Habsburgs & Jesuits: Conflict under the Bohemian Crown

Tereza studied Comparative Literature and the East European Studies (with the specialization in Russian Language and Literature) at Charles University in Prague. Her thesis focused on the images of the auctorial subject of four different literary texts which influence the reading of texts in a certain way. Writers taken into consideration are Russians (Limonov, V. Erofeejev), as well as Americans (Charles Bukowski) and Czechs (Bohumil Hrabal). Tereza is also interested in current religious life and the roots of the so called Czech “agnosticism,” which is reflected in the 60% of Czech's who identify themselves as agnostics, as well as the Czech interaction with another religious minorities. She believes that “history repeats itself” and therefore she likes to explore the differences and similarities between “then and now”.

After studying History of Art at Perugia in Italy and at Montpellier and Paris in France, Kateřina Průšová received her PhD from the Institute of Art History in the Philosophical Faculty of Charles University in Prague in 2008. A lecturer at both Charles and Anglo-American Universities since 2009, she is also an official guide of Prague and of the Prague Jewish Museum since 2011, and trains official guides at the Prague Information Service since 2012. Kateřina teaches courses in Art History, Prague Art and Architecture, Alternative Culture, the Jewish Experience in Central Europe, Jewish History, Holocaust, Central European History, and the Cities in Central Europe: Prague, Cracow, Budapest. She is also a lecturer at the National Gallery in Prague and the Gallery of the City of Prague. In addition, she works as a researcher of looted art.

Lenka studied Hussite Theology and Religious Studies at the Charles University in Prague (Master’s degree), specializing in church history and methods and theories in Religious Studies. The studies focused her attention on relations between religion and culture. Her academic interests include Czech church history, European reformation projects including Catholic Reformation and, from a more recent period, underground church structures during the communist period and their relation to Czech underground culture. Lenka is also interested in contemporary Christianity and spirituality. She is currently working on her PhD on the religious landscape of English speaking Caribbean, namely the Rastafari movement of Jamaica, and lecturing on African diaspora religions at the Charles University.