Country Reports on Activities Related to the Access to the Territory And

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Country Reports on Activities Related to the Access to the Territory And Country reports on activities related to the access to the territory and asylum procedure for Published by: United Nations High Commissioner for persons in need of international protection Refugees Regional Representation for Central Europe Published by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Regional Representation for Central Europe Budapest, November 2010 Table of Contents Foreword .........................................................................................................................................................5 Bulgaria ...........................................................................................................................................................6 Czech Republic ............................................................................................................................................14 Hungary .........................................................................................................................................................28 Poland ...........................................................................................................................................................60 Romania ......................................................................................................................................................102 Slovakia .......................................................................................................................................................134 Slovenia .......................................................................................................................................................184 UNHCR Offices in Central Europe ............................................................................................................194 UNHCR Implementing Partners for Border Monitoring in Central Europe ...........................................195 4 REFUGEES AT THE BORDER UNHCR Foreword This publication represents a compilation of seven country reports detailing the development and operations of the Border Management and Protection of Refugees activities in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Poland. One of the main regional operational goals of UNHCR in Central Europe is access of asylum seekers to the terri- tories of State Parties to the 1951 Geneva Convention and to the asylum procedure. In order to achieve this goal, UNHCR has established border monitoring projects across the region. These projects are based on tripartite cooperation framework between government authorities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and UNHCR. The first tripartite agreement was concluded in Hungary in 2006. Thereafter, similar agreements were signed in other countries of the region and notably Slovakia –September 2007, Romania – July 2008, Slovenia – October 2008, Poland October 2008, and Bulgaria in April 2010. UNHCR in the Czech Republic focuses on monitoring the asylum procedures at the Prague Airport through an NGO partner. The report provides a detailed overview of those country level activities undertaken by the principle signatories to the agreement/s, which ensure that persons in need of international protection have access to the territory and procedures. The activities include monitoring visits conducted at the border cross points and detention centres to evaluate the access to the territory and procedures. During such monitoring visits the implementing partners do also provide protection information and legal counselling to persons of concern to UNHCR. Among other activities the agreements foresee is training of the Border Police. The trainings are specifically de- signed, taking into account the specific needs of the Border Police of the countries involved. The trainings focus on the international refugee protection regime, paying attention to the needs of vulnerable persons and those with special needs. From an operational context, the country reports share details on how the national working groups set up, as envisaged in the signed agreements, handle and solve matters of concern identified during the monitoring activities. This publication is an attempt to openly provide the reader with information on the successes, good practices and challenges of the BMPR projects in Central Europe including areas where further focused actions are need- ed and being addressed. Gottfried Koefner Regional Representative for Central Europe UNHCR REFUGEES AT THE BORDER 5 Bulgaria 6 REFUGEESREFUGEES AT THE BORDERBORDER BulgariaBulgaria UNHCR Report on Border Monitoring Activities in Bulgaria Table of Contents 1. Overview .........................................................................................................................................................8 2. Activities .........................................................................................................................................................9 Annex 1. Information material for asylum seekers (Bulgarian Red Cross) .............................................11 Annex 2. Information material for asylum seekers (Bulgarian Helsinki Committee) .............................12 Annex 3. Initial Interviewing Form ..............................................................................................................13 UNHCR Bulgaria REFUGEES AT THE BORDER 7 1. Overview Bulgaria joined the European Union (EU) on 1 January 2007. The total length of its borders is 2,368 km, of which the length comprising of the EU external border is 1,226 km. In 2002 the