Myths and “Reality” of Central-European Cities during the Formation of Identitie ****************************************************************************************** * Blanka Soukupová ****************************************************************************************** One of the accompanying features of the modernization of society is its urbanization (HOHE LEES 1985). Anthony Giddens (1999: 445) characterized it as a global process. Urban ethnog anthropology), developed in Czechoslovakia and Poland at the end of the 1970s and beginnin paid attention until then to partial problems in the development of cities and the lifesty inhabitants. Numerous microanalyses concerning the city in a certain period also correspon in the time from the 19th and 20th centuries. Various aspects of material culture (e.g., i ways of dressing, eating, and living) were also studied. In the case of spiritual culture, concentrated on urban celebrations and entertainment, exhibitions, folklore, urban educati corporative and family systems. Ethnographers and anthropologists, like historians and soc studied the lifestyles of the inhabitants of the city (e.g., lifestyles of workers, ethnic women, marginalized groups [prostitutes, beggars], workers' and Jewish families, the middl last decade research has also begun on meeting places in cities as well as urban non-place functions of individual parts of the city, impact of modernization on the mentality of the urban anthropology is further characterized by research of individual elements of the iden the quality of urban dialogues, in Czech anthropology mainly ethnic, research of sacral an in the city, specific natural formations, monuments of individual groups of ethnic and nat One monument can exist at the same time in the discourse of several nations and minorities toward the contemporary city prevails. Productivity of the indicator of myths in cultural European cities was demonstrated last year in two conferences: those in Krakow and Prague obraz, stereotyp, mýtus. Co lze mýtizovat ve městě? [European city: image, stereotype, myt mythicized in a city?]). Through a flood of articles, studies and books anthropologists in have arrived at a comparative view of the city. The indicator of myths as a tool for analysis was chosen for its ability to present the ci entirety and wholeness. (Existing Czech, Slovak and Polish ethnographic and anthropologica rather toward clarification of partial, although often very important, problems connected a city.) We understand myth to be a verbalized ideological idea of one or more generations whose help are asserted, justified and reproduced majority and minority group interests an or as a verbalized concept with the help of which society compensates for real or imagined tragedy, etc. Our concept is thus close to the understanding of the British anthropologist Malinowski (1936), who characterized myth as a social charter which clarifies the developm and concurrently morally shields the interest of the powerful and, in our case, also the p idea of conflict of interests was later developed by Georges Balandier (2000). As methodol inspirational we also assess the semiotic concept of Roland Barthes from the 1950s which d that myth is a certain narration (system of communication). Anything could be transformed a myth does not need to have an oral character. The most various matters of mythic narrati by myth as a global sign. According to Barthes myth contains a linguistic system (language itself (meta?language). Meta?language represents a secondary language. Myth converts meani is theft of speech. The main principal of myth is thus complexity, definiteness, a suggest elaborated distortion of the thought and feelings of society. Some researchers, however, c the classical concept of myth of French ethnologist Claude Lévi?Strauss, who saw in it mat to the recognition and understanding of the functioning of social laws. Myths are the narr with the help of which we can discover the meaning of our world. The question of the relation of myths that emerged around and in cities and national and t identities is already posed in regard to the fact that (1) complicated processes of format minorities, modern nations and transnational societies are connected primarily to cities, of national and transnational identities are also auto-stereotypes, stereotypes, myths of (e.g., elements of myths bearing fixed images about their own as well as "alien" cities), mutual bonds between urban, national and transnational identities, (4) comparison of evolu of myths created around and in cities in historically similar and different situations of minorities, social groups and states provides us with the possibility of analyzing the ind general in each society, state, region. At the same time, the results of each distinct soc change will be explained. By the term urban identity we understand (self)categorization and anchoring of a city in t social reality of a nation, state, region and/or the reality of a given city, its fiction projection of images about it to the subconscious of its inhabitants and the inhabitants o and states. These images are declared primarily by representatives of the metropolis (city state (government), and/or other influential organizations and institutions (political par associations, clubs, institutions) and, further, personalities from the ranks of politicia intellectuals. It is, however, a question whether, to what extent and for how long a decla "powerful" may become a component part of the general subconscious and/or the subconscious special-interest group (special-interest groups) in the society. The subject of our analysis in this and the following English issues of the journal Lidé m People will thus be: 1. the history of the development of myths concerning cities and in cities, 2. the function of myth concerning cities and in cities connected to (a) the city (ability change the appearance, character, and atmosphere of a metropolis, its individual neighborh distinct times) (b) the inhabitants (experience of the metropolis by its inhabitants, stru to the interest of the ethnic, political, social, etc.), (c) the majority (i.e., the polit and the minority (i.e., the politically handicapped) society, (d) transnational