Oral History Projects
Recording Voices & Documenting Memories of Czech & Slovak Americans
This two-phase project recorded more than 300 interviews between 2009 and 2013 of Czechs and Slovaks who left their homeland during the Cold War and settled in New York City, Washington, D.C., Cleveland, Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area. During the second phase of the project, the NCSML recorded the stories of immigrants who came to the United States after the fall of communism in 1989 as well. On the project’s site you can read biographies of Czechs and Slovaks who began a new life in the United States, watch video clips from their interviews, and view photos and other archival materials they shared with us.
Both phases of the project were made possible by grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Formats include digital tapes and .wmv files stored on hard drives.
Recording Voices & Documenting Memories of Czech & Slovak Americans
Czechs in Cedar Rapids
These interviews, recorded by the Czech Fine Arts Foundation from 1981 to 1986, consists of 28 interviews totaling 32 tapes.
Formats include VHS and digital tapes. Transcripts for some interviews may be available.
Investigating Iowa’s Czech Heritage
These interviews were recorded in eight different communities in Iowa in 2007 and 2008.
This project was made possible by a grant from the Historical Resource Development Program (HRDP), administered by the State Historical Society of Iowa.
Formats include digital tapes and DVDs. Transcripts for some interviews may be available.
Access
Full length interviews are available for research and viewing; however, advance notice is preferred so that library staff can convert them to a viewable format. For more information about these collections, contact the NCSML library staff at library@ncsml.org.