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Slovenia has a long tradition of excellent relations with its Czech "Slavic brothers". At the beginning of this year, the Euro-sceptic Czechs took over presidency of the EU, just as the very pro-EU Slovenes had done a year previously. However, this article is not about politics and differences, but about the similarities and superlatives that bind the two countries together. Slovenes and Czechs have many giants in common both claim as their own; the implementation of our mutual history and cultural connections is evident on different fields, including in bilateral political relations, mutual economic exchange and rich cultural cooperation.

Prague was a popular place alongside Vienna in the era when a few Slovenes were privileged to study there. Many Slovenian students attend Czech universities, particularly FAMU, the world-famous Academy of Performing Arts.

As the Czech government actively supports Czech studies so the popularity of studying in the Czech Republic is once again increasing. Several scholarships are available to Slovenian students to study at Masaryk University in Brno and the University of Ostrava.

Plečnik's Remarkable Influence in Prague

However, it was not only Slovenian students in Prague and other cities; Jože Plečnik, the pride of Slovenian architecture, worked as a professor at the university in Prague, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Plečnik moved to Prague in 1911 to teach at the College of Arts and Crafts. His teachings emphasized both classical architectural principles and folk-art traditions, and influenced a generation of architects who would help define the avant-garde Czech Cubist movement of the 1920s.

In 1920, he began work on Prague Castle - Hradčany, a medieval monument that dominates the historic capital. The president at the time, Tomáš Masaryk, sought to renovate the ruined castle after war and appointed Plečnik chief architect. From 1920 until 1934, Plečnik completed numerous projects at the castle, including renovation of numerous gardens and courtyards, the design and installation of monuments and sculptures, and the design of numerous new interior spaces. He had great relations with Masaryk and his daughter Alice. One of the main streets in Ljubljana is named after Masaryk.

In 1997, an important exhibition on Plečnik was on display at Hradčany, and a movie about Plečnik in Slovene-Czech coproduction Dragi mojster (Dear Master) was filmed by Pavel Koutecky, based on the letters that Plečnik and Alice Masaryk exchanged during the renovation period.

Czechs' marks

As Plečnik left his mark on Prague, several Czech architects designed some of the beautiful sights in Ljubljana. The University of Ljubljana is nestled in the building of a former Deželni dvorec (Provincial Mansion) designed by the Czech architect Jan Vladimir Hrasky and later revised by Josef Hudetz, also Czech.

Another jewel in the crown of the city's architecture since its opening in 1892, now under controversial renovation, is the magnificent Opera House, a true work-of-art by Czech architects Jan V. Hrasky and Anton Hruby. Some other achievements by Hrasky can be found outside Ljubljana as well. In 1897, the National Hall in Celje was built and immediately became a symbol of Slovenia, as well as the cultural, political and social centre of Celje.

Literature

The history of cultural connections goes back to 14th century and during Renaissance with Trubar and Jacobus Gallus; however, the wide philological spread started at the end of the 18th century, with the so-called awakening of nations.

A few names have to be mentioned here: Marko Pohlin published Slovenian grammar in 1768 under the influence of the Czech national movement; Josef Dobrovsky was the father of Slavic philology and a very influential thinker on the Slovenian historic and philological question. Dobrovsky maintained contacts with various Slovene intellectuals. Čelakovsky was the first to translate Prešeren's poetry into the Czech language. From the Spring of Nations in 1948 until the end of Austrian monarchy, the Slavic spirit of mutual cooperation grew stronger and together stood opposed to German rule. After the end of the monarchy, cooperation was established in the fields of science, music, translation, mountaineering and university studies.

The significance of contemporary bilateral literary activities is shown in public meetings of Slovene and Czech literary authors; particularly valuable here is the Vilenica Festival. The ambassadors of Slovene literature in Czech are the translators Oton Berkopec and J. Hiršal who translated Prešeren. The most frequently translated Slovenian authors into Czech are Ivan Cankar and Dragi Jančar. Needless to say, Slovenes highly appreciate literature intelligent humour of Čapek and Hašek, or the philosophy of dissident Milan Kundera, whose literature was, unlike in Czechoslovakia, available here during his dissident times.

Returning to the common European present, at the beginning of their presidency, the Czech Ambassador, Ivana Hlavsová, opened a photography exhibition on two breaking periods for the Czechs in the 20th century. The opening was implemented by a speech on Hrašek's humour and his character Švejk. Humour and cunning tricks are constant elements in the Czech arts. We should not forget the film Češky Sen (The Czech Dream), which was the biggest marketing manipulation hoax in Czech history and the infamous Europe-mocking project Entropa, by David Černy, who is famous for his artful and provocative projects. The sculpture showed that stereotypes still define an "open" Europe and that in future we have to overcome them in order to remove barriers in Europe itself. The field of cultural cooperation is the first to push and break those boundaries.