the topic of electoral geography, which is a part of the political geography. The basic hypothesis of the paper is based on opinion that the postcommunist countries experienced the twenty years of development in the postcommunist period which made their electoral geography very similar to one in Western Europe. This hypothesis is proved by three different areas of electoral geography. The first part is composed by the analysis of the electoral geography of the founding elections in the 17 postcommunist countries (including the GDR). In the paper is proposed after the research of all 17 countries the categorization of founding elections on the basis of electoral geography. The second part examines the electoral geography of capitals. The research is focused on the size of the lectorate in the capital compare to the whole country, on the diverhgence of electoral results in the capital and in the whole state and on strength of the party families in capitals. Folowing these three areas is proposed the catehorisation of the postcommunist capitals into the five groups. The third part deals with variability of the electoral results inside the state.