Law on Asylum and Refugees was adopted, and the responsibility for assessing claims for international protection lodged at the national borders was taken away from the competencies of the Border Police. The State Agency for Refugees (SAR) became the only competent body in charge of Refugee Status Determination (RSD) procedures. The border guards were obliged to defer to the SAR for processing any claim for protection made before them. With no responsibilities under the RSD procedure, the Border police had no budget to cover interpretation, food and medical treatment of asylum seekers. The Chief Directorate of the “Border police” is a specialised guarding, operative and investigation police office of the Ministry of Interior responsible for the protection of the state borders and control of the observance of the border regime. It carries out its functions within the border zones, including the zones of the border control checkpoints, the international airports and seaports, the inner sea waters, the territorial sea, the adherent zone, the continental shelf, the Bulgarian part of the river Danube, the Border Rivers and water basins. The Law on Asylum and Refugees was further amended in 2007, and one of the amendments made stipulates that RSD proceedings begin with the registration of the applicant (not the claim). The legal status of a person who applies for international protection (in particular before another state authority) is unclear from the moment of filing the application until he/she is registered in SAR, i.e. personally present. This legal limbo is of particular concern, as the person is not protected from refoulement Meanwhile, in 2008 another piece of secondary legislation was enforced1 which impeded access to RSD procedures. The provision of Art.16 of this Ordinance is of serious concern as it introduced a rule that all asylum seekers who claimed protection at the borders and who appeared to be undocumented should be transferred by the border guards to the centres for accommodation of illegal aliens but not to the State Agency for Refugees reception centres. Exception from this rule is made only with respect to vulnerable asylum seekers such as separated children, pregnant women and physically or mentally disabled individuals. This provision removes the responsibility from the SAR to accommodate asylum seekers upon their registration and shifts it to the Ministry of Interior. Asylum seekers who claimed protection at the national borders upon entry were not properly safeguarded from refoulement and prolonged detention. 1 Ordinance for the Responsibilities and Coordination among the Government Agencies for the Implementation of EC N 343/2003 and EC N 1569/2003 Regulations on Dublin II, EC N 2725/2000 and EC N 407/2002 Regulations on EURODAC 8 REFUGEES AT THE BORDER Bulgaria UNHCR 2. Activities Bulgaria was one of the first countries in Central Europe to reach in 2004 an official agreement between the Border police and the asylum non-governmental sector formalising their practical cooperation and the existing monitoring methods and arrangements. In 2005, the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC) signed an agreement with the Border Police to perform border monitoring activities. The BHC has been an Implementing Partner of UNHCR since 1994. BHC is implementing systematic border monitoring in order to ensure that all asylum seekers who arrive at national borders are duly registered and protected from refoulement. In 2009, monitoring covered Sofia Airport, Kapitan Andreevo and Novo Selo. Under a ERF-3 Legal Aid Project from June 2009, the monitoring was expanded to Lessovo, Elhovo and Burgas. During the reported period the BHC implemented 244 monitoring visits and checked 742 individual cases of illegal immigrants in border custody. Thus, refoulement of 314 asylum seekers, 42 of whom were children and 3 Dublin returns, was prevented, which constituted 36.8% of all asylum claims submitted in 2009. No
Recommended publications
  • Axis Mundi 2-2008.Pub
    Axis Mundi, časopis štu- Egalitarian Utopias and Conservative Politics Veche as a Societal Ideal within Rodnoverie Movement Kaarina Aitamurto Aleksanteri Institute, Finnish Centre for Russian and Eastern European Studies at the University of Helsinki Rodnoverie is a religion that seeks to revive pre-Christian Slavic spirituality. As the majority of contemporary Pagan religions, Rodnoverie is characterized by the antiauthoritarian spirit and avoidance of dogmatism. Similar vernacular and individualistic ideals can also be seen in the societal views of Rodnoverie. Rodnovers often present the veche, the ancient Slavic popular assembly, to be an ideal model of governance. Nevertheless, the representations of the veche may considerably vary. On the one hand, veche is employed to promote grass-root democracy. On the other hand, the ideal of the veche has also been used by Ronovers who are reflecting democracy highly critically. The aim of this paper is to examine these contradictious Rodnoverie representations of the veche and Rodnoverie societal ideals in general. As a case study of vernacular political visioning, Rodnoverie provides an interesting outlook both on the recent resurrection of Slavophil political tradition in Russia and on the attempts to establish native roots for democratic values. Rodnoverie, contemporary Paganism 2003). In Eastern Europe, however, the most prominent feature of the movement is Rodnoverie is a part of the international nationalism. Some parts of the Rodnoverie religious movement of contemporary Paganisms. movement even have close links with ultra- However, the majority of the believers reject the nationalist, racist and anti-Semitist politics word ‘paganism’ as derogatory.1 Within the (Shnirelman, 1998; Pribylovsky, 1999).
