[aaus-list] CfP: Churches in Comm. CEE, Bratislava 30.9.-2.10.09 (15.6.)

[Andreas Umland]

CfP: Persecution of Churches in the Communist Countries in Central
and Eastern Europe, Bratislava, 30.09.-02.10.2009

Nation's Memory Institute (Slovakia); The Institute of National
Remembrance (Poland); The Institute for the Study of Totalitarian
Regimes (Czech Republic); The Institute for the History of the 1956
Hungarian Revolution (Hungary) 30.09.-02.10.2009, Bratislava

Deadline: 15.06.2009

The international scientific conference will be hold to commemorate
the 60th anniversary of the passing of the so-called Church Acts in
Czechoslovakia.

The Conference should clarify church participation in the anti-
totalitarian resistance and allow professional exchanges between
institutions involved. It will present research results of communist
anti-church persecutions and suppression of religious freedoms in
former Soviet bloc countries, highlighting both common and particular
features of antireligious politics.

State security organs in relation with the churches
Participation of secret police on psychological, physical, judicial,
and property-related persecutions, and secret police activity in all
phases of an intervention against individuals, groups or religious
institutions – from initiation, intelligence elaboration, through
arrest, investigation, interrogation – using unlawful methods
including physical and psychological torture.

Roles of other institutions in anti-church policy
Top party and state bodies, courts, prison system, ideological
organizations, their structure, authority, jurisdiction relations
between individual repressive power sectors persecuting the church.

State control of education
Abolition or limited acting of theological faculties, which came
under direct supervision of the state. Forced reduction of religion
lessons at every school level.

The underground church
Establishment and activity of the underground church and evaluation
of its influence in a society. Infiltration, discrediting and
persecution of the underground church by communist secret polices.

Totalitarian regime and its relation to congregations and religious
groups
Abolishment of convents, monastic orders, concentration camp style
monasteries for monks and priests, control of existing orders.

Collaboration of the churches with the communist regime
Establishment and activities of clergyman´s organizations and
movements collaborating with the state power. Activities of clergymen
in communist state structures.

Church in Exile
Activities of institutions of Church in exile in western democratic
countries, its contacts with Church at home and its activities in
struggle for religious rights in communist countries, activities of east
European secret services against religious communities in exile in the
West. Testimonies of witnesses and presentation of oral history

fiamova at upn.gov.sk Martina Fiamova Nam. slobody 6 817 83 Bratislava 15,
Slovakia

Further conference details and registration
<http://www.upn.gov.sk/aktuality/persecution-of-churches-in-the-communist-
countries-in-central-and-eastern---europe-international-conference-extensi
on-of-application-deadline/>