German Foreign Cultural Policy in the Czech Republic after 1989: Promotion of the German Language

This thesis deals with German foreign cultural policy in the Czech Republic after 1989 in relation to the promotion of German language promotion. The thesis describes both the development of the conceptions of German foreign cultural policy and the promotion of German language based on activities of three German institutions: Central Agency for German Schools Abroad (ZfA), Goethe-Institut and German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The research period is divided in two parts -before 1999 and since 2000, because the thesis assumes that there have been changes concerning quantity and quality of German policy regarding language promotion since about 2000. In addition the thesis searches for the effects on the real measures in the Czech Republic concerning the conceptual changes in German policy. After the 90's when the German was promoted massively in the Czech Republic as well as in the whole region of Central and Eastern Europe, the promotion of German has been rather declining since 2000. It is given by the lowering interest in the region just as by the lower importance that was attributed to the promotion of German. Simultaneously the number of people learning German in the Czech Republic has fallen rapidly. Lately the German actors have tried to counteract this trend by renewing their effort in..