Archives of the Czech Republic: Modern Development

The purpose of the article is to study the modern development of archives in the Czech Republic. The research methodology is based on a systemic and interdisciplinary approaches, using general scientific (analysis, synthesis, descriptive, classification, generalization) and special (source analysis, content analysis, structural and functional analysis) methods. In order to identify the development trends of the specified problem, a comparative-historical method was used. The scientific novelty of the article lies in expanding ideas about the development of archives in the Czech Republic at the present stage. The evolutionary conjuncture of archival progress is examined through the prism of the experience of organizational, structural, functional and, importantly, architectural and spatial transformations in Czech archives. The conclusions state that the Czech Republic was one of the first among post-Soviet European countries to effectively implement transformations in the archival sphere, which led to the transformation of the post-totalitarian archival system into a modern European model. As one example, the results of the large-scale experience of building archival structures are given, which still remains a special phenomenon and a successful project. The need for more careful attention to this experience is emphasized in order to understand which of its approaches and tools can be used in the post-war model of reconstructive development of the archival sector of Ukraine. The results of the study showed that essential was the renewal of the archival legal framework, formed under the influence of social and institutional reforms that took place after 1989, and which generally corresponds to the pan-European policy in the archival sector. It was also found out that the archival network has undergone changes, the specifics of the organizational structure and the functional specifics of individual subjects of this network (the National Archives, specialized and private archives) were revealed. Institutional accreditation and its role in archives obtaining the right to carry out their activities are considered. References: 1. Doležal, D. (2018). České archivnictví v době od rozdělení Československa (1992–2017) [Czech archival science since the division of Czechoslovakia (1992–2017)]. In Dejiny archívov, archívy dejín. Zborník príspevkov z vedeckej konferencie19. – 20. september 2017 (рр. 196–201). Mojmírovce. Nitra. Retrieved from https://www.minv.sk/swift_data/source/verejna_sprava/ sa_nr_2016/publikacie/ zbornik_dejiny _archivov_vnutro_press_01.pdf [in Czech].2. Doležal, D. (2022). Zákoutí temná v byvším ráji pozemském aneb sedm bran pekelných čili aktuální problémy českého archivnictví [Dark corners in the former earthly paradise or the seven gates of hell or current problems of Czech archival science]. Česká archivní společnost. Retrieved from https://is.gd/lMFHqx [in Czech].3. Drašarová, E. (2014). Akce Chiméra nebo Sisyfos? Počátky prací na přípravě digitálního archivu [Event Chimera or Sisyphus? Beginnings of work on preparing a digital archive]. Paginae historiae, 22(2), 60–73 [in Czech].4. Kantarova, P. & Sladovska, B. (2024). Dějiny a současnost Archivu DIAMO [History and present of the DIAMO Archive]. Podbrdsko, XXXI, 184–201 [in Czech].5. Klajbanová, N. (2023). Metody sbírání a uchovávání pohyblivého obrazu v České republice [Methods of collecting and preserving moving images in the Czech Republic]. Retrieved from https://is.muni.cz/th/phos4/Klajbanova_Nela_Diplomova_prace.pdf [in Czech].6. (2025). Koncepce digitální transformace Národního archivu 2025–2030 [Concept of the digital transformation of the National Archives 2025–2030]. Národní archiv. Retrieved from https://www.nacr.cz/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/KoncepceNA-2025-2030.pdf [in Czech].7. Koncepce rozvoje archivnictví v České republice na léta 2018 až 2025 s výhledem do roku 2035 [Concept for the development of archival science in the Czech Republic for the years 2018 to 2025 with a view to 2035]. Retrieved from https://mv.gov.cz/clanek/koncepce-rozvoje-archivnictvi.aspx [in Czech].8. Opěla, V. & Wanner, M. (2012). New buildings of the National Film Archives in Prague. Atlanti, 22(1), 117–131 [in English].9. (2025). Projev ředitele odboru archivní správy a spisové služby MV Daniela Doležala na valné hromadě ČAS [Speech by Daniel Doležal, Director of the Department of Archival Administration and Records Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, at the ČAS General Meeting]. Česká archivní společnost. Retrieved from https://cesarch.cz/aktuality/projev-reditele-odboru-archivni-spravy-a-spisove-sluzby-mv-daniela-dolezala-na-valne-hromade-cas-2/ [in Czech].10. Severa, M. (Ed.) (2024). Projev ředitele odboru archivní správy a spisové služby MV Daniela Doležala na valné hromadě ČAS [Speech by Daniel Doležal, Director of the Department of Archival Administration and Records Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, at the ČAS General Meeting]. Česká archivní společnost. Retrieved from https://cesarch.cz/aktuality/projev-reditele-odboru-archivni-spravy-a-spisove-sluzby-mv-daniela-dolezala-na-valne-hromade-cas/ [in Czech].11. Štěpánová, T. Architektura archivu. Fenomén výstavby archivních budov v devadesátých letech 20. Století [Archive architecture. The phenomenon of the construction of archive buildings in the 1990s.]. Retrieved from https://www.umprum.cz/ data/archive/202306/srldk1vprf_Tereza-Stepanova-Architektura-archivu-staz-KTDU.pdf [in Czech].12. Štouračová, J. (2013). Archivnictví. Brno : Masarykova univerzita [Archival Science. Brno : Masaryk University]. Retrieved from https://eknizky.sk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Archivnictvi.pdf [in Czech].13. Ryantová, M. (2015). Archive Buildings in the Czech Republic After 1990: the «Czech Archival Wonder» and the Present Situation. Atlanti, 25(2), 53–60 [in English]. https://doi.org/10.33700/2670-451X.25.2.53-60(2015)14. Ryantová, M. (2020). Archives and the digital age in the Czech Republic. Atlanti, 30(2), 55–66 [in English].15. Ryantová, M. (2018). Private Archives in the Czech Republic. Atlanti, 28(1), 39–49 [in English]. https://doi.org/10.33700/2670-451X.28.1.39-49(2018)16. Vojáček, M. (2023–2024). Rozvojový rámec výzkumné organizace na léta 2024–2028 [Development framework of the research organization for the years 2024–2028]. Praha : Národní archiv. Retrieved from https://www.nacr.cz/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/NA_rozvojovy-ramec_2024_2028_def.pdf [in Czech].17. Vojáček, M. & Kunt, M. (2019). Stav a perspektivy digitálního archivnictví v ČR [Status and prospects of digital archiving in the Czech Republic]. Paginae historiae, 27(1), 758–771 [in Czech].18. Wanner, M. & Prokopová, J. (2024). Archives accreditation process in the Czech Republic [Archives accreditation process in the Czech Republic]. ACADEMIA. Retrieved from https://is.gd/8zy4SY [in Czech].

