Abstract
The study critically interprets development of Czech prosaic folkloristics in post-WWII period with emphasis on 1945-1970. Although Czech ethnological research in this period is sometimes characterized by its theoretical, methodological and thematical backwardness compared to the one conducted at the time in the West, at least Czech folklore studies represented an exception.
Czech prosaic folkloristics of the period, following rich and internationally respected local tradition of international comparative research, was able to keep up with international study conducted in the West. This is documented by participation of Czech folklorists on important international projects in the 1950s and the 1960s and reflection of Czech folklore research in publications of international (mostly Western) contemporary folklorists.
Special attention is put on theoretical and methodological participation of Czech folklorists on actual research trends of the period (especially functional structuralism, formalism and semiotic approaches) which show exceptionality and academic quality of Czech prosaic folkloristics at least in context of European ethnological discourse.