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Behind the Iron Curtain (1) Cover Image

Behind the Iron Curtain (1)
Behind the Iron Curtain (1)

Contributor(s): Chris Johnstone (Editor), Alexis Gibson (Editor)
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, History, Social Sciences, Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Essay|Book Review |Scientific Life, Sociology, Recent History (1900 till today), Special Historiographies:, Government/Political systems, Security and defense, Studies in violence and power, Victimology, History of Communism, Fascism, Nazism and WW II, Conference Report, Book-Review
Published by: Ústav pro studium totalitních režimů
Keywords: Czechoslovakia; Czech Republic; Communist regime; Nazi Germany; secret police; KGB; Cold War; security; Munich Agreement; political executions; Jan Palach; Černínský Palace Revolution; Velvet Revolution; Prague Spring; Uranium Extraction; Jiří Gruša;
Summary/Abstract: This magazine is the English version of selected articles published in the pages of the review Paměť a dějiny (Memory and History), which is issued by the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes.This magazine is the English version of selected articles published in the pages of the review Paměť a dějiny (Memory and History) ISSN 1802-8241, which is issued by the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes. The original version of the journal Paměť a dějiny (Memory and History) is the part of CEEOL also.

  • Print-ISBN-13: 978-80-87211-21-2
  • Page Count: 54
  • Publication Year: 2009
  • Language: English
Editorial

Editorial
(Editorial)

  • Author(s):Pavel Žáček
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Editorial
  • Page Range:3-3
  • No. of Pages:1
  • Summary/Abstract:One of the most important tasks of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes is the presentation of our research findings on an international level. With the passing in the Czech Republic of Act No. 181/2007 Coll. and the creation of the Institute and Security Services Archive, our country finds itself in a unique situation providing for the comparatively rapid attainment of a similar level of social discourse as in other post Communist countries which established parallel institutions in recent years.
Milestones in Recent Czech History (1938-1989)

Milestones in Recent Czech History (1938-1989)
(Milestones in Recent Czech History (1938-1989))

  • Author(s):Author Not Specified
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Interwar Period (1920 - 1939), WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), Post-War period (1950 - 1989)
  • Page Range:5-7
  • No. of Pages:3
  • Keywords:Czech Republic; Czechoslovakia; 1938; 1989; milestones;
Coming to Terms With the 20th Century Totalitarian Past

Coming to Terms With the 20th Century Totalitarian Past
(Coming to Terms With the 20th Century Totalitarian Past)

  • Author(s):Author Not Specified
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Governance, Government/Political systems, WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), Post-War period (1950 - 1989), Transformation Period (1990 - 2010)
  • Page Range:8-10
  • No. of Pages:3
  • Keywords:Czech Republic; Czechoslovakia; totalitarian regime; 20th century;
Inception and International Cooperation of the Institute and Archive

Inception and International Cooperation of the Institute and Archive
(Inception and International Cooperation of the Institute and Archive)

  • Author(s):Author Not Specified
  • Contributor(s):Jiří Reichl (Photographer)
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Education, Management and complex organizations
  • Page Range:11-12
  • No. of Pages:2
  • Keywords:Czech Republic; inception; international cooperation; Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes; archive;
  • Summary/Abstract:The creation of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes followed a prolonged and arduous path, with the outcome unclear only months ahead of its February 1, 2008 launch. While inspiration for the creation of an independent body dedicated to examining the recent totalitarian past came from already operational institutes in neighboring Germany, Poland and Slovakia, differing perspectives about the need, remit and shape of such an institution abounded in the Czech Republic.
Highlights of Institute Activities

Highlights of Institute Activities
(Highlights of Institute Activities)

  • Author(s):Author Not Specified
  • Contributor(s):Adam Hradilek (Photographer)
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Education, Methodology and research technology, Management and complex organizations
  • Page Range:13-15
  • No. of Pages:3
  • Keywords:Czech Republic; Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes; highlights; activities;
  • Summary/Abstract:Achieving a better understanding of the Nazi and Communist totalitarian regimes through unbiased research is an integral part of the Institute’s broad mandate. The main research themes focus on how and why pre and post WWII democracies were undermined, and understanding who supported and resisted the totalitarian regimes that succeeded each other after a relatively short gap. The regimes’ crimes, the anti-democratic and criminal actions of state bodies, in particular the security services, the Communist Party, and organizations which took a lead from the party (such as the army, border police and people’s militias), are all included in documentation efforts.
Formation and Priorities of the Security Services Archive

Formation and Priorities of the Security Services Archive
(Formation and Priorities of the Security Services Archive)

