Introduction

The Department of Economic History was founded in 1958 and concentrated its research efforts on the history of the national economy, the economic development of the world, the major capitalist countries, and the economic development of the socialist and developing countries. Through 1989, the Department held a special position because it was the only center in Czechoslovakia focusing exclusively on economic history. The “founding generation” included Rudolf Olšovský, Pavel Eisler, Hana Gebauerová, Zora Urbanová and now professor emeritus Václav Průcha. After November 1989, the Department was led by Václav Průcha and Daniel Váňa, and František Stellner. Since January 2013, Aleš Skřivan has served as the Chair.

 

Since 2009 the department has provided courses in the Master’s program major “Economic and Political History of the 20th century”. The department has also carried out two Master’s program minors, “Modern Economic History” and new “History of International Relations” accredited in 2012. A new Ph.D. Program Major “Economic and Political History in the 20th Century” has been taught since 2012.

Department members lead doctoral, master’s and bachelor’s theses and teach compulsory and optional courses such as Economic History, Czech Economic  History, Czechoslovak Economic History (1918-1992), History of International Relations to 1945, History of International Relations since 1945, History of the Twentieth Century I and II, Economic and Social History of the Central Europe in the 20th Century, Social History, Economic History of the World in the 20th Century, Economic History of the USA to 1945, Economic History of the USA since 1945, History of the GDR, History of the FRG, Economic and Political History of Totalitarian Regimes, Economic and Political Development of the Far East in the 20thCentury, Economic and Political History of Europe in the 20th Century, History of Financial Categories and Institutions, Origins, Current Issues and the Future of the EU, Great Britain in 20th century, Methodology and Historiography of Modern Economic History. The courses such as History of Latin America after 1945, From Kafka to Havel: Introduction into the History and Culture of Czech Lands, Economic and Political History of Europe in the 20th Century (1918-1991), America from Independence to Financial Crisis: Special Topics in U.S. Economic History, and Chapters in Economic History are taught in foreign languages. See the current list with syllabi here.

 

In their scientific research, the members of the Department specialize in the economic and political history of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic, Central and Eastern Europe, Great Britain, USA, and China in the 20th century. They also focus on issues of history of European Integration, social history of Central Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries and the methodology of economic and social history.

Specialization of  members of the Department:

  • economic, political and social history of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic (Jakubec, Chalupecký, Váňa)
  • economic and political history of Germany in the 19th and 20th centuries (Jakubec, Johnson)
  • economic history of the United States of America in the 20th century (Tajovský, Johnson)
  • economic and political history of Great Britain in the 20th century (Kovář, Brhelová)
  • economic history of Far East, Japan, China in the 20th century (Skřivan)
  • history of international relations in the 19th and 20th centuries (Tóth, Johnson)
  • history of European integration (Kovář)
  • analysis of selected problems of social history in Central Europe during the 19th and 20th centuries (Chalupecký, Dufek)
  • history of transport and travelling, history of science and technology (Jakubec)
  • economic history of the Eastern Bloc countries (Chalupecký)
  • methodology of economic and social history (Tóth)
  • monetary history and history of financial institutions (Chalupecký, Váňa)

The Department participates in  grants and research projects given by the University of Economics (IGA and FIGA, IGS), Grant Agency of the Czech Republic, Ministry of Education, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, JPD3, OPPA, Leonardo da Vinci, Aktion Österreich-Tschechische Republik, research plans and others. The list of these grants and research projects in Czech language is here.

In recent years, there were organized international conferences such as  “Deutsch-Russische Beziehungen. Politische, wirtschaftliche kulturelle Aspekte und von der bis zum frühen Neuzeit 20. Jahrhundert,”  “Die wirtschaftlichen und der politischen Auswirkungen Meilensteine ​​1848-1918-1938-1948-1968,” “Economic, Political and Social Circumstances of Establishment of the Prague University of Economics and Business,“ conferences  “Economic History of the Czech Republic in the early 21st Century,” “5 Years Since Lehman Brothers Fall,” „80 Years Since FDR’s Accession of The U.S. Presidency,“ colloquia “Czechoslovakia and East Germany 1945-1989, similarities – differences – mutual relations,” “On the Selected Aspects of Economic and Political History of the U.S.,” “The Welfare State in the German-British Perspective of the 20thcentury,”  “Colloquium on the History of England (Great Britain) and its Empire from the 16th to 20th Century,” “On the Czechoslovak and World Economic History with the Presentation of the Results of Ministry of Education Grant,” “The Role of State in the German Economy in the 20thCentury,” “Russian-German Relations,” “The Welfare State in the German-British Perspective of the 20th Century,” “Economic History at the Beginning of the 21st Century,” “American-German Economic Relations in the Interwar Period,” “Status of Economic History at Universities,” “Multinationale Reiche im 19.- 20. Jahrhundert,” “Wirtschafts-/politische Geschichte im Mitteleuropas im 20. Jahrhundert, “Deutsch-tschechische und bayerisch-böhmische Erinnerungsorte,“ “Economic and Political Austro-Hungarian Interests in the Far East (China, Japan) from 1900 to 1914,“ “Impact of Political Systems on the Development of Central European Economies after 1945,“ “Changes in High Economic Education in the 1940s and 1950s in Central Europe,“ “History of the University of Eocnomics in Prague at the Turn of 1950s and in the Reform Period of 1960s on the Background of the History of Economic Higher Education in Central Europe,“ “International Economic Relations of Central European Countries in the First Half of the 20th Century,“ “The Role of the State in Crisis Periods in the First Half of the 20th Century.“

 

Selected recent publications (monographs, collective monographs, others) published in the last five years (in the Czech language if not stated otherwise):

