Czeska oral history w perspektywie globalnej. Podobieństwa i różnice

Abstrakt

The article aims to highlight the specific route of Czech oral history in comparison with developed countries, where oral history has been an age-old tradition. Czech oral history, same as oral history in other so called post-communist countries, did not experience that with oral history in 1960s and 1970s, oral history was totally unknown in the then Czechoslovakia (as well as in other countries of the so called socialist block). In the Czech Republic, oral history was used in the mid-1990s for the first time; but it took much more time before it stopped being ignored and criticized. Boom of oral history started in the end of 1990s, same like in South America or South Africa, and of course at the post-communist countries.

An increased interest in oral history, however, also brings along some problems and risks related with this new trend. I will examine some cases of journalistic work which passes itself off as oral history and which is often ideologically motivated. Mastering the method and a good knowledge of the historical context are, in my opinion, essential requirements for a valid historical interpretation, and lack of these can be crucial.