"By uncovering our faults we manifest our strength." Changes in the world of meaning of local party elites in the year 1956 as illustrated by regions of Šumperk and Zábřeh
Abstract
The paper looks into the process of strengthening stabilization of power ties and repeated increase in legitimacy of the power position of Communist Party of Czechoslovakia using the example of regional communist elites in the districts of Šumperk and Zábřeh. It introduces gradual shifts in concepts and thinking of local actors in the wake of discourses connected with the social turmoil entailed by the disclosure of Stalin's personality cult, within which the utopian effort to reach the communist social ideal was gradually replaced by the promise of building of a socialist society widely accepted by the public.
Incremental restoration of repressive practices in the year 1957 and 1958 was allowed by social acceptance of the concept of the communist party as the guarantor of social stability. Within the process, the borderlands had a specific position as communists were strongly accepted there as a guarantee of immutability of the post-war situation - connected primarily with forced displacement of the German population.