Adam Hudek
Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of History, Department Member
- Cultural History, Memory Studies, Cultural Memory, Communism, Czech & Slovak Studies, Historiography, and 9 moreHistory of Slovakia, History of Hungary, Nationalism And State Building, History of Czechoslovakia, Central European history, History of Communism, Central and Eastern Europe, Post-Communist Studies, and History of Historyedit
Prague Spring and its legacy: The Slovak perspective
URL: http://www.inthelongrun.org/articles/article/prague-spring-and-its-legacy-the-slovak-perspective
URL: http://www.inthelongrun.org/articles/article/prague-spring-and-its-legacy-the-slovak-perspective
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Perception of Edvard Beneš in the Slovak historiography of the second half of the 20th century was typically highly critical. Beneš’s negative image was to a great extent a result of “political request” made by totalitarian ideologies... more
Perception of Edvard Beneš in the Slovak historiography of the second half of the 20th century was typically highly critical. Beneš’s negative image was to a great extent a result of “political request” made by totalitarian ideologies ruling the Slovak territory after the year 1939. Slovak ľudáks (and their postwar exile) and communists alike used Edvard Beneš as a personalization of what they saw as negative features of the interwar Czechoslovakia (and the short period between years 1945-1948). Initially, the “ľudák-nationalist” and “Marxist” historians criticized Beneš because of very different reasons. However, the nationalization of Slovak “Marxist” narrative in late 1960s meant also incorporation of traditional nationalist arguments to such extent that historian Jan Mlynárik has written about Marxist-Ľudák nationalism. Main goal of this presentation is to analyze the differences and similarities in the perception of Edvard Beneš in the mentioned highly ideological lines of Slovak historiography.
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The anti-fascist Slovak National Uprising in 1944 is generally considered one the most important events in modern Slovak history. This article focuses on the Uprising’s 2004 and 2014 anniversary celebrations and examines various... more
The anti-fascist Slovak National Uprising in 1944 is generally considered one the most important events in modern Slovak history. This article focuses on the Uprising’s 2004 and 2014 anniversary celebrations and examines various approaches taken in defining its legacy. The text demonstrates how the political agenda of the day has influenced this process. Furthermore, it focuses on reactions to revisionist attempts to interpret the legacy of the Uprising and how the events of 1944 have been used to legitimize a new wave of nationalism.
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The study is concerned with the development of Slovak historical science in the period 1948 - 1955. Its institutional and personal development is analysed, together with the methods of control and direction by the communist regime. The... more
The study is concerned with the development of Slovak historical science in the period 1948 - 1955. Its institutional and personal development is analysed, together with the methods of control and direction by the communist regime. The main interest is devoted to the problems of applying Marxism to Slovak historiography. The second part of the study consists of an outline of the way Marxist historiography interpreted and evaluated the key periods of Slovak history. Attention is also devoted to the formation of the Marxist periodization of Slovak history. The result was a framework for the Slovak Marxist national story, used in later synthetic works. Master narrative. Marxist historiography. Concept of Czechoslovak history.
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Over the entire existence of the Slovak historical science, the formation of Slovak ‘national consciousness’ has been always considered a research topic of great importance. It is a quite typical phenomenon in the region of Central... more
Over the entire existence of the Slovak historical science, the formation of Slovak ‘national consciousness’ has been always considered a research topic of great importance. It is a quite typical phenomenon in the region of Central Europe, characterized by a complex, delicate, and constantly changing intersection of political, ethnic, national, linguistic, religious, cultural borders, and contexts, producing various competing collective identities. This article outlines this process in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious region. It shows how the concept of national identity was influenced by various loyalties, pragmatic political decisions, and ideological concepts. The idea of Slovak national identity was defined mainly in confrontation with Czech and Hungarian visions and concepts. It was shaped in the process of mutual correlation with other collective identities and also by its impact on the wide segments of population in the process of ‘national emancipation’.
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The aim of the paper is to analyse the development of Slovak historiography and the Slovak national story from its beginnings until 1948. The most important periods of the national story were identified on the basis of an analysis of the... more
The aim of the paper is to analyse the development of Slovak historiography and the Slovak national story from
its beginnings until 1948. The most important periods of the national story were identified on the basis of an
analysis of the most important Slovak historical works of the period studied. The Slovak case is a typical
example whereby a national story has been constructed despite the lack of a relevant state tradition. One of the
major concerns of Slovak historiography has been to prove that the Slovaks have a national story which is
distinct from those of the Czechs or the Hungarians. The seminal periods in the national story are those where
the nation has been shown to be independent or autonomous. The development of views on particular nodal
points open to dispute also depends on other factors such as the period, the historian’s aim, and ideological
pressure. The aim by 1948 was the creation of an independent Slovak national story although its radical
nationalist version was rejected after 1945.
