“Perhaps Even God is a Member”. The Sokol Gymnastic Movement and Its Impact on Czech Culture and National Identity
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| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Requested lectures |
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| Description | The next lecture in the Modernitas Lectures series, delivered by Petra Willerthová, will introduce a significant Czech cultural and social phenomenon of the 19th and 20th centuries: the Sokol gymnastic movement. The lecture will also focus on its key figure and one of its founders, Miroslav Tyrš. No sports organisation has transformed the Czech lands as profoundly as Sokol. This gymnastic movement, which is still active today, was founded in 1862 in Prague (in former Austria-Hungary) on the model of the German Turners. The fundamental idea behind Sokol, articulated by the philosopher, aesthetician, and art historian Miroslav Tyrš, combined the ideal of Greek kalokagathia, the groundbreaking concepts of Darwinism, and the notion of Slavic reciprocity. Initially a paramilitary but democratic, non-religious, and liberal organisation, Sokol played a significant role in establishing independent Czechoslovakia in 1918 and soon grew in popularity. After the Second World War, it boasted over a million members. This paper will introduce Miroslav Tyrš, exploring his personality, academic legacy, and tragic fate while focusing on the Sokol movement as a cultural phenomenon. Sokol was promoted by popular mass gym festivals known as “slets” as well as monuments in public spaces and architecture – around 1300 Sokol gym halls were built in the Czech lands, many of which still serve their intended purpose today. The Sokol idea rapidly spread to other cities and Slavic countries in southeastern Europe, where it was adapted to meet local needs. However, in no country has it achieved such popularity as in former Czechoslovakia. |