ORAL HISTORY V KONCEPTU SOUDOBÝCH DĚJIN A ORAL HISTORY V ČESKÉ REPUBLICE

The oral history could be methodologically shaped and developing freely in the countries of Western Europe and especially in North America after the end of World War II. For political reasons the oral history could not assert itself in Czechoslovakia until 1989. After the fall of the Iron Curtain it began to expand into Eastern Bloc ́s countries including Czechoslovakia. At that time oral history was facing criticism and some kind of demureness from classical historians, who have rejected oral history for many reasons. After more than a quarter of the century the situation has changed. In the Czech Republic oral history has its place between other humanitarian sciences, however the situation is still not comparable with states of Western Europe where oral history has settled already two generations earlier. The contribution provides methodological and historical summaries of oral history. The article discusses a creation of methodology, its development, positive and negative aspects and institution in the Czech Republic. The article is based on a synthesis of available materials and on the author ́s own experience. The aim of it is to make the reader familiar with oral history ́s origin and its development and highlights the challenges that oral historians face. The article presents an evolution of methodology in the Czech Republic and the most important projects.