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Carolina (English) No 128
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STUDENTS' E-MAIL NEWS FROM CZECH REPUBLIC
School of Social Sciences of Charles University
Smetanovo nabr. 6
110 01 Prague 1
Czech Republic
E-mail address: carolina@n.fsv.cuni.cz
Fax: (+422) 24810987
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 128, Friday, August 12, 1994.
EVENTS FROM THE PAST TWO WEEKS (July 27 - August 10)
We are terribly sorry for the delay in mailing the Carolina! Our
troubles with our network seems to be worse than ever before.
With best wishes,
Jan
Local Elections Set for November
Local elections in the Czech Republic will be held November 18 and
19, following confirmation of government-recommended dates by President
Vaclav Havel on August 8.
The official election campaign will begin November 8 and last until
48 hours before the election begins. Political parties, as well as
independent candidates, must send their election applications to local
authorities before September 13.
The election law allows any citizen 18 years or older, who is
a permanent resident of a given community, to run in its local election.
Voters can choose either individual candidates or complete lists of
candidates from the various parties.
However, voters will not directly elect their mayors. Mayors will be
chosen by the candidates who win seats in the local elections.
Mlada Fronta Dnes daily reports that the local election will be the
most important test of party loyality of voters since the June, 1992,
parliamentary elections.
The elections will be the second local races held since since 1989,
and will herald a major change in the make-up of local governing bodies,
the newspaper concludes. The party which won the previous local
elections, in 1990 -- Civic Forum -- has since broken into several
factions.
Czech Right-Wingers Break-Up Memorial for Slain Germans
About 20 Czech rightists attacked a group of Czechs and Germans
commemorating the 1945 deaths of Germans about to be expelled from
Czechoslovkia.
The right-wingers, members and supporters of the Union for the
Republic/Czechoslovak Republican Party, physically and verbally abused
the group gathered at the National Cemetery in Terezin July 30.
The memorial group was marking events that occurred July 31, 1945 in
Usti nad Labem. After a severe explosion in an ammunition warehouse,
Czechs attacked Germans marked with white ribbons indicating that they
were due for deportation from Czechoslovakia that day.
Tens of Germans were killed, some by being thrown into the Elbe
River, according to accounts.
Terezin, which served as a concentration ghetto for Jews during
World War II, was chosen for the memorial meeting as a place of
commemoration of all victims of violence, stated the meeting's
organisers.
The participants -- including Germans and Czechs -- were members of
the Cultural Club of Ethnic Germans Living in the Czech Republic, the
Circle of German-Czech Understanding, and the Dresden division of the
Sudeten German Land Union.
The right-wingers greeted the meeting participants by shouting
"Blame facism!" and "Go home, killers!", throwing eggs, and blocking the
way to the wooden cross where the ceremony was supposed to take place.
Prepared speeches could not be read. According to Rude Pravo Daily,
Josef Krejsa, a former member of the federal assembly and representative
of the Republicans, said the Republicans came "to block the provocative
memorial ceremony, which is a offense to the Czech victims of facism."
Josef Macnar, director of the district headquarters of police in
Litomerice, resigned following the incident, in which police did not
intervene.
A meeting in Usti nad Labem marking the same events took place
without conflict. President Vaclav Havel expressed strong disagreement
with the conduct of the right-wing Republicans, calling their behaviour
violent, uncultivated and nationalistic.
Representatives of most political parties also denounced the attack.
Jaroslav Ortman, chairman of the paarliamentary group of the Left Bloc,
said the event is a shame which "must be denounced by every good
citizen."
At the same time they criticized the Republicans, however,
representatives of most oposition parties also questioned the fact that
the memorial meeting was officially allowed to take place.
Mr. Milos Zeman, the Head of Social Democrats (CSSD) said: "On one
side, I reject activities which are based on hatress," said Milos Zeman,
head of the Social Democrats. "On the other side, I ask myself whether
Terezin, where so many people died during the Nazi period, is a proper
place for a meeting -- however much good will intended -- organized by
Germans."
Jakub Cermin, chairman of Czech Union of Freedom Fighters and the
Union of Liberated Political Prisoners, also said the ceremony should
not have taken place in Terezin.
Numbers Claiming Wealth Increase
In 1990, roughly one in ten adult citizens in the Czech Republic our
country estimated his or her property was worth at least 500,000 crowns.
This year, according to the Center for Empirical Research, such worth is
claimed by one in five.
About 18 percent declared property worth more than 1 million crowns,
and 4 percent claiming more than 2 million crowns.
