The initiative came from
Pavel Jozef Šafárik and
Josip Jelačić, but was organized by Czech activists
František Palacký,
Karl Zapp,
Karel Havlíček Borovský, and
František Ladislav Rieger. 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. 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 (at that time
Ruthenians);
South Slavs; and
Czecho-
Slovaks. The Pole-Ukrainian section contained a combination of
Ruthenes,
Mazurians,
Greater Poles, and
Lithuanians. 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. German was the primary language used during discussions. During the Congress, there was debate about the role of
Austria in the lives of the Slavs. Dr. Josef Frič argued that the “primary goal is the preservation of Austria”, adding that the Congress “only differs on the means.” This point was disputed by
Ľudovít Štúr who told the Congress, “our goal is self-preservation”. Such a disconnect was typical of the environment of this conference. One important statement did come out of the conference around 10 June, 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. The Slavs did not look for any type of revenge, but 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”. This was an important development because it indicated some sort of unity among all of the Slav people of Europe. The Congress was cut short on 12 June because of the
Prague Uprising of 1848 that erupted due to Austrian garrison in Prague opened fire on a peaceful demonstration. 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 which marked a period in the
history of Austria as the
Bach's absolutism (after the Interior Minister
Baron Alexander von Bach). Among arrested was
Mikhail Bakunin who became apprehended in
Dresden in 1849 for his involvement in 1848 Prague events and deported to the
Russian Empire. == Congress Commissions ==