    [Show full text]
  • Dress and Cultural Difference in Early Modern Europe European History Yearbook Jahrbuch Für Europäische Geschichte
    Dress and Cultural Difference in Early Modern Europe European History Yearbook Jahrbuch für Europäische Geschichte Edited by Johannes Paulmann in cooperation with Markus Friedrich and Nick Stargardt Volume 20 Dress and Cultural Difference in Early Modern Europe Edited by Cornelia Aust, Denise Klein, and Thomas Weller Edited at Leibniz-Institut für Europäische Geschichte by Johannes Paulmann in cooperation with Markus Friedrich and Nick Stargardt Founding Editor: Heinz Duchhardt ISBN 978-3-11-063204-0 e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-063594-2 e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-063238-5 ISSN 1616-6485 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 04. International License. For details go to http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. Library of Congress Control Number:2019944682 Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de. © 2019 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston The book is published in open access at www.degruyter.com. Typesetting: Integra Software Services Pvt. Ltd. Printing and Binding: CPI books GmbH, Leck Cover image: Eustaţie Altini: Portrait of a woman, 1813–1815 © National Museum of Art, Bucharest www.degruyter.com Contents Cornelia Aust, Denise Klein, and Thomas Weller Introduction 1 Gabriel Guarino “The Antipathy between French and Spaniards”: Dress, Gender, and Identity in the Court Society of Early Modern
    [Show full text]
  • An Garda Síochána
    An Garda Síochána Oifig an Choimisinéara Office of the Commissioner Gnóthaí Corparáideacha Corporate Affairs An Garda Síochána Garda Headquarters Páirc an Fhionnuisce Phoenix Park Baile Átha Cliath 8 Dublin 8 D08 HN3X D08 HN3X Láithreán Gréasáin / Website: www.garda.ie Luaigh an uimhir tharaghta seo a Ríomhpost / E-mail: leanas le do thoil: [email protected] Please quote the following ref. number: CMR_34-367274/15 Ms. Helen Hall Chief Executive Policing Authority Dear Helen Re: Commissioner’s Monthly Report to the Policing Authority __________________________________________________________________________________ I am pleased to provide the seventh monthly report for 2019 outlining the key aspects of the administration and operation of An Garda Síochána, in accordance with Section 41A of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, as amended. Additional and updated data continues to be included in response to requests of the Policing Authority during discussions at monthly meetings. As advised previously, reporting will continue through the Policing Strategy and Performance and the Organisation Development Committees to ensure the Authority is informed on all relevant projects in accordance with its oversight role. Project information not outlined in our core reporting will be provided as required. Yours sincerely J A HARRIS COMMISSIONER July 2019 An Garda Síochána: Ag Coinneáil Daoine Sábháilte – Keeping People Safe 1 Message from the Commissioner During the last month, An Garda Síochána demonstrated in a number of ways its commitment to becoming a more diverse organisation so it can fully reflect and represent the community it serves. The most visible of these was the participation by Garda members and staff, along with colleagues in the PSNI, in the annual Pride Parade.
    [Show full text]
  • Development Priorities
    HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE OF THE CITIES KOPENHAGA SZTOKHOLSZTOKHOLM Lubmin METROPOLITAN HAMBURG OSLO LUBEKA Greifswald Zinnowitz REGIONAL Wolgast M Dziwnów GDAŃSKRYGA SUBREGIONAL Loitz DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES SUPRA-LOCAL Heringsdorf Kamień Gutzkow Międzyzdroje Jarmen Pomorski LOCAL Świnoujście the Polish Part of MAIN CONNECTIONS Anklam ROAD CROSS BORDER METROPOLITAN REGION OF Wolin RAILWAY Golczewo ZACHODNIOPOMORSKIE WATER REGION Ducherow NATIONAL ROAD SZCZECIN REGIONAL ROAD Uckermunde Nowe Warpno VIA HANSEATICA Altentreptow Eggesin CETC-ROUTE 65 Friedland Ferdindndshof INTERNATIONAL CYCLING TRAILS Nowogard Torgelow PROTECTED NATURAL AREAS Neubrandenburg Police INLAD AND SEA INFRASTRUCTURE Goleniów THE ASSOCIATION OF SEAPORTS WITH BASIC MEANING FOR