Paper Short Abstract:

This paper deals with remembering socialism in the Czech countryside. These memories are strongly connected to the local environment. I want to discuss connections between local commemoration opportunities and the politics of memory in and outside the postsocialist frame of remembering.

Paper Abstract:

The dominant Czech postsocialist narrative is based on emphasizing the peaceful way to freedom after the 1989 Velvet Revolution, along with denying the communist past. Another culture of remembering is relevant for a significant part of rural inhabitants. The countryside was forcibly collectivized in the 50s but later benefited from modernization efforts to overcome ineffective collectivized agriculture. Alongside investments in infrastructure, building houses of culture, etc., modernization has also changed the way of life, including leisure time. Many people experienced a social rise. After 1989, they then faced a decline due to privatization and cuts. It is thus logical that in the countryside, nostalgia for socialism is present. It is often not about adoring communism but about local identity and social aspects of life. People were proud that they hosted famous artists in the new house of culture or were on collective vacation by the sea in Bulgaria. During my field research, I noticed local opportunities for communal remembering. These opportunities are more connected to the local environment and landscape than the nationwide politics of memory. In this paper, I want to open a discussion on connections between local commemoration and the politics of memory in and outside the postsocialist frame of remembering.