interpretation

This study deals with changes and reversals in Hussite Wars´ interpretations which have been presented by the Slovak historiography since the 1960s until now. The Hussite Wars and their influence have been one of the most important topics of both Czech and Slovak national histories, either based on a nationalistic or class viewpoint. These wars were incorporated in both socialistic and nationalistic narrative.

In the second half of the 20th century a remarkable thing occurred in the area of philosophy of history. Several historians and philosophers of history ceased to discuss at that time popular topics of historical explanation and historical fact and instead they posed new questions focusing on the nature of historical work. They were interested mainly in the language used by historians, i.e. they began to study the rhetorical dimension of their work. The language was no longer considered to be a transparent instrument simply depicting pure historical facts.

Short historical essay from the one of the most innovative and influential Slovak historian is focused on the Slovak historiography. This text has been published at first time in 1997 and provides authors actual remarks toward attempts to canonize strictly nationalistic narrations of political history of Slovakia. He is criticizing the actual attempts to reconstruct history of Slovakia only as a progress to the national and state independency. The text is dealing with themes like "selection" and "interpretation".