Economists and sociologists point to several factors in this
increase. Prices of real estate have skyrocketed. (A house which cost
200,000 crowns a couple of years ago, would cost more than a million
today.) Experts also point to the increasing differentiation of personal
incomes.
However, they also point to such factors as a decline in the feeling
that it is improper to speak about large property holdings. For about
one-quarter of households, property worth increased due to restitution,
a process in which nationalized factories, houses or farmland were given
back to original owners or their heirs.
The Increasing Consumption of Medicaments
According to the Czech Ministry of Health Care, consumption of
various types of medication increased in the first quarter of this year
compared with the same period last year.
In the period, Czechs consumed medication worth 5 billion crowns.
Josef Suchopar, director of Pharmaceutic Division of the Czech Ministry
of Health Care, said 915 of every thousad Czechs consumed medication in
the first quarter of 1994, putting the Czech Republic among Europe's top
pill takers.
What's in a Name: Czech Lands versus Czech Republic
Although there has been an independent Czech state for a year and
a half, there is still no codified short name in the Czech language
which would replace the title Czech Republic. From the very beginning,
it has been clear that the only possible term is Czech Lands (Cesko).
Although the name is clear and linguistically correct, it is still
used by few people. It is hard to define why the term Cesko (Czech
Lands) is accepted, although it may be a bad impression from the first
hearing of the word. at a first time. But if we look at the Czech
grammar and how the names of the states are made, it is obvious that
there is nothing wrong with the -sko. Just look at Slovensko (Slovakia),
Madarsko (Hungary), or Polsko (Poland).
Any other short term than Cesko (Czech Lands) is not convenient
either for geografic reasons (Cechy is Bohemia), or for linguistic ones
(Cechie). Not many people know that Czech Lands were discussed 25 years
ago in connection with the Czech and Slovak federation. In specialized
linguistic press there was discussion of calling the western part of
federation, the Czech Socialist Republic, Cesko (Czech Lands).
Today, with the Czech Lands standing alone as a nation, the need for
the term Cesko is more important than ever.
ECONOMICS
EXCHANGE RATES OF THE CZECH NATIONAL BANK (valid from August 11)
CHECKS CASH
country Buy Sell Middle Buy Sell Middle
Australia 1 AUD 20.878 21.088 20.983 19.91 22.05 20.98
Belgium 100 BEF 86.525 87.395 86.960 84.26 89.66 86.96
Great Britain 1 GBP 43.291 43.727 43.509 42.09 44.93 43.51
Denmark 1 DKK 4.520 4.566 4.543 4.34 4.74 4.54
Finland 1 FIM 5.420 5.474 5.447 5.05 5.85 5.45
France 1 FRF 5.198 5.250 5.224 5.02 5.42 5.22
Ireland 1 IEP 42.891 43.323 43.107 41.11 45.11 43.11
Italy 1000 ITL 17.761 17.939 17.850 17.08 18.62 17.85
Japan 100 JPY 27.782 28.062 27.922 26.62 29.22 27.92
Canada 1 CAD 20.500 20.706 20.603 19.71 21.49 20.60
Luxemburg 100 LUF 86.525 87.395 86.960 83.96 89.96 86,96
Netherlands 1 NLG 15.861 16.021 15.941 15.46 16.42 15.94
Norway 1 NOK 4.074 4.114 4.094 3.94 4.24 4.09
New Zealand 1 NZD 16.841 17.011 16.926 16.18 17.68 16.93
Portugal 100 PTE 17.527 17.703 17.615 16.44 18.80 17.62
Austria 1 ATS 2.533 2.559 2.546 2.49 2.61 2.55
Greece 100 GRD 11.802 11.920 11.861 11.15 12.57 11.86
Germany 1 DEM 17.826 18.006 17.916 17.46 18.38 17.92
Spain 100 ESP 21.649 21.867 21.758 20.76 22.76 21.76
Sweden 1 SEK 3.615 3.651 3.633 3.47 3.79 3.63
Switzerland 1 CHF 21.169 21.381 21.275 20.78 21.78 21.28
USA 1 USD 28.130 28.412 28.271 27.57 28.97 28,27
EC-ECH 1 XEU 34.028 34.370 34.199 -- --
IMF-SDR 1 XDR 40.603 41.011 40.807 -- --
Slovakia 1 XCU -- -- 34.199 -- --
SPORT
First Football League Resumes Play
On Friday, August 5, the "S" teams from Prague kicked off the
second year of the Czech football league.
