The demise of anti-communism and its effects on coming to terms with the communist past in the Czech republic

Abstract

The coming to terms with the communist past was a major challenge in the countries of the Eastern Bloc following the demise of communism 1989/90. The Czech Republic was hereby no exception. The article aims to describe the relation between the use of anti-communism and the failure of coming to terms with the communist past. The focus lies on the description of the gradual decline of anti-communism, with the description of parallel cleavages and divisions in the Czech society, catalysing the turn of events. The main thesis of the paper is that anti-communism in the Czech Republic had failed with the situation unlikely to change in the near future.

1989–1990 metais žlugus komunizmui Čekijos Respublikai, kaip ir kitoms Rytų Europos bloko valstybėms, susitaikymas su komunistine praeitimi tapo didžiuliu iššūkiu. Straipsnyje bandoma atskleisti ryšį tarp antikomunizmo ir nesėkmingo bandymo susitaikyti su komunistine praeitimi. Nagrinėjamas laipsniškas antikomunizmo nykimas ir tuo pat metu vykęs Čekijos visuomenės susiskirstymas. Teigiama, kad antikomunizmas Čekijoje žlugo ir artimiausioje ateityje situacija nežada keistis.