Prague as a Cold War City and its Global Entanglements

The international workshop Prague as a Cold War City and its Global Entanglements, organised by the Institute of History of the CAS and the Institute of Contemporary History of the CAS, will take place on 23 and 24 September 2025 in Prague. 

Call for Papers

During the Cold War, the capital of Czechoslovakia, this "bridge between the East and the West", was not merely a passive recipient of geopolitical shifts stemming from the superpower rivalry that emerged after 1945. Rather, this metropolis underwent multidimensional transformations while actively engaging in these changes and asserting its own agency in shaping Cold War dynamics. Needless to say, Prague's efforts to advance its own agenda had a lasting impact on European (and global) developments, not only between 1946 and 1989 but also in the post-Cold War era.

This workshop seeks to analyze and contextualize Prague as a Cold War city, examining its global interactions and transnational connections. Did Prague serve as an intermediary between the East, West, and Global South, and to what extent was it influenced by its global Cold War entanglements? How were the city's transnational dimensions shaped by the socio-political transformations following 1989, and what role did these factors play in the Velvet Revolution? These and other questions will be explored during the workshop, which will conclude with a panel discussion focusing on the topic of post-WWII Prague.

By comparing domestic and international perspectives and fostering interdisciplinary dialogue, this workshop aims to offer deeper insights into Prague's historical trajectory. Such an approach should not only enhance our understanding of the city's past but also shed light on contemporary challenges facing Prague, the Czech Republic, and European society as a whole.

We invite submissions for 20-minute papers across the disciplines that focus on the topic of Prague, its function, role, and position during the Cold War (regardless of the academic position, age, and gender of the participants).

Please submit your abstract (up to 250 words) with a brief bio to praguecoldwar2025@gmail.com by April 30, 2025. Selected applicants will be notified by mid-May 2025.

Organizational Team: PhDr. Maroš Timko, Ph.D.; Mgr. Mikuláš Pešta, Ph.D.