Abstract
The aim of the paper is to analyze changes in representation and visual identity of Ostrava, a city in the northeast of Czech Republic, which appeared to be necessary after the fall of the Iron curtain and the state's transition to capitalism. From the accession of Communism in Czech Republic in 1948, Ostrava was perceived as a laboratory of socialistic society and organization - coal mines, factories and enormous blocks of modular homes in geometrical arrangement were built there.
Ostrava was regarded as an exemplary socialistic city, and as a city of industry and mining, where full-blown time run to modernity and to rightly functional socialistic society. After the Velvet Revolution (1989), factories and mines were closed down, as with the shift to capitalism with influence of foreign capital they appeared to be excessive.
The city thus experienced necessity to break up with its communistic past and to draw a thick line between communistic past and democratic present. It's image has changed - from the city of work it has turned to be the city of relaxation and sport.
This newly acquired identity became promoted in all forms of media communication, especially within the visual discourse. In my research of this phenomenon, I proceeded from content analyses of visual representation of Ostrava in publicity material, illustrated and photographic books, and other printed materials, which present Ostrava from fifties to eighties, and from nineties until the present day.
My conclusions were also grounded on a long-term ethnographic field research of this problematic.