  • Author(s):Author Not Specified
  • Contributor(s):Jiří Reichl (Photographer)
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Archiving, Government/Political systems, Security and defense, Management and complex organizations
  • Page Range:16-17
  • No. of Pages:2
  • Keywords:Czech Republic; Security Services Archive; formation; priorities; totalitarian regimes; Ministry of Defense; Ministry of Justice;
  • Summary/Abstract:The collection of records managed by the Security Services Archive, in the process of being opened up to researchers, is an unrivaled resource for understanding the development and functioning of totalitarian power. The total collection comprises just under 20 kilometers of records, including films, tapes, microfilm reels and almost half a million sheets of microfiche. Around two-thirds of the material comes from the Ministry of the Interior, but additional material has been handed over by the Ministry of Defense (including the files from military counterintelligence) and the Ministry of Justice (records about the operations of the prison system, for instance).
We Were Unhappy and Have Begun Not to Know It - Interview with Jiří Gruša on the lack of virtuousness and the threshold of memory

We Were Unhappy and Have Begun Not to Know It - Interview with Jiří Gruša on the lack of virtuousness and the threshold of memory
(We Were Unhappy and Have Begun Not to Know It - Interview with Jiří Gruša on the lack of virtuousness and the threshold of memory)

  • Author(s):Jan Hanzlík, Jiří Reichl
  • Contributor(s):Peter Burgstaller (Photographer), Jiří Gruša (Photographer)
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Recent History (1900 till today), Government/Political systems
  • Page Range:18-22
  • No. of Pages:5
  • Keywords:Jiří Gruša; interview; virtuossness; threshold of memory; communist regime; totalitarianism; Austria; Milan Kundera;
  • Summary/Abstract:Interview with Jiří Gruša on the lack of virtuousness and the threshold of memory
Getting to Grips With Munich's Painful Legacy - The Agreement's long-term effects are still a live issue and subject of debate

Getting to Grips With Munich's Painful Legacy - The Agreement's long-term effects are still a live issue and subject of debate
(Getting to Grips With Munich's Painful Legacy - The Agreement's long-term effects are still a live issue and subject of debate)

  • Author(s):Zdeněk Hazdra
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Politics, Interwar Period (1920 - 1939)
  • Page Range:23-24
  • No. of Pages:2
  • Keywords:Czechoslovakia; Germany; Munich Agreement; annexation;
  • Summary/Abstract:The Munich Agreement was greeted with relief in the West, but stunned Czechs and Slovaks. It postponed war, yet left the truncated Czechoslovak state and its beliefs in tatters. The long-term effects are still a live issue and subject of debate.
Wartime Wounds Cast Long Shadow over Czech Society - Czechs were among Nazi Germany’s first foreign victims

Wartime Wounds Cast Long Shadow over Czech Society - Czechs were among Nazi Germany’s first foreign victims
(Wartime Wounds Cast Long Shadow over Czech Society - Czechs were among Nazi Germany’s first foreign victims)

  • Author(s):Lukáš Vlček
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Studies in violence and power, Victimology, WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), Post-War period (1950 - 1989), Fascism, Nazism and WW II
  • Page Range:25-26
  • No. of Pages:2
  • Keywords:Czechoslovakia; Germany; Czech; Nazi; victims; post-war period;
  • Summary/Abstract:Czechs were among Nazi Germany’s first foreign victims, with Prague the last capital to be freed at the end of World War II. Capitulation, occupation and oppression cast a long shadow which persisted into the post-war period.
Cautious Preparations for the Černínský Palace Revolution - February 1948 and persecution of employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Cautious Preparations for the Černínský Palace Revolution - February 1948 and persecution of employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(Cautious Preparations for the Černínský Palace Revolution - February 1948 and persecution of employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

  • Author(s):Ivana Koutská
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Government/Political systems, Security and defense, WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism
  • Page Range:27-29
  • No. of Pages:3
  • Keywords:Czechoslovakia; communist regime; Černínský Palace Revolution; preparation; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; employees persecution;
  • Summary/Abstract:The Communists quickly won control over key ministries after World War II to prepare an eventual bid for power. The Foreign Ministry held out against their traditional methods but could not defy the tide.
Communist Regime Investigative Aids Help Historians Uncover Secrets - Preparation of the Action 48 card index for researchers’ use

Communist Regime Investigative Aids Help Historians Uncover Secrets - Preparation of the Action 48 card index for researchers’ use
(Communist Regime Investigative Aids Help Historians Uncover Secrets - Preparation of the Action 48 card index for researchers’ use)

  • Author(s):Martin Tichý, Olga Bezděková
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Security and defense, Methodology and research technology, WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism
  • Page Range:30-32
  • No. of Pages:3
  • Keywords:Czechoslovakia; communist regime; Action 48; research;
  • Summary/Abstract:State Security aids for discovering and identifying enemies and opposition, combined with modern computer technology, are providing invaluable assistance to historians trying to map out resistance to the regime.
Political Executions in Communist Czechoslovakia - Intentional misuse of the implementation of justice

