PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Knapík, Jiří
TI  - Children's Camps and Summer Recuperation Homes in Years 1948-1955
DP  - 2016 Jun 11
TA  - Historica Olomucensia
PG  - 193--209
VI  - 50
IP  - 1
AID - 10.5507/ho.2016.010
IS  - 18039561
AB  - The study focuses on the still untouched issue - the establishment of a concept of children's summer camps in the Czech lands in years 1948-1955. In the cycle of year-long child's activities, summer holidays represented a delicate season for the Communist regime. In this period, a child was not under the straight influence of a school and a mass organized summer camps belonged among ways which contributed to reduce this weakening. A new conception distanced itself especially from the strong tradition of scout camps. A network of traditional organizers (clubs) disappeared until 1949 and a so called unified children recreation (summer recuperation) was organized by national committees, which chose children according to politically and ideologically motivated criteria given in advance. Only later, such an attitude was moderated. A stay in summer camps was strongly characterized by ideological requirements as well as a school character of work with a child group. The growth of a number of children in camps in years 1949-1951 was negatively influenced by a poor status of camp buildings and a lack of recuperation centres. The important and positive changes were connected with a transfer of children's camp organization to the Revolutionary Trade Union Movement in 1955.