Change in language and literature [antikvár]

Change in language and literature - that vas the main idea around which we centered the subject of our 16th Congress. The theme was chosen because in our time we constantly experience dramatic changes which increase our perceptivity towards change in the past and alsó because, like other disciplines, literary history and linguistics penetrate to a better understanding of the essence, structure and mechanism of changes taking place in time and space, Our intention was to examine the problems of change both in terms of time and spacfe, that is in the past and present and in regions which have hitherto been less markedly present in the ambit of our research. Hence we hoped to invite to a more intensive participation scholars from countries that have recently gained national independence. v\'hether we have succeeded in achieving this end or not - that is a question for the reader of this volume. Scientific and scholarly conferences are no more than opportunities for experts in a certain field to become acquainted, exchange views, widen their horizons. Undoubtedly this is of great value in itself. But we hope to have done rather more than that. Perhaps we could say something new about the dynamism of language and literature through the ages, about the main trends of their development and, last but not least, the methodology of investigation. The present Congress can alsó testifiy to the theoretical and methodological enrichment that has been characteristic of our discipline.