Publication Details

Journal
Archivi Ukraїni
Published
2025-07-24
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https://doi.org/10.47315/archives2025.343.089
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Education, Psychology, and Social Research
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Archives of the Czech Republic: Modern Development

Archivi Ukraїni
Education, Psychology, and Social Research
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Archives of the Czech Republic: Modern Development

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Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study the modern development of archives in the Czech Republic. The research methodology is based on a systemic and interdisciplinary approaches, using general scientific (analysis, synthesis, descriptive, classification, generalization) and special (source analysis, content analysis, structural and functional analysis) methods. In order to identify the development trends of the specified problem, a comparative-historical method was used. The scientific novelty of the article lies in expanding ideas about the development of archives in the Czech Republic at the present stage. The evolutionary conjuncture of archival progress is examined through the prism of the experience of organizational, structural, functional and, importantly, architectural and spatial transformations in Czech archives. The conclusions state that the Czech Republic was one of the first among post-Soviet European countries to effectively implement transformations in the archival sphere, which led to the transformation of the post-totalitarian archival system into a modern European model. As one example, the results of the large-scale experience of building archival structures are given, which still remains a special phenomenon and a successful project. The need for more careful attention to this experience is emphasized in order to understand which of its approaches and tools can be used in the post-war model of reconstructive development of the archival sector of Ukraine. The results of the study showed that essential was the renewal of the archival legal framework, formed under the influence of social and institutional reforms that took place after 1989, and which generally corresponds to the pan-European policy in the archival sector. It was also found out that the archival network has undergone changes, the specifics of the organizational structure and the functional specifics of individual subjects of this network (the National Archives, specialized and private archives) were revealed. Institutional accreditation and its role in archives obtaining the right to carry out their activities are considered. References: 1. Doležal, D. (2018). České archivnictví v době od rozdělení Československa (1992–2017) [Czech archival science since the division of Czechoslovakia (1992–2017)]. In Dejiny archívov, archívy dejín. Zborník príspevkov z vedeckej konferencie19. – 20. september 2017 (рр. 196–201). Mojmírovce. Nitra. Retrieved from https://www.minv.sk/swift_data/source/verejna_sprava/ sa_nr_2016/publikacie/ zbornik_dejiny _archivov_vnutro_press_01.pdf [in Czech].2. Doležal, D. (2022). Zákoutí temná v byvším ráji pozemském aneb sedm bran pekelných čili aktuální problémy českého archivnictví [Dark corners in the former earthly paradise or the seven gates of hell or current problems of Czech archival science]. Česká archivní společnost. Retrieved from https://is.gd/lMFHqx [in Czech].3. Drašarová, E. (2014). Akce Chiméra nebo Sisyfos? Počátky prací na přípravě digitálního archivu [Event Chimera or Sisyphus? Beginnings of work on preparing a digital archive]. Paginae historiae, 22(2), 60–73 [in Czech].4. Kantarova, P. & Sladovska, B. (2024). Dějiny a současnost Archivu DIAMO [History and present of the DIAMO Archive]. Podbrdsko, XXXI, 184–201 [in Czech].5. Klajbanová, N. (2023). Metody sbírání a uchovávání pohyblivého obrazu v České republice [Methods of collecting and preserving moving images in the Czech Republic]. Retrieved from https://is.muni.cz/th/phos4/Klajbanova_Nela_Diplomova_prace.pdf [in Czech].6. (2025). Koncepce digitální transformace Národního archivu 2025–2030 [Concept of the digital transformation of the National Archives 2025–2030]. Národní archiv. Retrieved from https://www.nacr.cz/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/KoncepceNA-2025-2030.pdf [in Czech].7. Koncepce rozvoje archivnictví v České republice na léta 2018 až 2025 s výhledem do roku 2035 [Concept for the development of archival science in the Czech Republic for the years 2018 to 2025 with a view to 2035]. Retrieved from https://mv.gov.cz/clanek/koncepce-rozvoje-archivnictvi.aspx [in Czech].8. Opěla, V. & Wanner, M. (2012). New buildings of the National Film Archives in Prague. Atlanti, 22(1), 117–131 [in English].9. (2025). Projev ředitele odboru archivní správy a spisové služby MV Daniela Doležala na valné hromadě ČAS [Speech by Daniel Doležal, Director of the Department of Archival Administration and Records Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, at the ČAS General Meeting]. Česká archivní společnost. Retrieved from https://cesarch.cz/aktuality/projev-reditele-odboru-archivni-spravy-a-spisove-sluzby-mv-daniela-dolezala-na-valne-hromade-cas-2/ [in Czech].10. Severa, M. (Ed.) (2024). Projev ředitele odboru archivní správy a spisové služby MV Daniela Doležala na valné hromadě ČAS [Speech by Daniel Doležal, Director of the Department of Archival Administration and Records Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, at the ČAS General Meeting]. Česká archivní společnost. Retrieved from https://cesarch.cz/aktuality/projev-reditele-odboru-archivni-spravy-a-spisove-sluzby-mv-daniela-dolezala-na-valne-hromade-cas/ [in Czech].11. Štěpánová, T. Architektura archivu. Fenomén výstavby archivních budov v devadesátých letech 20. Století [Archive architecture. The phenomenon of the construction of archive buildings in the 1990s.]. Retrieved from https://www.umprum.cz/ data/archive/202306/srldk1vprf_Tereza-Stepanova-Architektura-archivu-staz-KTDU.pdf [in Czech].12. Štouračová, J. (2013). Archivnictví. Brno : Masarykova univerzita [Archival Science. Brno : Masaryk University]. Retrieved from https://eknizky.sk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Archivnictvi.pdf [in Czech].13. Ryantová, M. (2015). Archive Buildings in the Czech Republic After 1990: the «Czech Archival Wonder» and the Present Situation. Atlanti, 25(2), 53–60 [in English]. https://doi.org/10.33700/2670-451X.25.2.53-60(2015)14. Ryantová, M. (2020). Archives and the digital age in the Czech Republic. Atlanti, 30(2), 55–66 [in English].15. Ryantová, M. (2018). Private Archives in the Czech Republic. Atlanti, 28(1), 39–49 [in English]. https://doi.org/10.33700/2670-451X.28.1.39-49(2018)16. Vojáček, M. (2023–2024). Rozvojový rámec výzkumné organizace na léta 2024–2028 [Development framework of the research organization for the years 2024–2028]. Praha : Národní archiv. Retrieved from https://www.nacr.cz/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/NA_rozvojovy-ramec_2024_2028_def.pdf [in Czech].17. Vojáček, M. & Kunt, M. (2019). Stav a perspektivy digitálního archivnictví v ČR [Status and prospects of digital archiving in the Czech Republic]. Paginae historiae, 27(1), 758–771 [in Czech].18. Wanner, M. & Prokopová, J. (2024). Archives accreditation process in the Czech Republic [Archives accreditation process in the Czech Republic]. ACADEMIA. Retrieved from https://is.gd/8zy4SY [in Czech].

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