Political Executions in Communist Czechoslovakia - Intentional misuse of the implementation of justice
(Political Executions in Communist Czechoslovakia - Intentional misuse of the implementation of justice)

  • Author(s):Petr Mallota
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Politics, Government/Political systems, Security and defense, Studies in violence and power, WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism
  • Page Range:33-35
  • No. of Pages:3
  • Keywords:Czechoslovakia; communist regime; misuse; justice; political executions;
  • Summary/Abstract:Czechoslovakia experienced not one but two totalitarian regimes in the 20th century that intentionally misused the implementation justice.
A Cheap and Dispensable Tool for Uranium Extraction - “Class enemies” used as forced labor in mines during the Communist regime

A Cheap and Dispensable Tool for Uranium Extraction - “Class enemies” used as forced labor in mines during the Communist regime
(A Cheap and Dispensable Tool for Uranium Extraction - “Class enemies” used as forced labor in mines during the Communist regime)

  • Author(s):Tomáš Bursík
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Labor relations, Studies in violence and power, Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism
  • Page Range:36-37
  • No. of Pages:2
  • Keywords:Czechoslovakia; Communist regime; forced labor; imprisonment; uranium; mines;
  • Summary/Abstract:Long-term imprisonment involving forced labor in mines under inhumane and degrading conditions was one way of getting rid of “class enemies” without attracting too much attention to the Czechoslovak Communist regime.
Hope, Warnings and Lessons From Across the Border - International impact of the Prague Spring and its crushing

Hope, Warnings and Lessons From Across the Border - International impact of the Prague Spring and its crushing
(Hope, Warnings and Lessons From Across the Border - International impact of the Prague Spring and its crushing)

  • Author(s):Csaba Békés, Tomáš Vilímek , Jerzy Eisler, Łukasz Kamiński , Kristina Burinskaitė
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Government/Political systems, Studies in violence and power, Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism
  • Page Range:38-40
  • No. of Pages:3
  • Keywords:Czechoslovakia; Prague Spring; 1968; lessons; cultural clampdown;
  • Summary/Abstract:The Prague Spring of 1968 represented a remarkable social movement aimed at pushing back the boundaries to freedom. Its brief existence, and Moscow’s decision to crush it, led to hope, despair and, in some, a resolve for further resistance at home and abroad. It also shaped the Soviet Union’s stance toward future challenges. The international impact was explored during a three-day conference jointly organized by the Institute.
Student’s Self-Sacrifice Scrutinized on Anniversary - Czech society reviews Jan Palach’s act after 40 years

Student’s Self-Sacrifice Scrutinized on Anniversary - Czech society reviews Jan Palach’s act after 40 years
(Student’s Self-Sacrifice Scrutinized on Anniversary - Czech society reviews Jan Palach’s act after 40 years)

  • Author(s):Vítězslav Sommer
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Victimology, Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism
  • Page Range:41-42
  • No. of Pages:2
  • Keywords:Czechoslovakia; communist regime; student; self sacrifice; Jan Palach; reviews;
  • Summary/Abstract:Jan Palach’s life and shocking death have come under even greater focus as Czech society looks back after 40 years on the act which has become lodged in the nation’s collective memory.
The NKVD/KGB – The Service That Came In For the Cold War - International conference series expands channels of research and cooperation

The NKVD/KGB – The Service That Came In For the Cold War - International conference series expands channels of research and cooperation
(The NKVD/KGB – The Service That Came In For the Cold War - International conference series expands channels of research and cooperation)

  • Author(s):Author Not Specified
  • Contributor(s):Jiří Reichl (Photographer)
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Archiving, Security and defense, Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism
  • Page Range:43-44
  • No. of Pages:2
  • Keywords:NKVD; KGB; Cold War; International conference; archive materials; access;
  • Summary/Abstract:The three-day international conference “NKVD/KGB Activities and its Cooperation with other Secret Services in Central and Eastern Europe 1945-1989 II” was one of the most ambitious and successful events which the Institute helped stage in 2008. It demonstrated how historians are using the archival materials now becoming publicly accessible to draw a fuller picture of the region’s secret services’ scope, methods, and cooperation.
The Far-Reaching Battle Over the Secret Policemen’s Files - Post-Velvet Revolution scandal that shook the government

The Far-Reaching Battle Over the Secret Policemen’s Files - Post-Velvet Revolution scandal that shook the government
(The Far-Reaching Battle Over the Secret Policemen’s Files - Post-Velvet Revolution scandal that shook the government)