  • SKŘIVAN, Aleš, From the Heart of Europe to the Middle Kingdom. Three Historical Eras in the „Chinese Trade” of Czech and Czechoslovak Companies. Hamburg, 2016.
  • VÁŇA, Daniel, Economic and Political Intentions of the first Czechoslovak Governments (1918-1925) against the Background of Adopted Banking Laws. Praha, 2016. (in Czech language)
  • TAJOVSKÝ, Ladislav a kol., Economic and Political Development of the United States and Its Influence on the Development of the World Economy. Praha, 2016. (in Czech language)
  • FABIANKOVÁ, Klára a kol., The Role of the State in Crisis Periods in the First Half of the 20th Century. Praha, 2015. (in Czech language)
  • CHALUPECKÝ, Petr a kol., International Economic Relations of Central European Countries in the First Half of the Twentieth Century.Praha, 2015. (in Czech language)
  • SKŘIVAN, Aleš ml., TÓTH Andrej (eds.), History of the Prague University of Economics and Business I. The Path to the Prague University of Economics and Business. History of Higher Economic Education in Czech Lands in Situational Context in Selected Countries of Central Europe. Praha, 2014. (in Czech language)
  • TÓTH, Andrej, Hungary in the 1920s. „Bethlen’s“ Consolidation of the New State and Czechoslovak-Hungarian Economic-Political Relations. Praha, 2015. (in Czech language)
  • TAJOVSKÝ, Ladislav, Economic Policy of the United States between the World Wars. České Budějovice, 2014. (in Czech language)
  • SKŘIVAN, Aleš, SKŘIVAN, Aleš st., NOVOTNÝ, Lukáš, KOČVAR, Jan, Polite Disinterest. Economic and Political Interests of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the Far East 1900-1914, Praha, 2014. (in Czech language)
  • SZOBI, Pavel a kol., The Impact of Political Systems on the Development of Central European Economies after 1945, Davle, 2014. (in Czech language)
  • TAJOVSKÝ, Ladislav, United States on the Way to the Marshall Plan, České Budějovice, 2013. (in Czech language)

A list of other publications and research studies in peer-reviewed journals and journals with impact factor is available here.

For selected studies of members of the Department of Economic History click here.

 

The department cooperates on projects, grants, conferences, textbooks, primary research, tutoring and Ph.D. theses defense with Czech leading research and education institutions such as Center for Economy and Politics, Prague; Czech-Chinese Company at the Oriental Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Institute of History of the Science Academy of the Czech Republic; Department of History, Faculty of Sciences, Humanities and Education, Technical University of Liberec; Department of International Relations, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University; Liberal Institute; Institute of Historical Sciences, Faculty of Education, University in Hradec Králové; Institute of Economic and Social History, Charles University; Institute for Contemporary History of the Science Academy of the Czech Republic; Institute of Slavonic and East European Studies, Faculty of Arts, Charles University; Institute of World History; Faculty of Arts, Charles University; CEVRO Liberal Conservative Academy; Department of Historical Sciences of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen; Department of International Relations, Metropolitan University Prague.

Reflecting the scientific, pedagogic and study activities of its members, the Department of Economic History has cooperated with a wide range of foreign institutions. International cooperation of the Department includes contacts with many foreign institutions, particularly in Slovakia (for example Historický ústav Slovenské akadémie vied; Ústav vedy a výskumu Univerzita Mateja Bela, Banská Bystrica; Katedra hospodárskej politiky EU v Bratislave), Germany (for example Lehrstuhl für Geschichte der frühen Neuzeit, Universität Bayreuth; Lehrstuhl für Neueste Geschichte, Universität Bayreuth; Osteuropa-Institut, Freie Universität Berlin; Friedrich-Meinecke-Institut der Freien Universität Berlin; Bundesarchiv Berlin; Lehrstuhl für die Geschichte Westeuropas und der transatlantischen Beziehungen, Philosophische Fakultät I, HU Berlin, Historisches Seminar der Universität Hamburg), Austria (Institut für Wirtschafts- und Sozialgeschichte, Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien; Institut für Osteuropäische Geschichte, Universität Wien; Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften), Spain (Universidad Burgos), United Kingdom (The Faculty of Arts and Social Science, Kingston University; University of Cambridge; The National Archives  London-Kew; The British Library London), Slovenia (University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Economics), Hungary (Új- és Jelenkori Egyetemes Történeti Tanszék, Bölcsészettudományi Kar, Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem, Columbia (Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín; Universidad Libre, Bogotá), Argentina (Institutos de Formación FFAA y FFSS, Buenos Aires) and the United States (Arizona State University, School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies; Center Austria at The University of New Orleans; Harvard University).

 

Visiting professors in 2017

Portuguese historian Prof. Dina Sofia des Neves Sebastião (University of Coimbra) will lead from 27.11. to 1.12.2017 a special course 5HD382 Chapters in Economic History: South European Dictatorships and Democratic Transitions – Visions about and towards European Integration – 1945–1985.

Russian historian Doc. PhDr. Michail Kovalev, Ph.D. (Saratovskij gosudarstvennyj techničeskij universitet) will lead from 20.11. to 24.11.2017 a special course 5HD381 Chapters in Economic History: From Khrushchev’s Thaw to Stagnation: USSR from 1953–1985.

Austrian historian Dr. Richard Lein (Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz) led from 24.4. to 28.4.2015 a special course 5HD381 Chapters in Economic History: German War Preparations and War Economy in World War II.

A list of visiting professors visiting in recent years and information about the special courses Chapters in Economic History 5HD381, 5HD382, 5HD383 can be found here.