Faculty has experience with Reds
(Editor's note: The University of Kansas has some of the most widely traveled faculty members in the world. Four of them with extensive experience behind the Iron Curtain were interviewed by Kansan reporter Debby Eagleburger.)
Professor guest
Jaroslaw Piealkiewicz, professor of political science, was a guest of the Czechoslovakian government at the time the Russians invaded that country.
Piekalkiewicz went to these countries to study their national and local governments. He specifically studied the public administration in the Communist countries, implementation of policies and the lines of communication within the governments and between the governments and the people.
An International University Committee for Travel Grant to study in all of the countries of east central Europe except Albania and East Germany was awarded to Piekalkiewicz. He studied in Europe from August 13, 1968 to July 1, 1969.
While doing research on his book, "Public Opinion in the Communist Countries," he was able to gather information on public opinion within Czechoslovakia. He found that out of about 12,000 persons interviewed, 85 per cent want socialism and eight per cent want to revert to capitalism. Sixty-five per cent of the people claim that the main damage to socialism is from the Soviet Union. Piekalkiewicz said that during the Soviet invasion over 80 per cent of the people in Czechoslovakia supported Dubcek and his movement.
"The Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia stopped all of the freedoms that the people had enjoyed prior to the invasion. There was freedom of the press, freedom of speech and debate and free radio and television. There were a lot of people who wanted free Parliamentary elections. The Soviet stopped all of these," Piekalkiewicz said.
The people of the country, the Czechs and the Slovaks, united against the invasion and the invaders, Piekalkiewicz said. There was relatively no fighting because the Soviet troops were sloppy and disorganized. The men of the Soviet forces were easily demoralized, he said.
10 KANSAN Oct. 9
1969
"On the third day of the invasion, there was a general work stoppage. It was a unification of the people in Czechoslovakia. The Soviets were not able to form a government of collaborators." Piekalkiewicz said.
Linguist studied Slavic drama
Serving as translator for Alexander Popovic, Yugoslavia's best known playwright, Edward Czerwinski, associate professor of Slavic languages, is in a good position to study the eastern European theatre.
Czerwinski studied drama and theatre in Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. His specialty was the theater of the absurd.
He received a Fulbright fellowship to study in Yugoslavia and two International University Committee for Travel Grants, one to study in the Soviet Union and the other to study in Czechoslovakia. He studied Yugoslavian theatre from June 1968 to, April 1969. He was refused an entry visa to the Soviet Union by the Soviet government. From April 1969 to September 1969, Czerwinski studied Czechoslovakian theater.
Cerwinski is serving as special editor of the "Journal of Comparative Drama" in the area of Slavic drama, is on the editorial board of "Books Abroad," and is a contributor to "Drama and Theater."
Jaroslaw Piekalkiewitz, professor of political science, and Czerwinski are collaborating in editing a book on the effects of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and on the surrounding countries of eastern Europe. The book, "Year of the Bear, 1968-1969," will compare the events in Czechoslovakia and its effects on Yugoslavia.
Czerwinski is currently serving on the executive council of the International Theater at the University of Kansas. He is working on a program for one year of study abroad, especially in eastern Europe in the field of International Theater.
Theater gap seen by KU professor
Another professor who studied on an International University Committee for Travel Grant is William Kuhlke, professor of theater arts.
one of the great Russian directors of the twentieth century. Kuhlke studied Vakhtangov's works with the idea of possibly translating and publishing his notes and letters.
Kuhike studied theater in the Soviet Union from August 1968 to June 1969. His specific research topic was Yevgeny Vakhtangov,
While he was in Moscow, Kuhike attended lectures at the University of Moscow and at the State Theater Institute of Moscow. He also attended theater performances while in Moscow. Kuhike lectured at the University of Moscow and at the State Institute of Art History in Moscow.
There are more professional theaters in volume in the Soviet Union than there are in the United States, Kuhlike said. There are about 500 permanent repertoire theaters in the Soviet Union as opposed to about 50 in the United States. Kuhlike said that every city has its own permanent dramatic theater and opera house with a resident ballet company. Some cities also have a permanent children's theater.
The main problem of Soviet theater is the government subsidy, Kuhklke explained. "The
government feels that the theaters should be controlled to a certain extent. The theater companies are not allowed to perform certain plays by some western authors. The subjects that the native authors are allowed to work in are very restricted. For this reason, Russian playwrighting has not made many significant contributions to world literature." Kuhlke said.
"Acting in the Russian theater is on a very high level. By United States standards, Russian acting is somewhat old - fashioned, Kuhike said. "In certain theaters, such as the Gorki theater in Leningrad and the contemporary theater in Moscow, one may see some of the finest acting in the world," he said.
Cienciala studied free city of Danzig
Anna M. Cienciala, professor of history, received a Fulbright-Hays-NDEA Center Fellowship
to continue her research on the Free City of Danzig and European politics 1919-1939. The object of research was to the establishment of free city and its role in politics.
Danzig, a city at the mouth of the Vistula River, was declared a free city by the peace treaty of 1919. A free city is one that has no alliance to any one government. Both Poland and Germany wanted Danzig. If Danzig was a German city, the Germans would be able to control Poland. Poland wanted Danzig because the people of the city were of Polish descent.
Miss Cienciala is the author of "Poland and the Western Powers, 1919-1939" and several articles on Polish diplomatic history.
Miss Cienciala worked on her research at the British Foreign Office in London, the League of Nations at Geneva and the German Foreign Ministry Archives in Bonn.
The University Christian Movement offers a series on "DISSENT: IN OR OUT?"
Sunday Evenings-Kansas University Student Union 8:00-9:30 p.m.
October 12 "Recent Dissent Issues" Robert Shelton, Asst. Professor, School of Religion. Ambrose Saricks Professor of History, Associate Dean of the Graduate School. Richard L. VonEnde, Graduate Student, Vice Chairman, Senate Executive Committee.
October 19 "The Role of the University in Society" E. Laurence Chalmers Jr., Chancellor. David Awbrey, Student Body President.
October 26 "Appropriate Response to Dissent"
Lawrence Velvel, Asst. Professor in Law. Martin Dickinson, Asst.
Professor in Law.
November 2 "How Do We Effect Change?" Art Pearl, School of Education, University of Oregon.
Enrollment Information
Each person should be enrolled in two sessions a week: the Sunday evening session and a Depth Education Group (D.E.G.). D.E.G.'s will meet during the week at a time and place determined by group leaders. Indicate your day and time preference on
enrollment form. The Enrollment fee is $3.00. Single admissions for Sunday evening sessions will be sold at the door for $1.00. For information about the series, enrollment, D.E.G.'s, call 843-4933. The Deadline for enrollment is Friday, October 10, 5:00 p.m.
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