societies Europe), 3. universality and specificity of metropolitan myths, their formation and function in rel and social contexts, 4. causes and consequences of refusal and/or revitalization of older myths, their involvem ideology of contemporary societies, 5. way of reflection of "reality" in myths, 6. position of historical traditions in myths of the metropolis, 7. role of emotions and symbols in individual types of myths, 8. methods and tools for their consolidation (public celebrations, speeches, tangible monu [exhibitions, concerts, media activities], commercialization of myths [e.g., in Prague, Fr souvenirs for tourists], etc.). Thematically, we will divide myths in the city into myths connected to: (1) modernization modernization of the metropolis (e.g., the positive myth of the airy, clean, transparent, but also the negative myth of the anonymous, alienated, chaotic, dangerous city), (2) situ national and ethnic groups and communication between them (e.g., Prague Czech, Slavic, mul multicultural) (3) its historical fate (e.g., Cinderella Prague [myth created in the last 19th century], Prague - the metropolis of the state [myth created after 19l8], Prague suff [myth created after the Second World War], socialist Prague, Prague as the center of Chris [after 1989], (4) its declared relation to other cities and regions (e.g., Mother Prague a a host, Prague as the heart of Europe, (5) its appearance (e.g., Prague of a hundred spire Prague, antique Prague), (6) its supposed and real virtues and abilities (e.g., musical Pr - the conservatory of Europe, multicultural Prague), (7) famous personalities living in th and its important native sons (e.g., Prague as the city of Franz Kafka, Prague as Masaryk' the ambitions of minorities living in the metropolis (e.g., Jewish Prague, German Prague, city of the German Reich), (9) ambitions of the metropolis toward other, foreign metropoli cities (e.g., the Czech myth of Vienna as the stepmother from the last quarter of the 19th international myth of Vienna as the cradle of the Austrian social democratic party of the the 19th century, the Czech myth of friendly Paris of the beginning of the 20th century, t socialist myth of brotherly Warsaw, Moscow). One of our tasks will be to confirm the tempo myths, reasons for the length of their existence - all this combined with their changing o Besides these myths about metropolises we are also going to research mythicized places in According to Pierre Nora (1990: 7) it is a matter of the space in which, in some specific of a nation is condensed, presented or crystallized. These places can be individual buildi complexes (e.g., Vyšehrad in Prague [the fictitious cradle of Czech education], the Castle Czech statehood and its restoration], the National Theater [symbol of the exceptional and Czech cultural character], squares, monuments, statues, cemeteries, exceptional natural fo rocks, etc.). One of our goals will therefore be to describe the process of the rise and t these places, their symbols, their placement in the context of other symbols during the co cities, and of national (MACURA 1983: 154-167) and transnational identities. In our analyses we will start from the fact that myths concerning cities and in cities hav individually but, on the contrary, in certain hierarchized "complexes." An analysis of the changes of their content and the hierarchy of individual myths taken together thus offer a of perceiving the impacts of socio-political turns of events in the lives of metropolises organisms and the fates of their inhabitants. We see the main up-to-datedness of our research, however, in the possibilities of decipher of political mastering the present and future, as means of legitimization of interest grou states and national contexts (e.g., merged Czech national and state society 1918-1992). Th of what from past myths did or did not survive until the present, we will better arrive at of affecting present national identity, perspectives of their preservation and development intensity of their tension towards the past and toward the projected "European" future. Our future research will be directed toward the following periods: 1. the time between the 2. the period of World War II (1939-1945), 3. the period from 1945 to 1989, which we under with several distinct turning points (polarization of Europe into West and East at the end social relaxation in the 60s, reverberations of the so-called perestroika in the mid 80s), after 1989. At the moment we intend to deal with these problematics in the next four or five issues of Urban People (Lidé města). The first issue will be on the subject Myths in the formation o interwar metropolises and societies. Paradigm of a metamorphosis of majority and minority in cities (2010); the second issue on Metropolitan myths during the Second World War. Coll powerlessness, heroism (2011); the third on the topic Myths and "reality" of socialist met Conceptualization of cities in the struggle for a new present and a happy future (2012); t on the topic Myths in post-socialist Central-European metropolises as components of politi On the problematics of the phenomenon of historic revitalization (2013). The final issue w the problem Myths of Central-European metropolises in the processes of formation of ethnic transnational identities. General and specific sources of Europeanness (2014). According to French researcher Marc Augé (1999: 110), the city is a closed world, a symbol its own symbols, signs, myths. The research starts out from the thesis of Petr Alter (1993 metropolises as creators of myths. It further supports the thesis that actually key myths according to Malinowski - concentrate ideological-political justification for basic direct In structured society, then, there also exist counter-myths as emancipating factors of min Our magazine will follow myths and their formation in socio-political, ethno-political and political contexts of all of our chosen periods and cities. We will consistently bind stim birth and typology of myths to their hypothetical function, impact and/or to the character ambitions of their creators, to the correlation with historic change. The research starts necessity of comparative analysis which will enable the determination