Authors

Jana Kynkorová ¹;  ¹ Charles University, Czechia

Discussion

The First World War instigated profound disruption and transformation across Central Europe, culminating in the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the emergence of new states, including Czechoslovakia. While the newly established republic sought to distinguish itself from its imperial predecessor, a range of continuities remained entrenched in its institutional structures, legal frameworks, and cultural narratives.
Despite Czechoslovakia’s multiethnic fabric, the republic predominantly presented itself as a national state for Czechs and Slovaks, with the Czech national narrative—largely articulated in the 19th century—occupying a central role. I will explore the persistence of this national narrative through the experiences and representations of Czech university students. Initially regarded as the embodiment of the nation’s future, the post-1918 perception of these students shifted, reframing them as symbols of the new state's aspirations while simultaneously anchoring them in the national past.
The establishment of numerous dormitories for these students provided important spaces for the discussion and interpretation of national narratives. Within these communal environments, students engaged in dialogues with one another and with representatives of state institutions. These interactions encapsulated collective hopes and aspirations, while also incorporating diverse cultural backgrounds and interests. Such an environment within the dormitories facilitated the redefinition of societal roles among students and institutions, enabling them to adopt and reinterpret these narratives in light of the evolving realities of the postwar period.
I will use the theory of social representations to explore how students, particularly through their dormitories, appropriated and reinterpreted national narratives, embedding them in their own processes of identification and using them as tools for self-representation. Drawing on internal dormitory discussions, student memoirs, contemporary songs, and visual materials, I will illuminate these dynamics. A salient example is a surviving mural depicting students alongside national symbols in a form reminiscent of Golgotha, conveying themes of death and resurrection. This mural exemplifies the enduring myth of national rebirth, illustrating how established national narratives persisted and were reshaped to promote a forward-looking vision for the nascent state, while also contributing to the dormitory’s identification within the national narrative.
Ultimately, this case study will elucidate how deeply embedded cultural and national elements can persist and be reconfigured to influence social representations, reflecting continuity even amid significant disruption. This research reveals how cultural narratives helped interpret societal changes after the war, contributing to a nuanced understanding of national identification in early 20th-century Czechoslovakia.