Abstract
From 1948 to 1989, former Czechoslovakia was ruled by the Communist Party. During these times, thousands of people faced political persecution.
One of the most systematic was the so-called Operation 'Asanace' (meaning 'sanitation') that took place between 1977 and 1984. Its goal was to expel more than 280 activists and critics of the regime from Czechoslovakia using psychological and physical terror.
This specific group of people and their families faced numerous traumatic events, experienced prolonged stress and fear, then were forcefully uprooted, deprived of citizenship and the right to return to Czechoslovakia. Similar events are referred to as historical trauma, which can manifest itself in transgenerational transmission.
In Czechia, the focus has been on trauma associated with Holocaust and traumatization associated with communist totality has been overlooked. A case report of a three-generation family affected by Operation 'Asanace' will be presented.
The first generation was forced to emigrate in 1981 to Austria; their children and grandchildren were born and raised there. Although experiencing traumatic expulsion, a high level of adaptability to the new circumstances was needed.
Thus, this study focuses on the trauma transition and intergenerational differences in post-traumatic growth and resilience using in-depth interviews and questionnaires.