Czech Germans between regional and "sudeten-German" identity. History in Liberec, Frýdlant and Jablonec
Abstract
An important factor for examining the identity of Germans from the Czech lands during the "long 19th century" is the fact that, due to the heterogeneous spreading of settlement, a strong regional co-existence persisted for a long time. The regional geographical publications (so popular in the German-speaking environment) described characteristics of the individual regions quite comprehensively.
The study explores the influence of regional geography on the formation of the common identity of Czech (Czechoslovak) Germans. It focuses on the formation of the historical narrative, which was created by interaction between the academic sphere and regional research.
Attention is paid especially to the development of specific themes, historical stories and auto-stereotypes contained in the local geographical production of the Upper Nisa (horní Ponisí) region.