The first contacts with the New World provoked curiosity throughout Europe. The encounter with new experiences, indigenous populations, and their local environment resulted in an image of America as a wild continent, but also in the notion of America as a land of unknown possibilities. These perceptions could be positively and negatively construed. Efforts to deal with these new experiences and information generated innovative views and approaches, but also a number of stereotypical images and attitudes. Alongside the enthusiasm and admiration for the newly discovered land, a more critical view of social realities, living conditions, and colonial relationships emerged.

Charles Sealsfield (1793–1864), Clara Gerstner (1813–1881), Miroslav Tyrš (1832–1884) are three Central European writers – an advocate, a wife of a railway engineer, and an aesthetician – whose work was influenced by their stays in America (or their thinking/reading about it) from 1822 to 1829, 1838 to 1840 and in 1872, respectively. The 45th Annual Pilsen Conference aims to explore the experience of the New World as both a direct and/or mediated perception of the possibilities offered on the American continent and its culture, politics, and economy in comparison with the European tradition.

The main language of the conference will be Czech, but contributions in German and English are welcome too! Please send the abstracts of your contribution proposals (of ca 250 words) to Pavla Machalíková (machalikova@udu.cas.cz) and Taťána Petrasová (petrasova@udu.cas.cz) by September 30, 2024 at the latest.

More information: https://www.udu.cas.cz/en/akce/novy-svet-americka-zkusenost-v-ceske-kulture-19-stoleti