  • Author(s):Pavel Žáček
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Government/Political systems, Security and defense, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010)
  • Page Range:45-46
  • No. of Pages:2
  • Keywords:Czechoslovakia; secret police; files; Velvet Revolution; government;
  • Summary/Abstract:The “Velvet Revolution” put a new set of inexperienced leaders in charge of a still unreformed political and security apparatus. A scandal over the use of secret police files shook the government, but forced it to get to grips with key questions over their management and use.
Exhibition: Czech Society Between Munich and the War

Exhibition: Czech Society Between Munich and the War
(Exhibition: Czech Society Between Munich and the War)

  • Author(s):Lukáš Vlček
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Photography, Recent History (1900 till today), History of Communism
  • Page Range:47-48
  • No. of Pages:2
  • Keywords:Exhibition; Czech Society; Munich; War; authoritarian government; Second Republic;
  • Summary/Abstract:The outbreak of WWII and German occupation six months earlier defined the issues for Czechs after the Second Republic’s slide towards authoritarian government.
Exhibition: On the Cold War Front – Czechoslovakia 1948-1956

Exhibition: On the Cold War Front – Czechoslovakia 1948-1956
(Exhibition: On the Cold War Front – Czechoslovakia 1948-1956)

  • Author(s):Prokop Tomek
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Fine Arts / Performing Arts, WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism
  • Page Range:49-49
  • No. of Pages:1
  • Keywords:Exhibition; Cold War; Czechoslovakia; 1948; 1956; Communist regime;
  • Summary/Abstract:On the Cold War Front – Czechoslovakia 1948-1956 is dedicated to thousands of Czechoslovak citizens who actively fought against the totalitarian regime that was established in their country after the Communist Party seized power on February 25, 1948. It focuses in particular on those who battled tyranny in Czechoslovakia on both sides of the country’s borders in the years 1948-1956.
Educational DVD: 1968: Shattered Hopes

Educational DVD: 1968: Shattered Hopes
(Educational DVD: 1968: Shattered Hopes)

  • Author(s):Author Not Specified
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism, Film / Cinema / Cinematography
  • Page Range:50-50
  • No. of Pages:1
  • Keywords:education; DVD; presentation; "Shattered Hopes"; 1968; Czechoslovakia; Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes;
  • Summary/Abstract:1968: Shattered Hopes is a three-hour set of educational DVDs prepared by the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes. It looks at the tumultuous events surrounding the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia, which brutally suppressed the country’s attempts to introduce a less authoritarian form of socialism in the late 1960s.
Book: Victims of the Occupation

Book: Victims of the Occupation
(Book: Victims of the Occupation)

  • Author(s):Author Not Specified
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism, Book-Review
  • Page Range:51-51
  • No. of Pages:1
  • Keywords:book; presentation; Czechoslovakia; occupation;
  • Summary/Abstract:Institute’s First English-language Publication Sheds Light on the 1968 Warsaw Pact Invasion of Czechoslovakia Newly uncovered information, much of it made public only recently, has enabled the reassessment of the tumultuous turn of events during the second half of 1968.
Exhibition and Book: Orwell in Photographs, Prague Through the Lens of the Secret Police

Exhibition and Book: Orwell in Photographs, Prague Through the Lens of the Secret Police
(Exhibition and Book: Orwell in Photographs, Prague Through the Lens of the Secret Police)

  • Author(s):Pavel Žáček, Anna Pavlíková
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Security and defense, Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism, Book-Review
  • Page Range:52-53
  • No. of Pages:2
  • Keywords:Exhibition; Book; presentation; Orwell; photographs; Prague; secret police;
  • Summary/Abstract:One of the most interesting bodies of the Czechoslovak Communist political police – the State Security Service (Státní bezpečnost – StB) – was the Surveillance Directorate and its predecessors. Its founding nucleus, numbering 14 men, came into being on March 1, 1948, shortly aft er the Communist putsch. From small, specialized State Security units within the Ministry of the Interior, an independent and comparatively well staff ed body – the Surveillance Directorate – developed, cooperating closely with other constituent parts of the political police. Until 1956, in addition to surveillance, this division had the authority to place people under arrest or carry out house searches.
International Conference: Resistance and Opposition Against the Communist Regime in Czechoslovakia and Central Europe..

International Conference: Resistance and Opposition Against the Communist Regime in Czechoslovakia and Central Europe..
(International Conference: Resistance and Opposition Against the Communist Regime in Czechoslovakia and Central Europe..)

  • Author(s):Author Not Specified
  • Language:English
  • Subject(s):Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism, Conference Report
  • Page Range:54-54
  • No. of Pages:1
  • Keywords:International Conference; Czechoslovakia; Central Europe; Communist regime; resistance; opposition;
  • Summary/Abstract:Resistance and Opposition against the Communist Regime in Czechoslovakia and Central Europe will be held in Prague, Czech Republic on April 15-16, 2009
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