The thesis focuses on virtuoso pianist, teacher, musical theoretician and composer Josef Jiránek (1855 - 1940). The thesis draws from Josef Jiránek's own estate, as well as resources kept at various archive institutions in Prague. It underlines Josef Jiránek's merit as regards the art of the piano and piano education in particular, while emphasizing Hugo Riemann's influence on his music-teaching as well as theoretical ideas. In the light of the Prague resources, Josef Jiránek may be viewed as a follower of the traditional interpretation legacy of Bedřich Smetana. Nonetheless, by further elaborating Smetana's legacy from a purely scientific perspective and with his analytical and rational approach to piano work, Josef Jiránek had indeed largely contributed to the development and evolution of piano education and piano reproduction art - regardless of the fact that his ideas and methods were later overcome. The objective of this thesis is to open a gateway that would attract greater attention of musicologists to Josef Jiránek, who has been on the periphery of their interest and whose true picture remains hidden under the label "Bedřich Smetana's pupil".

The current situation in the historic centre of Prague does not allow for interference in the behaviour of investors. The tools for protection of Prague Historic Reservation are insufficient. Much of the real estate is not used and becomes ruins, resulting in an irreplaceable cultural and social, but also economic loss to the Prague Historical Reservation which is on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List. The aim of this thesis is to analyse the current state of Prague Historic Reservation as well as to suggest possible solutions. Analyses, own research, interviews and statistics have been used to prove the situation. There is a part of the thesis comparing the current state with other cities abroad (e.g. Vienna, Dresden, Cologne, Paris).

The aim of the submitted dissertation is to offer a complete bibliographical list of the documented Hebrew and Yiddish production of Prague Jewish printing houses between 1512 and 1672. The list is based on an original and detailed description of the identified editions, including paratexts, types and decorative elements. The introductory synthetic study examines the published production from the viewpoint of its language, contents and genres and the identity of its intended recipients; the motivations of its publishers, as well as their possible orientation towards specific types of texts; the standards, methods and goals of editorial work; the function of rabbinical approbations, protection of publishers rights and control of the published matter by Jewish authorities, and the measure in which the printed body of texts reflects the spiritual and intellectual interests of the readers. The typological and typographical analysis of types and decorative elements serves to attribute the undated and anonymous imprints to specific printing houses and printers, whose complete production is listed and whose activities, social position or economic possibilities are also briefly characterized. An appendix sums up the findings relating to non-Jewish censorship documented in the books themselves. Thanks to...