Kdo se bojí modernity: katolické kostely v meziválečném Československu
| Title in English | Who Is Afraid of Modernity: Catholic Churches in Interwar Czechoslovakia |
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| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
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| Description | The book explores why medieval visual culture proved so compelling for twentieth-century modernism. It argues that the relationship between modernity and the Middle Ages was complex and multifaceted, operating on both conceptual and visual levels. Anti-classical forms of medieval art and architecture resonated with the ideas of avant-garde artists, while the Middle Ages – long depicted as a dark and mythical era – served as a mirror for modern anxieties, ideologies, and traumas. Medieval heritage was also appropriated to legitimize ideas of a return to “roots,” in both religious and political contexts, including those of totalitarian regimes. The book’s chapters examine various ways in which the medieval past was interpreted and sometimes exploited during the twentieth century: from modernist-influenced restorations of historical monuments, through interwar sacred architecture in Czechoslovakia, to the urban planning of Soviet Yerevan inspired by medieval Armenian traditions. Further case studies address the political uses of Saints Cyril and Methodius and the adoption of Byzantine architecture by Greek immigrant communities in the United States. Overall, the volume shows that our understanding of the Middle Ages is profoundly shaped by modern perspectives. |
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