Prague Slavic Congress, 1848

Introduction

The Prague Slavic Congress of 1848 (also known as the Pan-Slav Congress of 1848) took place between June 2 and June 12, 1848. It was one of the few times that voices from all Slav populations of Europe were heard in one place. The meeting was meant to be a show of resistance to the German nationalism in the Slav lands.

Pan-Slavism

“Pan-Slavism” developed over time leading up to the Congress in 1848. The development of some sort of national identity helped to unite the Slavic lands against the increasing German nationalism. The identification of these lands as Slavic does not mean that they are all the same. Within the overarching Slavic category, there are many other groups such as Poles, Hungarians, Czechs and Slovenes.

The intensity of “Slavism” varied among the different factions coming to Prague. Hungarians exhibited the greatest “cultural Pan-Slavism” due to Magyarization (Orton 6). The Slavism was less noticeable with the Czechs and Slovenes because of the already large German influence. Polish Slavism was also intense and was mostly exhibited through the literature of writers such as Jan Gawiński (Orton 6).

The Congress

The exact goal of the Congress was unclear even as it was beginning. In addition to lacking a goal, the conference planners also quarreled over the format and the agenda of the gathering (Orton 57). Perhaps this was an indication of how difficult the conference would be for the factions to come together.

Once underway, the conference met in three sections: Poles and Ukrainians; South Slavs; and Czecho-Slovaks. The Pole-Ukrainian section contained a combination of Ruthenes, Mazurians, Wielopolaks, and Lithuanians (Orton 62). Of the total 340 delegates at the Congress, the greatest number came from the Czecho-Slovak section. 237 Czecho-Slovaks participated along with 42 South Slavs and 61 Pole-Ukrainian (Orton 63).

During the Congress, there was debate about the role of Austria in the lives of the Slavs. Dr. Josef Fric argued that the “primary goal is the preservation of Austria,” adding that the Congress “only differs on the means.” (Orton 69) This point was disputed by L’udovit Stur who told the Congress, “our goal is self-preservation.” (Orton 69) Such a disconnect was typical of the environment of this conference.

One important statement did come out of the conference around June 10, when the Manifesto to the Nations of Europe was pronounced. The statement was a strongly worded proclamation that demanded an end to the oppression of the Slav people (Orton 87). It’s important to note that the Slavs did not look for any type of revenge (Orton 88). Rather they wanted to “extend a brotherly hand to all neighbouring nations who are prepared to recognize and effectively champion with us the full equality of all nations, irrespective of their political power or size.” (Orton 88). This was an important development because it indicated some sort of unity among all of the Slav people of Europe (Polišenský 147).

The Congress was unfortunately cut short on June 12, when fighting broke out on the streets (Orton 86). This later became known as the Whitsuntide events because of the timing during the Christian holiday of Pentecost. The delegates left in disgust and some were even arrested because of the revolutionary nature of the Congress (Orton 86).

Who’s who in the Prague Congress of 1848?

The four most important individuals of the Congress were František Palacký, Karol Libelt, Pavo Stamatović, and Pavel Šafárik (Orton 62-63).
- František Palacký oversaw the entire conference as president.
- Karol Libelt, from Prussian Poznan, was the chairman of the Poles and Ukrainians.
- Pavo Stamatović, from Serbia, was the chairman of the South Slavs.
- Pavel Šafárik, from Slovakia, was the chairman of the Czecho-Slovaks.

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Sources:
Orton, Lawrence D., The Prague Slav Congress of 1848. New York: Columbia University Press, 1978.

Polišenský, Josef, Aristocrats and the Crowd in the Revolutionary Year 1848. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1980.

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