In sickness and in health: ‘dissonant’ history, heritage, and tourism in the Czech spa town of Jáchymov

This article considers the small Czech spa town of Jáchymov as an example highlighting dissonance in heritage, tourism, and memory politics. The article begins by reviewing the complex and turbulent history of Jáchymov, a town that was ‘shaped by uranium’ during the twentieth century. Initially, the presence of naturally radon-infused springs enabled Jáchymov to develop into a popular and prosperous spa town, known for its healing waters. However, following the Second World War and the rise of Communism, Jáchymov became notorious as the site of several brutal forced labour camps, where prisoners were used to mine uranium on an industrial scale. This article goes on to consider how Jáchymov’s reputation as a place of wellness and healing both conflicts and intersects with the darker legacy of human suffering and trauma inflicted upon the region. In recent years, efforts to revive spa culture and health tourism in Jáchymov have been challenged by attempts to memorialise the communist-era forced labour camps and the growth in dark tourism this has engendered.