"A Fortress of the Mighty God": Religious Ideals and the Renovation of Prague Castle, lecture and book presentation

Scholars of Plečnik's work at Prague Castle usually describe his designs as a fulfillment of Tomáš Masaryk's charge that the ancient citadel be transformed into a "democratic castle." But at the core of President Masaryk's vision for democratic Czechoslovakia was the deep religious conviction he held throughout his life. These religious ideals were shared by his daughter Alice Masaryková, who envisioned Prague Castle not only as the presidential seat but as a "sacred acropolis" – for the new republic and for all of Europe. In the architect Plečnik, she found someone capable of bringing this vision to reality.
 
American historian Bruce Berglund examines the relationship between Plečnik and the Masaryk family in his new book Castle and Cathedral in Modern Prague: Longing for the Sacred in a Skeptical Age. The book looks at the religious ideals that motivated the president, his daughter, and the architect, and it views their collaboration at the Castle in the context of Prague's religious and cultural history in the 1920s and 30s.
 
Berglund will present his findings in a lecture at Plečnik House on Tuesday, 3 October at 6 p.m. Lecture will be held in English and will have free entrance. Please, confirm your attendance in advance: prijava@mgml.si or 01 24 12 506.
 
Historian, professor Bruce Berglund is a member of the history department at Calvin College in Michigan. A specialist in the history of 20th-century Central Europe, he has been a Fulbright Scholar in the Czech Republic and Slovenia. His research on politics, nationalism, public health, religion, and art and architecture has been published in scholarly journals and essay collections. He is also co-editor of the volume Christianity and Modernity in Eastern Europe, a collection of essays by European and American scholars.