Informační materiály

Informační materiály (Czech for "Information Materials") was a Czech-language exile journal published in West Berlin from 1971 to 1982. It was produced by a group of Czechoslovak emigrants in the Federal Republic of Germany, commonly known as Gruppe infomat. The journal emerged in the aftermath of the Prague Spring and the subsequent crackdown, aiming to circumvent the censorship imposed in Czechoslovakia and to provide blocked information to opposition circles. It maintained close contacts with opposition groups in Czechoslovakia, particularly the Hnutí revoluční mládeže (Movement of Revolutionary Youth) around dissident Petr Uhl, and later with Charter 77. The editorial team worked anonymously or under changing pseudonyms. Despite small print runs—estimated at only 400 to 800 copies per issue distributed in Czechoslovakia—the journal became relatively well known and highly valued, with each copy typically read by many readers. In addition to the journal, the group published brochures and initiated the Socialist Eastern Europe Committee, whose German-language journal was eventually called OsteuropaForum. From the early 1980s, discussions between Gruppe infomat and the editorial team of the larger exile journal Listy led to increasingly close cooperation and ultimately to the closure of Informační materiály in favor of joint work on Listy.

The Czech exile journal informační materiály was founded in 1971 and published until 1982 in (then) West Berlin. It was published by a group of Czech emigrants in the Federal Republic of Germany, which also formed in 1971 and usually called itself Gruppe infomat. The name "informační materiály" translates to "Information Materials" and reflected the main task intended by the publishing group and editorial team. At its founding, besides the intention to oppose the crushing of the Prague Spring, several other factors played a significant role: shortly before, the Czech oppositionist Petr Uhl had been sentenced in a show trial, and his companion at the time, Sibylle Plogstedt, who came from West Berlin, was expelled from Czechoslovakia. While there was a slight ideological agreement with Petr Uhl's ideals, the group had the opportunity in the student movement at that time to establish a first solid connection to the opposition in Czechoslovakia via Ms. Plogstedt. The editorial team saw itself as the "left" competition to the considerably larger exile journal Listy. The journal's main concern, however, was to circumvent the censorship imposed after the crushing of the Prague Spring, i.e., to convey blocked information to the opposition, and on the other hand to overcome the feeling of isolation and convey solidarity. Despite relatively small print runs (estimated at only between 400 and 800 copies of each issue were distributed in Czechoslovakia), it nevertheless became relatively well known and highly valued (usually each copy was read by very many readers). The editorial members generally worked anonymously or under alternating pseudonyms. There were also contributions from the Czech opposition itself, made through contacts in Czechoslovakia. In addition to some brochures that were published, the editorial team tried to achieve solidarity in the Federal Republic. This succeeded as some members of the group initiated the founding of the Socialist Eastern Europe Committee. The (German-language) journal of the committee was last called OsteuropaForum. From the beginning of the 1980s, a longer discussion took place between Gruppe infomat and the Listy editorial team, resulting in increasingly close cooperation and consequently the closure of the journal in favor of joint work on the journal Listy.

• 1982

  Publication of the journal ceases; Gruppe infomat merges efforts with Listy.

• 1971

  Founding of the journal informační materiály and the Gruppe infomat in West Berlin.

Left-wing alternative to the exile journal Listy, focused on circumventing censorship and providing information to the Czechoslovak opposition.

• informační materiály journal

  Czech-language exile journal published from 1971 to 1982.

• Brochures

  Occasional brochures published by the group.

1. 1Informační materiály - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
2. 2Informační materiály - Wikidatawikidata.org