NATIONAL ECONOMY THE SZCZECIN METROPOLITAN REGION Burg Stargard SEAPORTS Pasewalk Locknitz SMALL SEAPORTS Woldegk HARBOURS Szczecin MARINAS ACCESS CHANNELS AVIATION INFRASTRUCTURE Feldberg Stargard Szczeciński SZCZECIN-GOLENIÓW AIRPORT Prenzlau WARSZAWA COMMUNICATION AIRPORTS THE CITY OF ŚWINOUJŚCIE PROPOSED AIRPORTS, BASED ON EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE Gryfino Gartz RAILWAY NETWORK - PLANNED SZCZECIN METROPOLITAN RAILWAY LOCAL LINE POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS Templin Pyrzyce TRAIN FERRY ECONOMICAL ACTIVITY ZONES Schwedt POZNAŃ MAIN INDUSTRIAL & SERVICE AREAS WROCŁA THE ASSOCIATION OF POLISH MUNICIPALITIES Angermunde EUROREGION POMERANIA MAIN SPATIAL STRUCTURES AGRICULTURAL Chojna Trzcińsko Zdrój TOURISTIC W Myślibórz SCIENCE AND EDUCATION Cedynia UNIVERSITIES SCHOOLS WITH BILINGUAL DEPARTMENTS Moryń CONFERENCE
    [Show full text]
  • Poland-Report.Pdf
    © Faith Matters, 2017 London, United Kingdom All rights reserved Material from this publication may be reproduced for teaching or other non-commercial purposes. No part of it may be reproduced in any form for commercial purposes without the prior express permission of the copyright holder. For further information please contact Faith Matters +44 (0) 207 935 5573 [email protected] Twitter: @FaithMattersUK Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FaithMattersUK Published 04 December 2017 Lead researcher: Steve Rose Get involved and support our work at www.faith-matters.org Contents Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 2 Review of Existing Literature ............................................................................................. 3 The Tatar Muslims of Poland............................................................................................. 7 The Politicisation of Catholicism ...................................................................................... 11 Catholicism & Ethnonationalism under Communism ....................................................... 14 Notable anti-Muslim activists in Poland and Britain ......................................................... 18 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 26 Introduction The size of the nationalist march in Warsaw on 11 November 20171 brought renewed interest in far-right
    [Show full text]
  • Recreational Space Valorisation in Western Pomerania District
    Eliza Kalbarczyk, Robert Kalbarczyk Recreational space valorisation in Western Pomerania district Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Administratio Locorum 6/3, 59-73 2007 Acta Sci. Pol., Administratio Locorum 6(3) 2007, 59-73 RECREATIONAL SPACE VALORISATION IN WESTERN POMERANIA DISTRICT Eliza Kalbarczyk, Robert Kalbarczyk Agricultural University in Szczecin Abstract. The paper has been aimed at finding agrotourism development opportunities in particular municipalities of Western Pomerania district. A Drzewiecki’s method, comprising seven criteria scale for agro tourism attractiveness for each municipality, was used to valorise recreational space in there. According to Drzewiecki a rural or urbanrural municipality can be regarded as a rural recreational space only if three, out of seven criteria, are met. In case of Western Pomerania region, municipalities happen to meet the criteria of agrotourism attractiveness mainly due to small population density (89% of municipalities), high individual agriculture rate (52% of municipalities), and last but not least, high forest to overall area rate (47% of municipalities). Specifically, 41 municipalities shall be regarded as country recreational space since they meet at least three, out of the seven concerned, criteria. Country recreational space in the Western Pomerania district amounts to 10 700 km2 (47% of the total district area), which is inhabited by 206 000 people (12% of the district population). The area does not provide a compact space, though the agrotourism oriented municipalities tend to conglomerate in Drawskie Lakeland (namely Drawsko, Łobez, and Szczecinek counties), as well as in Goleniów county. Four criteria (maximum) are met, however, only by 14 municipalities of Western Pomerania (zachodniopomorskie) District, most frequently in Drawsko, Goleniów, and Stargard Szczeciński counties.
