CCCCC AA RRRRR OOOO LL II NN N AA CC AA A RR R OO O LL II NNN N AA A CC AA A RRRRR OO O LL II NN N N AA A CC AAAAAA RR R OO O LL II NN NN AAAAAA CCCCC AA A RR R OOOO LLLLLL II NN N AA A STUDENT'S E-MAIL NEWS FROM CZECHOSLOVAKIA Faculty of Social Science of Charles University Smetanovo nabr. 6 110 01 Prague 1 C.S.F.R. e-mail address: CAROLINA@CSEARN.BITNET *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* C A R O L I N A No 10, Friday, January 17, 1992. The E-mail News from Czechoslovakia This news may be published only with the "CAROLINA" designation. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* THE EVENTS OF THE LAST WEEK --------------------------- THE EVENTS OF THE LAST WEEK (from January 8-15) Petr Pithart in Ukrainia The Czech delegation led by Czech prime minister Petr Pithart ended its officiall visit in Ukrainia on Saturday, January 11. Vice-chairmans of both governments, J. Strasky and O. Slepicev signed a declaration saying that now there are good conditions for a mutual assistance. Invoices will be covered partly by convertibile currency and by an exchange of goods. The delegation also signed a negotiation to smooth the property reparation of Czechs from Volyn who moved to Czechoslovakia after Chernobyl's catastrophe and who had to leave all property and savings in Ukrainia. Petr Pithart expressed his fear of too much optimism of Ukrainia's representatives. Ukrainian President Kravcuk and the prime minister both said that the exchange rate between Ukrainia's currency and the dollar will be 1:1. Trial with ex-minister of interior affairs A trial with the ex-minister of interior affairs Frantisek Kincl, his first deputy Alois Lorenz and the head of counter-intelligence Karel Vykypel started in the army superior court in Tabor on January 14. The trial is expected to last more then two months and is going to become the longest trial since November 1989. The defendants are accused of abusing public agent' authority. They ordered the imprisonment of dozens of people including Vaclav Havel, Petr Pithart, Petr Uhl during the protest actions in 1988 and 1989. A. Lorenz is also charged with ordering to destroy the materials of Public Security at the end of November 1989. Strike of controllers is canceled The time-unlimited emergency of long-distance controllers which was planned for and could have effected all Czechoslovakian airports was canceled on January 10. The Ministry of Transportation accepted all demands from the deputies of controllers' trade union except the demand for higher salaries. Although controllin is exactiong work, the pay increase can't be accepted. The demands will be discussed further. Sharemen's feaver The number of registered voucher-book holders reached the total of one million in Czechoslovakia last weekend. The most aggresive is Harvard Investment's Fund whose deputies contact people are trying to get points from their voucher books. Harvard Investment's Funds owned by Harvard Capital and Consulting joint-stock company offer to buy shares after one year for ten times more than the original price- 10 360 Kcs. Czechoslovakia has one half million unemployed Registered unemployment in Czechoslovakia reached 523,700 on December 31. The unemployment rate is 6.6 percent. December showed the lowest unemployment increase, about 23 500 in comparison to other months. In the Czech republic there were 221 749 people without work. The Czech unemployment rate is 4.1 percent. In Slovakia 301 951 poople are unemployed, unemployment rate is 11.8 percent. The lowest number unemployed is in Prague and Bratislava, the highest is in Northern Moravia and Western Slovakia. The best sportsmen of 1991 in Czechoslovakia Radomir Simunek, cyclo-cross biker topped the poll of Czechoslovakian sports reporters as the best sportsman of 1991. He is the first cyclo-cross biker in Czechoslovakia to win world titles in all categories, junior, amateur and professional. The second-best sportsman of 1991 is ski-boarder Vaclav Chalupa, silver medalist in skiing in Vienna and winner of the World Cup. The third-best sportsman listed is wrestler,Jozef Lohyna. Other places belong to tennisplayers Jana Novotna and Ivan Lendl, motobiker Jaroslav Katrinak, athletes Robert Zmelik and Jan Zelezny, best football man of 1991 Tomas Skuhravy and shot-putter Lubos Racansky. Table tennis team the prize for best group of the year. They were third in the World Championship. The prize for "Discovery of the Year" was won by Milan Kucera, born in 1974. REPORT FROM CHARLES UNIVERSITY AND ITS FACULTIES Sociology in a new situation On January 8th, Czech Sociological Society of Jan Masaryk together with the sociological faculty of Charles University held a discussion about "Changes in Sociological Investigations". Many specialists from different sociological fields contributed to the discussion with their thoughts about changes and tasks will be necessary for sociology during the transformation of our society. The speed of development pushes the investigations, for example public opinion surveys. The topical results are the most important explained contributors at the meeting. Publishing the results, building new information channels that provide the results of investigation to all interested people are a problem too. The finding of new sponsors and creationg new foundations will aid the sociological research funding. Not only sociology is faced with this problem, because in the past all Czechoslovakian sciences were financed by the state. Participation in international projects could help the sociologists to commercially use the results of their inestigations. CULTURAL SERVICE European literal coffee-shops "Middle Europe starts in that place, where you can sit behind the table, order coffee and read a newspaper" was said in the opening of the exhibition "European literal coffee-shops" on January 7. The exhibition is being held in the Center of folklore art,ULUV, in the center of Prague, Narodni Street No 36. On National street, formerly Ferdinand street, there were coincidentally two famous caffee shops: Unionka on the corner of National and Perstyn street was a meeting place of our writers and journalists Jaroslav Hasek, Eduard Bass, Frantisek Langer, Karel Capek and Josef Capek as well as artists, architects and politicians. Unionka also saw the generation of Nezval, Seifer and Teige that founded the art group "Devetsil". Nezval and Seifer later moved to the coffee shop Slavia at the end of the National street. Slavia is an important place for our artists now as well. Poet Jiri Kolar, today living in Paris, had his own table here. Artists, philospohers and play-wrights ,including Vaclav Havel went to Slavia as well. No wonder Slavia became a favourite place of the few generations of photograph directors because the Charles University faculty of cinema art is just around the corner. Today in the coffee shop there are discussions students, old ladies, foreigners, hopeful and hopeless people. Coffee shops with their charming atmosphere and discussions created the history of Czech, French, Italian, German and Vienna's avantgarda . It was possible to read all important press drinking one cup of coffee . There were some timely foreign newspapers, students preparing for exams, journalists writing their articles here. You could just come and wait. Each time you found somebody interesting. German intellectuals also had their own favourite coffee shop in Prague in Arco. Oskar Baum, Paul Eisner, Franz Werfel, Ernest Pollack, Max Brod and Franz Kafka met there. Arco was visited by the recently recognized Milena Jesenska as well. Prague's exhibition remain common European cultural atmosphere in the beginning of the century and art streams'sharing in our region. Today in Prague, Berlin or Wiena is possible to read newspapers from the whole world. But you can't get them in Prague coffee shop. Exhibition was organized by French institutes , cultural centres of European cities and Czech Ministry of Culture. The exhibition will take place from January 7 to February 8. Czechoslovakian first run of the movie "South against North" The famous Hollywood's movie "South against North" had Czechoslovakian first run in Prague on January 12. Maria Podhradska from Bratislava won a competition "We look for Scarlett O'Hara". She looks most similar as the actresse Vivien Leighova, star from legendary American movie. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* To subscribe Carolina please send the e-mail message with subject "Carolina/Eng: Subscription" for the english version (and "Carolina/Cs: Subscription" for the czech one) version on our e-mail address above. To drop sending you replace the word Subscription" by "Unsubscription". The subscription is free. Comments and remarks are appreciated.