The “Iron Curtain” as a Czech Site of Memory Cover Image

„Železná opona“ jako české místo paměti
The “Iron Curtain” as a Czech Site of Memory

Author(s): Václav Šmidrkal
Subject(s): History
Published by: AV ČR - Akademie věd České republiky - Masarykův ústav
Keywords: Czechoslovak State Borders; Cold War; Iron Curtain; Sites of Memory

Summary/Abstract: The article analyses the “Iron Curtain” as a Czech site of memory. The official communist narrative denied the Western term “Iron Curtain” and asserted the legalistic argumentation of “state borders protection” supported by nationalistic and ideological arguments. After the fall of the regime in 1989 and the opening of the state borders, the Western “Iron Curtain” paradigm was adopted by the democratizing Czech society whereas the communist narrative became marginalised. It did not disappear, though, and both interpretations, the “Iron Curtain” as a central part of the new mainstream discourse and the “state border protection” as a peripheral part of post-communist memory, have remained alive side by side.

  • Issue Year: 4/2012
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 56-80
  • Page Count: 23
  • Language: Czech