Czech oral history’s ups and downs (1990–2012)

The article is a review of the most significant projects carried out using the oral history method by the Institute of Contemporary History at the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ÚSD AV ČR) between 1996–2012. It is presented from the perspective of Czech historiography with regard to thematic and historical trends. The author also presents the methodological aspects of those projects along with the reactions provoked by such initiatives by both experts and society. The author states that contemporary oral history is a well-known concept within Czech culture, drawing on the universal „expansion of remembrance” and a growing interest in the retention of peoples’ accounts, though the term was hardly known in the Czech Republic twenty years ago. Today, the Czech Republic has a broad spectrum of both completed and on-going oral history projects, as well as better institutional, methodological and technical bases, which, together with internationally recognised spokespersons, makes them one of the world leaders in this research category. The author presents Czech oral history in a basic (chronological, thematic and institutional) framework and compares it not only with its immediate neighbours but also with more distant countries. This not only helps distinguish common features within the oral history world but also defines those characteristics unique to the Czech model