its beginnings until 1948. The most important periods of the national story were identified on the basis of an
analysis of the most important Slovak historical works of the period studied. The Slovak case is a typical
example whereby a national story has been constructed despite the lack of a relevant state tradition. One of the
major concerns of Slovak historiography has been to prove that the Slovaks have a national story which is
distinct from those of the Czechs or the Hungarians. The seminal periods in the national story are those where
the nation has been shown to be independent or autonomous. The development of views on particular nodal
points open to dispute also depends on other factors such as the period, the historian’s aim, and ideological
pressure. The aim by 1948 was the creation of an independent Slovak national story although its radical
nationalist version was rejected after 1945.
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Slovak historiography in the construction of the Marxist version of Czechoslovak history in the fifties of the 20th century In its initial phases, the post‑war Slovak history resolutely rejected the two previous interpretations of the... more
Slovak historiography in the construction of the Marxist version of Czechoslovak history in the fifties of the 20th century
In its initial phases, the post‑war Slovak history resolutely rejected the two previous interpretations of the countryʼs history: the popular‑nationalist one as well as the inter‑war
Czechoslovak one. Later, the debate on the future shape of Slovak historiography was profoundly influenced by the
Communist coup in 1948, its main feature being the fact that it was not shaped by historians but by the party apparatus on the basis of the „contemporary political practice“. The role of historians was limited to explaining history in order to align it with given ideological assumptions and political goals of the establishment. The effort to centralize the State put an abrupt end to the debate on national and political position of Slovaks in Czechoslovakia, which was also reflected in historiography. The ideological struggle against the so‑called bourgeois nationalism in the fifties led to a political pressure to link Czech and Slovak history as tightly as possible, which resulted in a re‑interpretation of a whole number of crucial periods of Slovak history. In the framework of this process, however, certain
issues became controversial between Slovak and Czech historians and disrupted the creation of the
marxist version of the common Czechoslovak history.
In its initial phases, the post‑war Slovak history resolutely rejected the two previous interpretations of the countryʼs history: the popular‑nationalist one as well as the inter‑war
Czechoslovak one. Later, the debate on the future shape of Slovak historiography was profoundly influenced by the
Communist coup in 1948, its main feature being the fact that it was not shaped by historians but by the party apparatus on the basis of the „contemporary political practice“. The role of historians was limited to explaining history in order to align it with given ideological assumptions and political goals of the establishment. The effort to centralize the State put an abrupt end to the debate on national and political position of Slovaks in Czechoslovakia, which was also reflected in historiography. The ideological struggle against the so‑called bourgeois nationalism in the fifties led to a political pressure to link Czech and Slovak history as tightly as possible, which resulted in a re‑interpretation of a whole number of crucial periods of Slovak history. In the framework of this process, however, certain
issues became controversial between Slovak and Czech historians and disrupted the creation of the
marxist version of the common Czechoslovak history.
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Narratives of Totalitarian Historiography as the Heritage of Normalization Era The study deals with the question of continuity between pre- and post 1989 Czech and Slovak historiography. This problem is demonstrated on cases of these two... more
Narratives of Totalitarian Historiography as the Heritage of Normalization Era
The study deals with the question of continuity between pre- and post 1989 Czech and Slovak historiography. This problem is demonstrated on cases of these two much criticized types of narratives - historical-totalitarian (Czech case) and nationalist (in Slovak case). The analysis is based on the recent discussions among Czech historians and attempts to apply some of the conclusions on the Slovak case. Main assertion of the study is that the popularity of positivism and political history, narrow ethnocentrism and distrusts towards "complex" theoretical approaches is a heritage of the normalization era. As a result, the popularity of both mentioned historiographical approaches is not only a manifestation of political instrumentalisation of the past, but it is also results of their simplicity and familiarity for many historians. In the post-1989 Czech and Slovak historiography the interest in new themes was generally not accompanied by the interest in the modern methodological approaches. The analysis shows enduring distrust towards modern theories and methodologies, which are seen as the main causes of (re)ideologisation of history as a science.
The study deals with the question of continuity between pre- and post 1989 Czech and Slovak historiography. This problem is demonstrated on cases of these two much criticized types of narratives - historical-totalitarian (Czech case) and nationalist (in Slovak case). The analysis is based on the recent discussions among Czech historians and attempts to apply some of the conclusions on the Slovak case. Main assertion of the study is that the popularity of positivism and political history, narrow ethnocentrism and distrusts towards "complex" theoretical approaches is a heritage of the normalization era. As a result, the popularity of both mentioned historiographical approaches is not only a manifestation of political instrumentalisation of the past, but it is also results of their simplicity and familiarity for many historians. In the post-1989 Czech and Slovak historiography the interest in new themes was generally not accompanied by the interest in the modern methodological approaches. The analysis shows enduring distrust towards modern theories and methodologies, which are seen as the main causes of (re)ideologisation of history as a science.
