The Czechs and their View of History

Abstract:

This article aims to provide the first complete overview of the nature and content of the historical consciousness of the Czech population to be based on knowledge gained through tools from quantitative sociological methodology. First there is a snapshot of the population's interest in the history of the Czech Republic as such; then the focus is on general aspects of historical consciousness, particularly people's ideas about the importance of the forces that influence the course of history, and their assessment of the general importance of history. Interpretation of the analysis concludes with evaluations of Czech national history and its various stages and major events. In the final discussion there is a comprehensive interpretation of the empirical knowledge gained, in the context of existing theoretical concepts.