Some Remarks on Biographic Narratives of Czech/Czechoslovak Firefighters (Project Czech Society during the So-Called Normalization and Cover Image

Kilka uwag o narracji biograficznej czeskich strażaków (projekt Społeczeństwo czeskie w okresie tzw. normalizacji i transformacji
Some Remarks on Biographic Narratives of Czech/Czechoslovak Firefighters (Project Czech Society during the So-Called Normalization and

Author(s): Hana Bortlová-Vondráková
Subject(s): History
Published by: Ośrodek »Pamięć i Przyszłość«
Keywords: oral history; Czechoslovak normalization era (1969-1989) and transformation era (1990s); Czechoslovak firefighters; occupational storytelling and culture; local history; Alltagsgeschichte.

Summary/Abstract: Through historical analysis and interpretation of memories of Czech/ Czechoslovak firefighters who have been professionally active since 1960s until 1990s (and/or beyond), his paper aims to analyze the ways in which his socio-professional group has been behaving during the last 40–50 years. Given that only very little historical research has been done on members of this group, the paper represents a first pioneer attempt. The research is a continuation of previous research projects conducted by Czech oral historians focused on working class members and on changes of their opinions, attitudes and behavior before and after 1989. The author’s ambition is to contribute to the current knowledge of the nature and specifics of the mentioned „normalization” regime (1969–1989) as well as the „transformation-to-democracy” era 1990s) in Czechoslovakia. In the present paper the author outlines the current state of research (20 conducted interviews with 10 firefighters as to the end of 2012), comments on some methodological problems associated with oral-historical research of this group and offers her interpretations of selected topics.

  • Issue Year: 2013
  • Issue No: 03
  • Page Range: 175-185
  • Page Count: 11
  • Language: Polish