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IMPACT OF THE POLITICAL REGIMES ON THE INTERPRETATION OF THE CZECHOSLOVAK COMMUNIST ELITES
Abstract
Comprehension of the Czechoslovak nomenklatura elite in the historical consciousness or in the national memory can be advanced by showing the examples of the impact of the political regimes on the interpretation of the symbolic role of the individual elite members. The contribution draws on those concepts and methodological approaches that have been employed by the number of historians and historical sociologists such as historical consciousness, collective (social) memory and national memory; a major incentive for choice of the individual elite members was several sociological researchers on the Czech elites. The legitimization strategies about the positive impact of the nomenklatura elite and its contributions were launched after the introduction of the communist rule in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and later were criticized by the post-communist historians. On the other hand, the post–communist positive assessment of the members of the former counter-elite radically differed from the former harsh criticism of the dissenters, instigated by the communist propaganda. The thesis about the impact of the political regimes on the interpretation of the Czechoslovak communist elite can be illustrated by (1) the members of the communist political elite such as Rudolf Slansky, Klement Gottwald, Alexander Dubcek and Gustav Husak and by (2) the members of the communist counter-elite such as Vaclav Havel and Petr Pithart.
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