Slavia predictably beat Boby Brno 3:0, but the 4:0 win of Sparta
over Drnovice was surprisingly easy. Another Prague team, Viktoria
Zizkov easily beat Hradec Kralove 5:1.
Two Moravian teams hoping for first place did not hesitate and won
three points for wins, a new development in this year's league: Sigma
Olomouc beat Bohemians-Praha 2:0, and Banki Ostrava beat FK Jablonec,
new to the league, 3:2.
The only surprise of the first round was the 2:1 win of Viktoria
Plzen in Liberec over Slovan. Another novice -- Svarc Benesov -- picked
up first-league points for beating Ceske Budejovice 2:1. The Ambitious
Union Cheb acheived only a 1:1 tie with Svit Zlin 1:1.
WEATHER
The Warmest July of the 20th Century
Sunday, July 31, became the warmest day of the year, hitting
a record 37.3 Celsius in Prague. The last weekend of July was the
warmest weekend since temperatures in Prague's Klementinum were first
measured in 1775.
Temperatures noted in last week of July in the Central Europe were
higher than in the traditionally warm countries of Southern Europe --
Spain, Italy and Greece.
The high temperatures caused a ban on swimming in area pools and
lakes as micro-organisms thrived in the hot water.
The first days of August, however, brought cooler temperatures and
much needed rain.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This news may be published only with "CAROLINA" designation. The
subscription is free. Comments and remarks are appreciated. Send them
please to the address:
carolina@n.fsv.cuni.cz
To subscribe to CAROLINA you send an e-mail message to the address
LISTSERV@CSEARN.BITNET
or to the address:
LISTSERV@EARN.CVUT.CZ
The text of the message is:
SUBSCRIBE CAR-ENG First name Last name
for the English version or
SUBSCRIBE CAR-CS First name Last name
for the Czech version. To delete your subscription from the list
you send the following message to LISTSERV@EARN.CVUT.CZ:
SIGNOFF CAR-ENG or SIGNOFF CAR-CS
Please, don't send automatic replies to our list. You can temporalily
stop receiving of Carolna by sending the command:
SET CAR-ENG NOMAIL
The command should be sent to the address LISTSERV@EARN.CVUT.CZ
he network seems to be worse than ever before.
EVENTS FROM THE PAST TWO WEEKS (July 27 - August 10)
Local Elections Set for November
Local elections in the Czech Republic will be held November 18 and
19, following confirmation of government-recommended dates by President
Vaclav Havel on August 8.
The official election campaign will begin November 8 and last until
48 hours before the election begins. Political parties, as well as
independent candidates, must send their election applications to local
authorities before September 13.
The election law allows any citizen 18 years or older, who is
a permanent resident of a given community, to run in its local election.
Voters can choose either individual candidates or complete lists of
candidates from the various parties.
However, voters will not directly elect their mayors. Mayors will be
chosen by the candidates who win seats in the local elections.
Mlada Fronta Dnes daily reports that the local election will be the
most important test of party loyality of voters since the June, 1992,
parliamentary elections.
The elections will be the second local races held since since 1989,
and will herald a major change in the make-up of local governing bodies,
the newspaper concludes. The party which won the previous local
elections, in 1990 -- Civic Forum -- has since broken into several
factions.
Czech Right-Wingers Break-Up Memorial for Slain Germans
About 20 Czech rightists attacked a group of Czechs and Germans
commemorating the 1945 deaths of Germans about to be expelled from
Czechoslovkia.
The right-wingers, members and supporters of the Union for the
Republic/Czechoslovak Republican Party, physically and verbally abused
the group gathered at the National Cemetery in Terezin July 30.
The memorial group was marking events that occurred July 31, 1945 in
Usti nad Labem. After a severe explosion in an ammunition warehouse,
Czechs attacked Germans marked with white ribbons indicating that they
were due for deportation from Czechoslovakia that day.
Tens of Germans were killed, some by being thrown into the Elbe
River, according to accounts.
Terezin, which served as a concentration ghetto for Jews during
World War II, was chosen for the memorial meeting as a place of
commemoration of all victims of violence, stated the meeting's
organisers.
The participants -- including Germans and Czechs -- were members of
the Cultural Club of Ethnic Germans Living in the Czech Republic, the
Circle of German-Czech Understanding, and the Dresden division of the
Sudeten German Land Union.
The right-wingers greeted the meeting participants by shouting
"Blame facism!" and "Go home, killers!", throwing eggs, and blocking the
way to the wooden cross where the ceremony was supposed to take place.
