Connecting the Czech Lands & Latin America around 1900
Research Seminar
Short-term and circular mobility from the Czech Lands to Latin America (1880s-1930s). A Case study in Entangled History
Professor Markéta Křižová (Charles University Prague)
Hosted by the Cross Cultural Circa Nineteenth Century Research Centre and the Institute for Transnational & Spatial History (ITSH), School of History
The paper will introduce the phenomenon of short-term transatlantic mobility, on the basis of sources as memoirs, letters and official reports, but also oral histories and family histories. The phenomenon of short-term labor migration offers fascinating insights into the mechanisms of communication in the broader Atlantic region in the period under investigation. The paper investigates cultural and economic interchange as well as the perceptions by the migrants themselves of their place in the world, their “home” and their identity. The movement across the Atlantic certainly left profound marks upon the spiritual and material culture of both the sending as well as receiving countries. Through transmitting skills, experiences, and cultural knowledge, the migrants assisted in the creation of “transnationalism from below” on both sides of the ocean.
Research Seminar Thursday 25 April, 5pm
Venue: Arts Lecture Theatre, University of St Andrews