Bohumil Doležal
Encyclopedia
Bohumil Doležal is a Czech
literary critic, politician and former dissident. He was a political advisor to Václav Klaus
, the former Czech prime minister.
Doležal was born in Prague
, and graduated in 1962 after studying Czech
and German
at Charles University. He wrote literary critiques for the magazine Tvář from 1964 to 1965, when the magazine was cancelled. He later wrote for the magazine after its revival in 1968, made possible by the Prague spring
, until 1969 when Tvář was cancelled again. He first met Václav Klaus in 1968.
For the next twenty years, he worked as a technician and programmer. He signed Charter 77
and was a founding member of the Czechoslovakian Helsinki Committee.
After the Velvet revolution
of 1989, he was co-opted to the federal chamber of the Czechoslovakian parliament. Later he was elected to the chamber.
Around 1992-1993 he worked as the chief political advisor to Václav Klaus
(then prime minister of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic
and after its peaceful split, prime minister of the Czech Republic
). After a difference of opinion with Klaus, Doležal moved into academia and started teaching politics and "the history of political thinking" in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University. In addition, he is a well-known activist and supporter of Czech-German reconciliation. His opinions are close to that of German expellees organizations
. His writing is also published in various Czech printed and electronic media.
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
literary critic, politician and former dissident. He was a political advisor to Václav Klaus
Václav Klaus
Václav Klaus is the second President of the Czech Republic and a former Prime Minister .An economist, he is co-founder of the Civic Democratic Party, the Czech Republic's largest center-right political party. Klaus is a eurosceptic, but he reluctantly endorsed the Lisbon treaty as president of...
, the former Czech prime minister.
Doležal was born in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, and graduated in 1962 after studying Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
at Charles University. He wrote literary critiques for the magazine Tvář from 1964 to 1965, when the magazine was cancelled. He later wrote for the magazine after its revival in 1968, made possible by the Prague spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
, until 1969 when Tvář was cancelled again. He first met Václav Klaus in 1968.
For the next twenty years, he worked as a technician and programmer. He signed Charter 77
Charter 77
Charter 77 was an informal civic initiative in communist Czechoslovakia from 1976 to 1992, named after the document Charter 77 from January 1977. Founding members and architects were Václav Havel, Jan Patočka, Zdeněk Mlynář, Jiří Hájek, and Pavel Kohout. Spreading the text of the document was...
and was a founding member of the Czechoslovakian Helsinki Committee.
After the Velvet revolution
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
of 1989, he was co-opted to the federal chamber of the Czechoslovakian parliament. Later he was elected to the chamber.
Around 1992-1993 he worked as the chief political advisor to Václav Klaus
Václav Klaus
Václav Klaus is the second President of the Czech Republic and a former Prime Minister .An economist, he is co-founder of the Civic Democratic Party, the Czech Republic's largest center-right political party. Klaus is a eurosceptic, but he reluctantly endorsed the Lisbon treaty as president of...
(then prime minister of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic
Czech and Slovak Federal Republic
Czech and Slovak Federal Republic was the official name of Czechoslovakia from April 1990 until 31 December 1992, when the country was dissolved into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.- Adoption of the name :Since 1960, Czechoslovakia's official name had been Czechoslovak Socialist Republic...
and after its peaceful split, prime minister of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
). After a difference of opinion with Klaus, Doležal moved into academia and started teaching politics and "the history of political thinking" in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University. In addition, he is a well-known activist and supporter of Czech-German reconciliation. His opinions are close to that of German expellees organizations
Federation of Expellees
The Federation of Expellees or Bund der Vertriebenen is a non-profit organization formed to represent the interests of Germans who either fled their homes in parts of Central and Eastern Europe, or were expelled following World War II....
. His writing is also published in various Czech printed and electronic media.