Vzkazy domu | Messages Home

Lucie Wittlichová (ed.): Stories of Czechs who went abroad (Emigration and Exile 1848-1989), Praha 2012

The book Messages Home deals with the phenomenon of emigration and exile in modern Czech history, covering the major waves of emigration from 1848 to 1989. The introductory studies represent each historical period, describing the reasons for emigration and living conditions abroad. They also show how different periods viewed expatriates, as well as the oppo-site perspective - how exiles or emigrants viewed their homeland. The main part of the book consists of the stories of 30 Czechs who went abroad in the 19th and 20th centuries. Against the background of individual human lives, we see not only their motives and reasons for leaving, but also social, political, and psychological aspects of the phenomenon of emigration in search of anew home.