Diss. Univ. Bonn, 2007.

Emil Lederer (1882 - 1939), born in Pilsen, Czech Republic, was an important figure of German social sciences. A close colleague of Max Weber and friend of Karl Mannheim or J. A. Schumpeter, he taught at universities in Heidelberg, Berlin and Tokyo. After fleeing Germany, he helped Alvin Johnson, director of the New School for Social Research, found the "University in Exile." Lederer's research centered on contemporary social problems, approaching them in a critical, objective, empirically- based way. One of the first to study the new middle classes before World War I, he also dealt with unemployment, technological progress and business cycles. Additionally, his analysis of state and its sovereignty in war lead him to study the question of totalitarianism. The present thesis first offers a detailed look at the events in Lederer's life which influenced his scientific work. Its central section presents the main ideas of Lederer's posthumous, and sociologically most important, monograph State of the Masses. Placing it within the context of his previous work, the thesis demonstrates the evolution of Lederer's thinking. By comparing the work with Hannah Arendt's Origins of Totalitarianism the thesis confirms existing assumptions that Lederer's text served as an unrecognized inspiration for Arendt. The...

My dissertation focuses on few selected First Republic travelogues and its authors who in their works reflected their own subjective relationship towards the Soviet Union in the first half of the 20th century. By the gradual assessment of the research questions that I define by my complex approach at the end of my dissertation I reach the conclusion that I outline in the introduction. The goal of my methodological research is to evaluate the ability of recognition and reflexion of selected intellectuals and their perception of reality of the Soviet regime in the span of two decades by analytical and comparative methods divided into six chapters. The thesis focuses on such topics as a theory of non-democratic regimes, ideas, contemporary history and literary history. The travelogue reports of choice are going to provide a picture of contemporary Soviet society that was idealized by some intellectuals who, unlike others, could not have seen through the illusion that the Soviet Union had created. Key words: Czechoslovakia, Soviet Union, authoritarian, totalitarian, Marxism, Leninism, Stalinism, Communism, Bolshevism, reality, illusion, travelogues, reports

The goal of this paper will be to show in three single case studies the basic characteristics of nazi propaganda on the teritory of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. Firstly, picturing of the enemy, both outside enemy (coverage of the war, bombing of civilians) and enemy within (primary jewish question). Because picture of the enemy was the key to the nazi propaganda itself. Than I continue with the study of the longterm, ideological efforts and goals nazi propaganda had in the protectorate. Here, the main target was czech youth and reinterpretation of the czech history itself. In the last case study i'm observing short term efforts nazis had. These efforts were driven primarily by the necesity of war production and need to use full potential of the strong czech industry. All these cases are then summarized and my goal it to show their effectivity on their respective fields of influence. (industrial production, creation of combat troops, voluntary membership in the collaboration organizations, etc.)

Introduction: The aim of this paper is to discuss the phenomenon of the Shoah from most angles and sides to avoid simplification and generalization. The result is the creation of activities for pupils outlining the Holocaust, the Shoah. I want to combine eyewitness testimony uměleckoliterárním rendition of the theme of the Shoah. For greater expertise as a starting point of my work I choose: I. general characteristics of totalitarianism or the system that gave rise to the Shoah, II. insight into historical context, as my activity is usable in more subjects: literature, civics and history is necessary for me this season prepared and factually. III. The art of literature related to the topic of the Shoah affected by the "wine", I will try to demonstrate the immanence of the destruction of human society, which is also what should be heard even at the end of my activities. IV. The final activity will be articulated eyewitness testimony and artistic text (which process the same historical events) will be outlined their educational use in the subjects: civics, history and literature. Target activity will be interdisciplinary, as it is mainly designed for the needs of secondary schools, for the interconnection of multiple information sources and their mutual confrontation, which leads to less distortion of...

This dissertation aims to introduce propagandistic activity of Nazi Germany and Communist Russia, which fundamentally impacted all areas of people´s lives including human culture, which signifies absolute freedom under normal circumstances. Art production was faced with such immense ideological pressure that the artwork became mere tools of the propagandistic regime. In order to fully comprehend the success of the propaganda, the dissertation focuses mostly on the official art production of both regimes and its insertion into historical and psychological context. The dissertation follows the development of both regimes and their art worlds in order to find their basic characteristics, which in turn serve to show the common principles used by the propaganda that managed to manipulate millions of people all over the world under different ideologies.

Zugl.: München, Univ., Diss., 2009

Hochsch., Diss u.d.T.: Lemke, Matthias: Progressiver Sozialismus--Vechta, 2007.

Zugl.: Chemnitz, Techn. Univ., Diss., 2008.

The thesis deals with right-wing extremism in the context of democracy. In the first part, democracy, its development and basic values are characterised. The following part describes extremism and its rudimentary typology, historical roots of right-wing extremism and its strategy. The final part focuses on the fight of democracy against extremism. In this part, possible anti-extremist measures are proposed, including critical reflections on the principles of right-wing extremism. Furthermore, a concept of so-called militant democracy is introduced, along with the analysis of its application in the Czech Republic and its critical reflection.