Past in the Future. National Tradition and Czechoslovak Marxist Historiography

Abstract

Historians of historiography in East-Central Europe usually try to show the Stalinist period as a tragic interruption of successful development of national culture in their nation states. The aim of this paper is to look at the Czech historiography from a different angle. The modern Czech culture still bears strong traces of its nineteenth century origins. Signs of this influence are present in almost every Czechoslovak historical work even in the years of so called 'schematism'. The research proves that Czech Marxists had much more in common with Palacky´ or Young Czech ideologists than with Marx, Engels or even Soviet historical elites of the Stalin-era. The 'optimistic' way in which Czech Marxists treated their traditions contrasts with the 'pessimistic' interpretation of Polish national history. The Czech 'optimism' roots are still present in Czech cultural life in the shape of an understanding of history as the collection of progressive traditions.