    [Show full text]
  • Pdf Esp 862.Pdf
    SZCZECIN 2016 European Capital of Culture Candidate Text Dana Jesswein-Wójcik, Robert Jurszo, Wojciech Kłosowski, Józef Szkandera, Marek Sztark English translation Andrzej Wojtasik Proof-reading Krzysztof Gajda Design and layout Rafał Kosakowski www.reya-d.com Cover Andrej Waldegg www.andrejwaldegg.com Photography Cezary Aszkiełowicz, Konrad Królikowski, Wojciech Kłosowski, Andrzej Łazowski, Artur Magdziarz, Łukasz Malinowski, Tomasz Seidler, Cezary Skórka, Timm Stütz, Tadeusz Szklarski Published by SZCZECIN 2016 www.szczecin2016.pl ISBN 978-83-930528-3-7 (Polish edition) ISBN 978-83-930528-4-4 (English edition) This work is licensed under a Creative Commons licence (Attribution – Noncommercial – NoDerivs) 2.5 Poland I edition Szczecin 2010 Printed by KADRUK s.c. www.kadruk.com.pl SZCZECIN 2016 European Capital of Culture Candidate We wish to thank all those who contributed in different ways to Szczecin’s bid for the title of the European Capital of Culture 2016. The group is made up of experts, consultants, artists, NGO activists, public servants and other conscious supporters of this great project. Our special thanks go to the following people: Marta Adamaszek, Krzysztof Adamski, Patrick Alfers, Katarzyna Ireneusz Grynfelder, Andreas Guskos, Elżbieta Gutowska, Amon, Wioletta Anders, Maria Andrzejewska, Adrianna Małgorzata Gwiazdowska, Elke Haferburg, Wolfgang Hahn, Chris Andrzejczyk, Kinga Krystyna Aniśko, Paweł Antosik, Renata Arent, Hamer, Kazu Hanada Blumfeld, Martin Hanf, Drago Hari, Mariusz Anna Augustynowicz, Rafał Bajena, Ewa
    [Show full text]
  • Draft Common Manual for Immigration Liaison Officers (Ilos) Posted Abroad by the Member States of the European Union
    COUNCIL OF Brussels, 25 April 2006 THE EUROPEAN UNION 8418/06 LIMITE CIREFI 16 COMIX 368 NOTE from : General Secretariat to : CIREFI No. prev. doc.: 14759/05 CIREFI 31 COMIX 781 Subject : Draft Common Manual for Immigration Liaison Officers (ILOs) posted abroad by the Member States of the European Union Delegations will find attached the above-mentioned draft Common Manual. ______________ 8418/06 EB/cr 1 DG H I LIMITE EN DRAFT Common Manual For Immigration Liaison Officers posted abroad by the Member States of the European Union 2006 8418/06 EB/cr 2 DG H I LIMITE EN TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction.......................................................................................................................5 2. Purpose, Nature And Scope of the Manual.......................................................................5 3. General Part.......................................................................................................................5 3.1 Organisations and persons concerned by this Manual ...............................................5 3.2 ILOs tasks and best practices .....................................................................................6 3.2.1. Constitution of cooperation networks between ILOs through networking activities....................................................................................6 3.2.2. Establish and maintain direct contacts with the competent authorities/ representatives of international organisations in the host country/ ILOs of third countries and commercial
    [Show full text]
  • PRO IP Act Annual Report FY 2019
    United States Department of Justice ____________________________ PRO IP Act Annual Report FY 2019 PRO IP ACT ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FY 2019 INTRODUCTION The Department of Justice (the “Department” or “DOJ”)1 submits this Fiscal Year 2019 (“FY 2019”) annual report to the United States Congress pursuant to Section 404 of the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2008 (“PRO IP Act” or “Act”), Pub. L. No. 110-403. The Act imposes a number of annual reporting requirements on the Attorney General, including actions the Department has taken to implement Title IV of the Act (“Department of Justice Programs”) and “a summary of the efforts, activities, and resources the [Department] has allocated to the enforcement, investigation, and prosecution of intellectual property crimes.” The Act requires similar reporting by the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) on its intellectual property (“IP”) enforcement efforts pursuant to Title IV of the Act. To the extent a particular request seeks information maintained by the FBI, the Department respectfully refers Congress to the FBI Fiscal Year 2019 Report to Congress on Intellectual Property Enforcement (“FBI’s Annual Report”). 1 Appendix A contains a glossary of acronyms referenced throughout this report. PRO IP Act Annual Report FY 2019 1 Section 404(a) of the PRO IP Act requires the Attorney General to report annually to Congress on the Department’s efforts to implement eight specified provisions of Title IV during the prior fiscal year. Those provisions and the Department’s efforts to implement them during FY 2019 (i.e., October 1, 2018 through September 30, 2019) are set forth below.