Prepared speeches could not be read. According to Rude Pravo Daily,
Josef Krejsa, a former member of the federal assembly and representative
of the Republicans, said the Republicans came "to block the provocative
memorial ceremony, which is a offense to the Czech victims of facism."
Josef Macnar, director of the district headquarters of police in
Litomerice, resigned following the incident, in which police did not
intervene.
A meeting in Usti nad Labem marking the same events took place
without conflict. President Vaclav Havel expressed strong disagreement
with the conduct of the right-wing Republicans, calling their behaviour
violent, uncultivated and nationalistic.
Representatives of most political parties also denounced the attack.
Jaroslav Ortman, chairman of the paarliamentary group of the Left Bloc,
said the event is a shame which "must be denounced by every good
citizen."
At the same time they criticized the Republicans, however,
representatives of most oposition parties also questioned the fact that
the memorial meeting was officially allowed to take place.
Mr. Milos Zeman, the Head of Social Democrats (CSSD) said: "On one
side, I reject activities which are based on hatress," said Milos Zeman,
head of the Social Democrats. "On the other side, I ask myself whether
Terezin, where so many people died during the Nazi period, is a proper
place for a meeting -- however much good will intended -- organized by
Germans."
Jakub Cermin, chairman of Czech Union of Freedom Fighters and the
Union of Liberated Political Prisoners, also said the ceremony should
not have taken place in Terezin.
Numbers Claiming Wealth Increase
In 1990, roughly one in ten adult citizens in the Czech Republic our
country estimated his or her property was worth at least 500,000 crowns.
This year, according to the Center for Empirical Research, such worth is
claimed by one in five.
About 18 percent declared property worth more than 1 million crowns,
and 4 percent claiming more than 2 million crowns.
Economists and sociologists point to several factors in this
increase. Prices of real estate have skyrocketed. (A house which cost
200,000 crowns a couple of years ago, would cost more than a million
today.) Experts also point to the increasing differentiation of personal
incomes.
However, they also point to such factors as a decline in the feeling
that it is improper to speak about large property holdings. For about
one-quarter of households, property worth increased due to restitution,
a process in which nationalized factories, houses or farmland were given
back to original owners or their heirs.
The Increasing Consumption of Medicaments
According to the Czech Ministry of Health Care, consumption of
various types of medication increased in the first quarter of this year
compared with the same period last year.
In the period, Czechs consumed medication worth 5 billion crowns.
Josef Suchopar, director of Pharmaceutic Division of the Czech Ministry
of Health Care, said 915 of every thousad Czechs consumed medication in
the first quarter of 1994, putting the Czech Republic among Europe's top
pill takers.
What's in a Name: Czech Lands versus Czech Republic
Although there has been an independent Czech state for a year and
a half, there is still no codified short name in the Czech language
which would replace the title Czech Republic. From the very beginning,
it has been clear that the only possible term is Czech Lands (Cesko).
Although the name is clear and linguistically correct, it is still
used by few people. It is hard to define why the term Cesko (Czech
Lands) is accepted, although it may be a bad impression from the first
hearing of the word. at a first time. But if we look at the Czech
grammar and how the names of the states are made, it is obvious that
there is nothing wrong with the -sko. Just look at Slovensko (Slovakia),
Madarsko (Hungary), or Polsko (Poland).
Any other short term than Cesko (Czech Lands) is not convenient
either for geografic reasons (Cechy is Bohemia), or for linguistic ones
(Cechie). Not many people know that Czech Lands were discussed 25 years
ago in connection with the Czech and Slovak federation. In specialized
linguistic press there was discussion of calling the western part of
federation, the Czech Socialist Republic, Cesko (Czech Lands).
Today, with the Czech Lands standing alone as a nation, the need for
the term Cesko is more important than ever.
