I have read many articles and seen many stories about Robben Island. What I find lacking in these articles and stories is the role played by the church in relation to ministry to political prisoners. Given my own experience as a political prisoner on Robben Island, I am of the view that this subject should be explored and told. As implied in the title, this study will focus on the period covering three decades (1960- 1970, 1971-1980 and 1981-1990). These periods will be considered separately and collectively. Background A brief background information about Robben Island as a maximum security prison will be provided here. Furthermore, the categories and affiliations of political prisoners are explained. Lastly, detail relating to existence of different religions is discussed. Problem Statement The role played by the church in ministry to political prisoners on Robben Island between 1960 and 1990. Methodology This study makes use of oral history by way of interviews and other sources such as questionnaires, records, etc. to generate data from, among, others: 1. Political prisoners incarcerated during the period stated above. 2. Chaplain(s) who served during this period. 3. Prison Official(s) who served during this period Archived material relating to ministry to political prisoners covering this period will be inspected. Findings In the introduction of his book The Changing Shape of Church History, Justo L. González (2002:1) starts by asking the question: "where is the cutting edge of church history?" My expectation is that the findings of this study, as they are stated here, would illustrate the cutting edge of the church history on Robben Island. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Church History and Church Policy / MA / Unrestricted

This dissertation offers an insight into the couple Alena and František Falerski, whose lives were considerably marked by totalitarian regimes. It examines in detail the dynamism of the changes to their spiritual lives within the context of the political, social and ecclesiastical transformations after 1918, with an emphasis on the periods 1939-1945 and 1948-1989. This work presents the spirituality of two intellectuals and church laity from the point of view of the respective development, external appearance, identity, opinions, genders and the reactions to oppression. This study combines a predominantly biographical approach with historical anthropology, where the standard work based on written sources has been expanded by the use of the oral history method. Key words Totalitarian, spirituality, Roman Catholic Church, political prisoner, marriage.

The thesis deals with so called "The Bory Rebellion" case, the trial fabricated by the communist regime, which took place in April and May 1950. The thesis captures the whole course of the trial, the issue by whom it was iniciated , how the investigation and hearing passed. Further it describes preparation and subsequent realization of the political campaign aimed to multiply the effects of the trial towards the Prison Guard Corps. It also seeks to find out whether the primary objective of the trial actually was to strengthen discipline within the Corps, or there was also another aim pursued by the ruling dictatorship, and how , and if at all, there was any coverage of the case towards the general public. Some attention is also paid to the victims of the trial and their further fates. The thesis primarily exploits original files of the National Archive and the Archive of the Security Bodies. Key words Prison Guard Corps, prison, rebellion, prison guard, political prisoner

Magister Educationis - MEd / This research was motivated by my interest in the sport and the systems of provision of the education on Robben Island. The problem that gave rise to the study was to determine how political prisoners were able to organise prisoner education (political education and non-formal education) and participate in prison-sponsored education (formal education) and to find answers to the question of what impact education had on the sport that they agitated for.

Church in the life and thought of Oto Mádr. The thesis portrays the impicit ecclesiology of the Czech theologian and priest Oto Mádr. It highlights Mádr's key attitudes in the context od his life. It traces his main and enduring ecclesiological contributions and shows where his thought could be further developed. The method of research is bi-polar paradox applied on the signs of the Church. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

The thesis maps one of the political trials taking place in 1950s in the communistic Czechoslovakia. It looks into the life story of political prisoner Josef Staněk who was sentenced to 16 years in prison in the political trial of Fürst and company on 31 January 1952. Later, his sentence was shortened to 8 years in prison. The main part of work based on historical resources reconstructs the whole court trial and the following years of imprisonment. A separate chapter describes the life of Josef Staněk before his arrest.From 1937 to 1951 he was a member of the police force. From 1 September 1949 he was the chief constable of National Police Force. Final part deals with the period after his release from prison.

Abstract This thesis examines the various biographical threads, which created the complex fabric of Sergei Parajanov’s life and work, especially his films. His origins, education, marriages, family life, and friendships forged in film school and in the various studios, where he worked, are used to frame his cinematic productions. However, the most novel features of this study result from an examination of his letters from prison and the artistic output, drawings, collages, scripts/scenarios, assemblages, etc., created in the gulag and outside during the time that he was denied the right to make films. An argument is made that the Soviet authorities jailed him as a dissident although he never considered himself one, being rather simply an honest creative individual, who would not abide the censoring or redaction of his work. His homosexuality was the pretext for Soviet authorities to incarcerate him, but Parajanov’s queerness has been almost completely omitted from purportedly authoritative memoirs and biographies meant to capture the late filmmaker’s legacy. These publications written by Soviet and post-Soviet critics, Parajanov’s close friends, and numerous confidants make a deliberate effort to erase his self-professed queer identity. Foreign aficionados of his work, on the other hand, have little hesitancy acknowledging his queerness. My research centers on Parajanov’s queer identity as the underlying source of his bold and innovative artistic output.