    [Show full text]
  • Scandinavian Influence in Kievan Rus
    Katie Lane HST 499 Spring 2005 VIKINGS IN THE EAST: SCANDINAVIAN INFLUENCE IN KIEVAN RUS The Vikings, referred to as Varangians in Eastern Europe, were known throughout Europe as traders and raiders, and perhaps the creators or instigators of the first organized Russian state: Kievan Rus. It is the intention of this paper to explore the evidence of the Viking or Varangian presence in Kievan Rus, more specifically the areas that are now the Ukraine and Western Russia. There is not an argument over whether the Vikings were present in the region, but rather over the effect their presence had on the native Slavic people and their government. This paper will explore and explain the research of several scholars, who generally ascribe to one of the rival Norman and Anti- Norman Theories, as well as looking at the evidence that appears in the Russian Primary Chronicle, some of the laws in place in the eleventh century, and two of the Icelandic Sagas that take place in modern Russia. The state of Kievan Rus was the dominant political entity in the modern country the Ukraine and western Russia beginning in the tenth century and lasting until Ivan IV's death in 1584.1 The region "extended from Novgorod on the Volkhov River southward across the divide where the Volga, the West Dvina, and the Dnieper Rivers all had their origins, and down the Dnieper just past Kiev."2 It was during this period that the Slavs of the region converted to Christianity, under the ruler Vladimir in 988 C.E.3 The princes that ruled Kievan Rus collected tribute from the Slavic people in the form of local products, which were then traded in the foreign markets, as Janet Martin explains: "The Lane/ 2 fur, wax, and honey that the princes collected from the Slav tribes had limited domestic use.
    [Show full text]
  • Zemskii Sobor: Historiographies and Mythologies of a Russian “Parliament”1
    Zemskii Sobor: Historiographies and Mythologies of a Russian “Parliament”1 Ivan Sablin University of Heidelberg Kuzma Kukushkin Peter the Great Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University Abstract Focusing on the term zemskii sobor, this study explored the historiographies of the early modern Russian assemblies, which the term denoted, as well as the autocratic and democratic mythologies connected to it. Historians have discussed whether the individual assemblies in the sixteenth and seventeenth century could be seen as a consistent institution, what constituencies were represented there, what role they played in the relations of the Tsar with his subjects, and if they were similar to the early modern assemblies elsewhere. The growing historiographic consensus does not see the early modern Russian assemblies as an institution. In the nineteenth–early twentieth century, history writing and myth-making integrated the zemskii sobor into the argumentations of both the opponents and the proponents of parliamentarism in Russia. The autocratic mythology, perpetuated by the Slavophiles in the second half of the nineteenth century, proved more coherent yet did not achieve the recognition from the Tsars. The democratic mythology was more heterogeneous and, despite occasionally fading to the background of the debates, lasted for some hundred years between the 1820s and the 1920s. Initially, the autocratic approach to the zemskii sobor was idealistic, but it became more practical at the summit of its popularity during the Revolution of 1905–1907, when the zemskii sobor was discussed by the government as a way to avoid bigger concessions. Regionalist approaches to Russia’s past and future became formative for the democratic mythology of the zemskii sobor, which persisted as part of the romantic nationalist imagery well into the Russian Civil War of 1918–1922.
    [Show full text]
  • Foundation Myths and Dynastic Tradition of the Piasts and the Přemyslides in the Chronicles of Gallus Anonymus and Cosmas of Prague
    Czech-Polish Historical and Pedagogical Journal 13 Who, where and why? Foundation Myths and Dynastic Tradition of the Piasts and the Přemyslides in the Chronicles of Gallus Anonymus and Cosmas of Prague Piotr Goltz / e-mail: [email protected] Faculty of History, University of Warsaw, Poland Goltz, P. (2016). Who, where and why? Foundation Myths and Dynastic Tradition of the Piasts and the Přemyslides in the Chronicles of Gallus Anonymus and Cosmas of Prague. Czech-Polish Historical and Pedagogical Journal, 8/2, 13–43. Much has been written about each of the medieval chronicles by academics from various fields of studies. If anything should be added, it seems that possibilities lie in a comparative study of the medieval texts. There are several reasons to justify such an approach to the chronicles by Anonymus called Gallus and Cosmas of Prague. Both narratives were written in a similar time period, in neighbouring countries, becoming evidence for the conscious forming of a dynastic vision of the past, as well as milestones in passing from the oral to the written form of collecting, selecting and passing on of tradition. Also similar is the scope of the authors’ interests, as well as the literary genre and courtly and chivalric character of their works. Firstly, the founding myths will be deconstructed in a search for three fundamental elements that determine the shape of the community: the main character, the place and the causing force. Secondly, a comparison of both bodies of lore will follow. Key words: Gallus Anonymus; Cosmas of Prague; myth; dynastic tradition The research presented herein belongs to the discipline of comparative historical studies.1 I am focusing on the foundation Motto: Fontenelle de, M.
    [Show full text]