alternative forms of education
alternative lifestyles and resistance of the everydays
avant-garde, neo-avant-garde
censorship
conscientious objectors critical science
democratic opposition
emigration/exile environmental protection
ethnic movements
film
fine arts folk culture
human rights movements
independent journalism
literature and literary criticism media arts
minority movements music national movements party dissidents
peace movements philosophical/theoretical movements
popular culture
religious activism
samizdat and tamizdat
scientific criticism social movements
student movement surveillance
survivors of persecutions under authoritarian/totalitarian regimes
theatre and performing arts
underground culture
visual arts
women's movement
youth culture
applied arts objects
artifacts
cartoons & caricatures
clothing equipment
film
furniture
graphics grey literature
legal and/or financial documentation manuscripts memorabilia
music recordings
other other artworks
paintings
photos publications
sculptures video recordings voice recordings
The collection of Society for Queer Memory represents a unique set of daily needs items, printed materials, private funds and oral testimonies capturing the history, memory and everydayness of LGBT/queer people living in Czech milieu. The oldest members of the community are perceived as bearers of a specific historical memory based on their experience of the second half of the 20th century, when they were criminalized and subjected to repression by the state. Thus, the collection focuses also on defensive strategies of “dual life” of this particular social group, both official and private.
The collection contains a great variety of documents that belonged to the historian and politician Sándor Varga. The majority of these documents are from the time when Varga was secretary of CSEMADOK (1968-1970), and they provide unique insight into the activities of this organisation. The collection also contains some documents that are related to the Hungarian youth organisation in Czechoslovakia. This organisation was an important platform for allowing young Hungarians in the country to make their voices heard. Through it, they organised workshops, discussions about the problems of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia, and also discussions about the general political situation (including The Prague Spring and the following events). Despite its short existence, CSEMADOK had a crucial role in the youth movement, and this underscores the significance of this collection.