of the general and s the formation of myths (in connection with urban problems there remains in the participati a method that is hardly used), and/or the general and specific during the creation of urba national and transnational identities. A comparative view will also bring us to an analysi traditions - approach to Europe and the cause of occasional difficulties during the buildi European identity at the present in Central European societies and/or to clarification of individual cities within the frame of one nation and one state. The object of comparison w component part of the strategy of individual societies (urban, ethnic, national, transnati building of their identities as well as their rejection of social rivalries. The object of also be the relation between myth and "reality," and/or causes of agreements and differenc of individual regimes and their "national" forms in relation to myths as well as the relat majority and minority myths. We are interested not only in the process of the rise of myth lines, but also in the structure of that phenomenon. To compare myths we will proceed diac but also along horizontally historical times. It is clear that we will not be able to disp same collection of sources for all our cities. The criteria of comparison will be: sources myths, characteristics of their creators, typology and hierarchy of myths, the ways (instr advocacy and functioning (including formation of their tangible monuments, symbolics of ce are revitalized by communication events (ALTHABE 1990: 131), but also of transformations o whole: changes in the appearance of cities, in their architecture, relations to the urban periphery, relationship to monuments, generally and also relationship to uniformity and hu lity), the shape of the city in connection with important places, relationships between ma minority myths (myths of ethnic, social, political, etc. minorities), relationships betwee and powerless myths. With the help of myths it is possible to interpret contemporary tangi the tension between the past and the present. Thus our approach is based on the theory of of the present as Andreas Langenohl (2000) presented it. Our aim is thus interdisciplinary analyses of myths, interconnected mainly from the anthro historical, ethnomusicological and folkloristic perspective. The studies we have included in this introductory issue about cities and myths came out of influential concepts of myths. Our intention was to point out all that can be mythicized i 21st centuries. And finally; we wanted to point out various creators of myths (the ideolog party, the business elite, inhabitants of a city, management of a city and its culture) an intentions (expected meanings of myths). The anthropologist of history Blanka Soukupová an charter of the beautiful socialist city of the future which the ruling team of the Communi Czechoslovakia began to promote after the February Revolution. This myth, according to Mal the city as a whole physically and symbolically through various forms and mechanisms - thr of meanings of memorials. In practice the myth of a large-scale industrial and worker city came into contrast with the reality of the socialist economy and suppressed civil society. sociologists Lucie Galčanová and Barbora Vacková introduced the topic of the background of of Baťa's Zlín during the First Republic and the concrete phenomenon of family houses in w ethos was markedly reflected. Barthes' definition of myth as a deforming message without a takes the shape, in the case of Zlín, of elevation of the ethic dimension of strenuous wor democracy, the decent worker and the appreciative entrepreneur. The underside of relative disciplined and controlled city space. The authors further dealt with the use of the mater the ideal industrial city by contemporary inhabitants. The Lodz ethnologist Grażyna Ewa Ka the development of the shapes of a central Lodz street which was considered to be the cent during the socialist period. The shape and importance of the street were always a reflecti social regime. During socialism an image of the satisfaction of all the needs of the city' was projected onto this street. Malgorzata Karpińska-Krakowiak of the Lodz department of i marketing, using the example of this same city, analyzed contemporary myths (multicultural tolerant Lodz and film Lodz), which are copied and multiplied through city festivals as a popularization of cities. The myth of musical Prague, freely connected to the article abou of Lodz, is presented by Zuzana Jurková from the point of view of the myth of Romani music concept of music of the Prague ethnomusicologist is close to the concept of Claude Lévi-St as a cultural expression with the highest potential: with the ability to reveal laws of th According to Jurková, music has its cultural and hidden face and, like myth, establishes i the empirical part of the article, she presents an overview and classification of performa with Romani music, and she submits that "Romani" music in Prague is influenced, among othe romantic myths about Roma. Literature: Alter, Petr (1993). Im Banne der Metropolen. Althabe, Gérard (1990). Ethnologie du contemporain et enqu?tes de terrain. Terrain, 14. Augé, Marc (1999). Antropologie současných světů. Prague. Balandier, Georges (2000). Politická antropologie. Prague. Giddens, Anthony (1999). Sociologie. Prague: Argo. Godula-Węcławowicz, Róża (2008). Miasto w obrazie, legendzie, opowieści... Wrocław?Krakow. Hohenberg, Paul M., Hollen Lees, Lynn (1985). The Making of Urban Europe 1000-1950. Cambri Killiánová, Gariela (2005). Identita a pamäť. Devín/Theben/Dévény jako pamätné miesto. Bra etnológie SAV. Langenohl, Andreas (2000). Erinnerung und Moderniesierung. Göttingen. Malinowski, Bronislaw (1936). The Foundations of Faith and Morals. London. Macura, Vladimír (1983). Obraz Prahy v české obrozenecké kultuře. In: Město v české kultuř Praha. Nora, Pierre (1990). Zwischen Geschichte und Gedächtnis. Aus dem Französichen von Wolfgang Cf., e.g., KILLIÁNOVÁ 2005. Cf. GODULA-WĘCŁAWOWICZ 2008. The volume contains, among other things, an analysis of the m in Polish literature, the Polish idea of Vienna in modern and post-modern times, villagers Warsaw in the mid-20th century. Blanka Soukupová [ URL "LM-364.html "]