Photo: e-Sbírky, National Museum, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED
Jacob Mikanowski is a historian, author, and journalist who has written the book Goodbye, Eastern Europe: An Intimate History of a Divided Land. A Czech translation of the book has been published in early 2025. Mikanowski takes us through Czechoslovakia’s uniquely complex but, at the same time, intriguing history. From its diverse ethnic roots at the time of its founding to Alexander Dubček’s “socialism with a human face” and the Velvet Revolution, we look at Czechoslovakia’s trajectory and what remains of it in the political memory of the citizens of the Czech successor state. So, what is the legacy of Communism in the region? Was Václav Havel alone in advocating for a reformed socialism? And is there really something unique about the inherent essence of citizens living in post-Communist Europe?
In Goodbye Eastern Europe, you mix personal reflections with historical analysis.
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Author: Jakub Ferenčík