ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the uses of cultural memory in Czech-U.S. relations since the Velvet Revolution of 1989. It claims that while efforts to strategically utilize cultural memory helped sustain good Czech-U.S. relations, fresh impetus is needed if cultural memory is to be deployed as one of the significant binding ties between the two countries. This article is based on the theoretical premises connecting international politics and cultural memory, which have been elaborated in greater detail elsewhere. Using diverse sources such as official speeches, media coverage and transcripts from parliamentary debates, it identifies principal instances of efforts to use cultural memory related to Czech-U.S. ties and interprets them in the wider context of bilateral relations between the two countries. Methodologically, the article uses qualitative analysis of documents related to selected key events in U.S.-Czech ties from a specific vantage point of strategic uses of memory in order to provide a frame of reference for the bilateral relationship. By bringing attention to the role that memory plays in the shaping of dominant historical narratives, it expands our understanding of the underlying connections between memory and politics in the specific case study of Czech-U.S. ties. The literature on metaphors and framing is also helpful for the purposes of this project, as expressions of cultural memory are rich with metaphors and provide a specific frame of reference which often has political implications. Even though the Czech context is specific, the problems are nonetheless informative for comparative thinking about the uses of memory in international politics. The conclusions are also relevant for the discussions about the contested narrative and frames related to the United States in the international arena.