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Adam Hudek: Slovak Academy of Sciences and Arts, its Founding and Development between the Years 1942 – 1945 The study deals with the institutionalization and subsequent development of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and Arts during the... more
Adam Hudek: Slovak Academy of Sciences and Arts, its Founding and Development between the Years 1942 – 1945
The study deals with the institutionalization and subsequent development of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and Arts during the existence of Slovak state (1939 – 1945). It introduces the main actors of this process and their activities aimed at the creation of a central institution for the coordination of scientific research in Slovakia. The plans for the Slovak Academy have its roots in the changes in the scientific community after the dissolution of Czechoslovak Republic in 1939. They were also greatly influenced by the long-term rivalry between the two Slovak centers of research in Martin and Bratislava. The Slovak Academy was established despite the disagreement of substantial part of scientific and political elites, which was based both on rational arguments and purely ideological reasons. Although the Academy gained the political backing and was opened in 1943, the support of its sympathizers was steadily waning while the opposition remained relatively strong. The financial problems, staff shortage and internal struggles seriously hampered its research activities. However, in the restored Czechoslovakia, all mentioned problems were used as a proof that the Academy was not an "ideological" institution of the wartime Slovak state. This oversimplified argument had greatly contributed to the survival and further development of this institution in the new political reality after 1945.
The study deals with the institutionalization and subsequent development of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and Arts during the existence of Slovak state (1939 – 1945). It introduces the main actors of this process and their activities aimed at the creation of a central institution for the coordination of scientific research in Slovakia. The plans for the Slovak Academy have its roots in the changes in the scientific community after the dissolution of Czechoslovak Republic in 1939. They were also greatly influenced by the long-term rivalry between the two Slovak centers of research in Martin and Bratislava. The Slovak Academy was established despite the disagreement of substantial part of scientific and political elites, which was based both on rational arguments and purely ideological reasons. Although the Academy gained the political backing and was opened in 1943, the support of its sympathizers was steadily waning while the opposition remained relatively strong. The financial problems, staff shortage and internal struggles seriously hampered its research activities. However, in the restored Czechoslovakia, all mentioned problems were used as a proof that the Academy was not an "ideological" institution of the wartime Slovak state. This oversimplified argument had greatly contributed to the survival and further development of this institution in the new political reality after 1945.
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oncept of the Czechoslovak history in its various modifications had without doubt great impact on the forming of the Slovak master narrative. Discussions and reflections about the existence of common Czechoslovak history builds the... more
oncept of the Czechoslovak history in its various modifications had without doubt great impact on the forming of the Slovak master narrative. Discussions and reflections about the existence of common Czechoslovak history builds the inseparable part in the development of Slovak historiography. Different Czechoslovakistic concepts were always a result of strictly academic, but also ideological, political, national as well as rational opinions and interests of governments, political parties, interest groups and also individuals. Between 1918 and 1968, different concepts of Slovak a Czech master narratives came through several stages of approaching, joining and separation. These processes were accompanied by discussions and academical, ideological and dogmatic justifications for and against concepts of Slovak or Czechoslovak master narratives were introduced. In given period, Czechoslovakistic tendencies in Slovak historiography arose from different reasons. Common Czechoslovak master narrative justified the birth and existence of new Czechoslovak state after 1918. Communistic ideological struggle against „bourgeois nationalism" in the 50. demanded emphasizing the brotherhood of Czechs and Slovak during their history. It was the same also during the renewed struggle against „Slovak separatism" in the 60. However, the Slovak historiography had newer voluntarily accepted Czechoslovak tendencies and event in the period of communist totality, this concept was abandoned right after the weakening of the political and ideological pressure in the second half of the 60. In conclusion, we can state that the characteristic sign of Slovak historiography since its beginning was (sometimes more or less visible) the attempt to create an independent Slovak national story which would not merge with, and would not be part of, the other master narratives. However, this process was not totally completed even during the 1918 – 1967, but even the communist dictatorship could this process only slow down but not completely suppress.
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The paper focuses on the analysis of is the changing perception of the Slovak communist intellectuals by the Communist party of Czechoslovakia (CPC) in the period between years 1945-1953. Since its creation, the CPC and its partner... more
The paper focuses on the analysis of is the changing perception of the Slovak communist intellectuals by the Communist party of Czechoslovakia (CPC) in the period between years 1945-1953. Since its creation, the CPC and its partner organization Communist party of Slovakia (CPS) could count on sympathies of Czechoslovak intellectual elite. After the end of World War II and restoration of Czechoslovakia, this phenomenon became even stronger.