ECONOMICS
EXCHANGE RATES OF THE CZECH NATIONAL BANK (valid from August 11)
CHECKS CASH
country Buy Sell Middle Buy Sell Middle
Australia 1 AUD 20.878 21.088 20.983 19.91 22.05 20.98
Belgium 100 BEF 86.525 87.395 86.960 84.26 89.66 86.96
Great Britain 1 GBP 43.291 43.727 43.509 42.09 44.93 43.51
Denmark 1 DKK 4.520 4.566 4.543 4.34 4.74 4.54
Finland 1 FIM 5.420 5.474 5.447 5.05 5.85 5.45
France 1 FRF 5.198 5.250 5.224 5.02 5.42 5.22
Ireland 1 IEP 42.891 43.323 43.107 41.11 45.11 43.11
Italy 1000 ITL 17.761 17.939 17.850 17.08 18.62 17.85
Japan 100 JPY 27.782 28.062 27.922 26.62 29.22 27.92
Canada 1 CAD 20.500 20.706 20.603 19.71 21.49 20.60
Luxemburg 100 LUF 86.525 87.395 86.960 83.96 89.96 86,96
Netherlands 1 NLG 15.861 16.021 15.941 15.46 16.42 15.94
Norway 1 NOK 4.074 4.114 4.094 3.94 4.24 4.09
New Zealand 1 NZD 16.841 17.011 16.926 16.18 17.68 16.93
Portugal 100 PTE 17.527 17.703 17.615 16.44 18.80 17.62
Austria 1 ATS 2.533 2.559 2.546 2.49 2.61 2.55
Greece 100 GRD 11.802 11.920 11.861 11.15 12.57 11.86
Germany 1 DEM 17.826 18.006 17.916 17.46 18.38 17.92
Spain 100 ESP 21.649 21.867 21.758 20.76 22.76 21.76
Sweden 1 SEK 3.615 3.651 3.633 3.47 3.79 3.63
Switzerland 1 CHF 21.169 21.381 21.275 20.78 21.78 21.28
USA 1 USD 28.130 28.412 28.271 27.57 28.97 28,27
EC-ECH 1 XEU 34.028 34.370 34.199 -- --
IMF-SDR 1 XDR 40.603 41.011 40.807 -- --
Slovakia 1 XCU -- -- 34.199 -- --
SPORT
First Football League Resumes Play
On Friday, August 5, the "S" teams from Prague kicked off the
second year of the Czech football league.
Slavia predictably beat Boby Brno 3:0, but the 4:0 win of Sparta
over Drnovice was surprisingly easy. Another Prague team, Viktoria
Zizkov easily beat Hradec Kralove 5:1.
Two Moravian teams hoping for first place did not hesitate and won
three points for wins, a new development in this year's league: Sigma
Olomouc beat Bohemians-Praha 2:0, and Banki Ostrava beat FK Jablonec,
new to the league, 3:2.
The only surprise of the first round was the 2:1 win of Viktoria
Plzen in Liberec over Slovan. Another novice -- Svarc Benesov -- picked
up first-league points for beating Ceske Budejovice 2:1. The Ambitious
Union Cheb acheived only a 1:1 tie with Svit Zlin 1:1.
WEATHER
The Warmest July of the 20th Century
Sunday, July 31, became the warmest day of the year, hitting
a record 37.3 Celsius in Prague. The last weekend of July was the
warmest weekend since temperatures in Prague's Klementinum were first
measured in 1775.
Temperatures noted in last week of July in the Central Europe were
higher than in the traditionally warm countries of Southern Europe --
Spain, Italy and Greece.
The high temperatures caused a ban on swimming in area pools and
lakes as micro-organisms thrived in the hot water.
The first days of August, however, brought cooler temperatures and
much needed rain.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This news may be published only with "CAROLINA" designation. The
subscription is free. Comments and remarks are appreciated. Send them
please to the address:
carolina@n.fsv.cuni.cz
To subscribe to CAROLINA you send an e-mail message to the address
LISTSERV@CSEARN.BITNET
or to the address:
LISTSERV@EARN.CVUT.CZ
The text of the message is:
SUBSCRIBE CAR-ENG First name Last name
for the English version or
SUBSCRIBE CAR-CS First name Last name
for the Czech version. To delete your subscription from the list
you send the following message to LISTSERV@EARN.CVUT.CZ:
SIGNOFF CAR-ENG or SIGNOFF CAR-CS
Please, don't send automatic replies to our list. You can temporalily
stop receiving of Carolna by sending the command:
SET CAR-ENG NOMAIL
The command should be sent to the address LISTSERV@EARN.CVUT.CZ
Dear Lida,
My name is Thea Favaloro and I am currently living in San
Francisco, but am moving to Prague in September. I am planning on
getting my Ph.D. (someday) in Russian history, but for now I am
interested in learning Czech. I subscribe to Carolina and thought that
perhaps I could be of help with the English version, if you have any
grammar questions, or need a proofreader/editor. I was also hoping to
establish contact with someone in Prague before I move there. If you
have the time and would like to write to me, please do, I would really
appreciate it. My e-mail address is: alek@mercury.sfsu.edu Thanks a
lot, and hopefully I will be hearing from you soon! Nashledanou!
------ Forwarded message ends here ------
