In March, our team had the pleasure of hosting Mgr. Tereza Juhászová, a PhD candidate at Charles University in Prague and the University of Regensburg, to discuss her ongoing research on the microhistory of the East Slovak small town of Medzev in the 20th century within our internal seminar.

Working with archival materials, oral history interviews, and contemporary press, Tereza explores the dynamics and relationships within a local multinational community affected by World War II in her PhD thesis. In doing so, she challenges the narrative that emphasizes the importance of national categories defined by the Czechoslovak state. On the contrary, Tereza, from her bottom-up perspective, highlights the agency of individuals at the local level navigating new political and social conditions.

Since the population of Medzev was predominantly German until the end of World War II, our researchers were particularly interested in Tereza’s research on the post-war realities in the town. This was evident from the extensive discussion following her presentation. We wish Tereza a successful defense of her thesis and look forward to potential future collaboration.