Slovak intellectuals in the service of CPS gained a significant influence during the wartime era. It was because of their activities in the anti-fascist struggle either in domestic (e. g. Ladislav Novomeský) or foreign resistance (e. g. Vladimír Clementis). Prior to 1948 coup, they utilized their position in order to establish their own visions of the party politics. Important part of this discourse was the so called “Slovak national question” and its interpretation in the future communist Czechoslovakia. After the February 1948, Slovak communist intellectuals actively participated in the development of communist project. Appointed into high government positions and in the name of building the new Utopia, Slovak communist intellectuals theoretically justified and practically participated on a number of controversial decisions.
However, the struggle against “bourgeoisie nationalism” in the early 1950s caused the elimination of virtually all members of “traditional” Slovak communist intelligentsia from political life. Slovak intellectual elites were condemned as bearers of Slovak nationalism and separatism. Among the party representatives a strong “anti-intellectual” tendency and mistrust towards “old intelligentsia” prevailed. Slovak communist intellectual elites had to cope with their new, inferior position both in the party organization as well as in public life. In addition, the Party leadership clearly articulated that in the future, it will count upon the new generation of communist intelligentsia, fully indoctrinated by People’s Republic education system.
Slovak intellectuals in the service of CPS gained a significant influence during the wartime era. It was because of their activities in the anti-fascist struggle either in domestic (e. g. Ladislav Novomeský) or foreign resistance (e. g. Vladimír Clementis). Prior to 1948 coup, they utilized their position in order to establish their own visions of the party politics. Important part of this discourse was the so called “Slovak national question” and its interpretation in the future communist Czechoslovakia. After the February 1948, Slovak communist intellectuals actively participated in the development of communist project. Appointed into high government positions and in the name of building the new Utopia, Slovak communist intellectuals theoretically justified and practically participated on a number of controversial decisions.
However, the struggle against “bourgeoisie nationalism” in the early 1950s caused the elimination of virtually all members of “traditional” Slovak communist intelligentsia from political life. Slovak intellectual elites were condemned as bearers of Slovak nationalism and separatism. Among the party representatives a strong “anti-intellectual” tendency and mistrust towards “old intelligentsia” prevailed. Slovak communist intellectual elites had to cope with their new, inferior position both in the party organization as well as in public life. In addition, the Party leadership clearly articulated that in the future, it will count upon the new generation of communist intelligentsia, fully indoctrinated by People’s Republic education system.
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Paper for the conference Liberal Democracy, Authoritarian Pasts and the Legacy of 1989
Comparative workshop on recent history of political and social thought in East Central Europe
Prague, May 20-22, 2011
Comparative workshop on recent history of political and social thought in East Central Europe
Prague, May 20-22, 2011
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Paper for the workshop: Memory between history and contemporary politics in East Central Europe
Aarhus, January 30-31, 2013
NEMMA - Network on European Memory of Mass Atrocities
Aarhus, January 30-31, 2013
NEMMA - Network on European Memory of Mass Atrocities
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The study analyses the ideologically motivated interventions in the organization of historical research conducted at the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University in Bratislava during the 1950s. This process, generally known as... more
The study analyses the ideologically motivated interventions in the
organization of historical research conducted at the Faculty of Arts of
Comenius University in Bratislava during the 1950s. This process,
generally known as “Sovietization”, was determined by two ideologically
motivated purges, in 1950–1951 and 1957–1958, both organized by the
Communist regime. The example of the newly created departments of
historical research demonstrates the communist efforts to remodel the
Faculty of Arts into an “ideological institution” producing “cadres of
staunch propagators od Marxism-Leninism”. The study also shows the
reactions of both the old professors and the newly hired Marxist
historians on the Sovietization process at Comenius University.
organization of historical research conducted at the Faculty of Arts of
Comenius University in Bratislava during the 1950s. This process,
generally known as “Sovietization”, was determined by two ideologically
motivated purges, in 1950–1951 and 1957–1958, both organized by the
Communist regime. The example of the newly created departments of
historical research demonstrates the communist efforts to remodel the
Faculty of Arts into an “ideological institution” producing “cadres of
staunch propagators od Marxism-Leninism”. The study also shows the
reactions of both the old professors and the newly hired Marxist
historians on the Sovietization process at Comenius University.
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Paper for the conference: Eine Gesellschaft im Umbruch: Der Prager Frühling und seine Akteure. Organized by: Collegium Carolinum.
Bad Wiessee, 26. – 29. 10. 2017.
Bad Wiessee, 26. – 29. 10. 2017.
