Nationalism & names

Aired on April 15, 1993: Radio Prague

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Nationalism & Names

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They made an interesting decision here in the Czech Republic last week. Since the split of the Czechoslovak federation, there has been much discussion and disagreement over what to call the Czech state in everyday usage. Finally, it has been agreed by a group of academics, members of Parliament and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to call the Czech Republic Cesko, or Czechia, in English.

This was the word which Czech President Vaclav Havel most disliked. He has claimed that hearing or reading it made his skin crawl, mostly because it was too close to the word "Cechy", which means "Bohemia". However, the philologists and geographers have determined that Cesko covers not only Bohemia, but Moravia and Silesia too.

I for one am happy to see a decision, any kind of decision, on the subject. I have found it very difficult to use the words "Czech Republic" in conversation, but have done so scrupulously, not wanting to offend anyone. Now of course, when I write my friends at home, or on those rare occasions when I talk to them over the phone, I will have to explain why I'm calling the Czech Republic, "Czechia," but they will accept it as readily as they accepted "Czech Republic." And of course, Czech Republic is still the official name of this country. Czechia is for casual use, and maps only.

I also found this discussion very interesting because of Havel's vociferous disagreement with the word Cesko. A few weeks ago, Havel said that if the word was ever adopted, he would be the last one to use it. I suspect that he finds it just a tad too nationalistic for his tastes, but this is only my suspicion.

The new name was announced the same week that Czech leaders agreed to talk with Sudeten Germans for the first time since the Germans were forced out of Bohemia at the end of World War Two. The Sudeten question obviously looms as a czflag.jpg (1641 bytes) much larger, more politically volatile issue, so I was surprised Czech politicians mentioned it at all. They have said that the talks will not affect the longstanding policy against giving anything back to the Sudetens, but critics of those leaders say the talks will increase Sudeten expectations of reparations. Almost two and a half million Germans were made to leave Czechoslovakia after the war, and I can't really blame Czechoslovaks for this. After all the Sudeten Germans were instrumental in getting Czechoslovakia occupied by Nazi Germany.

The talks are on a purely sub-governmental level, so little will come of them, except hopefully, more understanding between Czechs and Germans. When Havel made a statement last month, saying the expulsion of Sudetens was unjust, he lost some support of the Czech people. A survey done at the time showed that 52 percent of Czech citizens believed that the return of Sudeten Germans would threaten the property and security of people living in the border areas. On the other hand, almost as many also thought that returning property to the Sudetens would speed economic development in the area.

I mention both of the naming of Czechia, and the Sudeten question because I think they are somehow linked. The impression I have is the split between the Czech and Slovak republics was precipitated by Slovak nationalism, not Czech nationalism. In fact, I've been told that Czechs tended to think of themselves as Czechoslovak citizens before the split, not just as Czechs, while the Slovaks thought of themselves as Slovak first, and Czechoslovak second. Now that the Slovak part of their identity is gone, Czechs are free to think of themselves as simply, Czechs. So obviously, there has been a need to come up with a name which defines that idea. It is equally important to decide what sort of relationship Czechia wants to have with its neighbours, and particularly its neighbour in the EC.

I'm not too sure if Czechs need more Germans in their country, as there seem to be an awful lot of them roaming the streets of Prague, but then who am I to say? That's a decision best left up to the people who count. The people of Czechia.

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