Photo: Memory of Nations’ archive
Explore remarkable personal stories about survival, hope, and new beginnings shared by Czech immigrants who lived through World War II. Journalist Julie Urbisova collected these accounts as part of her work for Pamet naroda (Memory of Nations), one of Europe’s largest oral history projects. Since 2008, it has provided open access to firsthand testimonies from those who endured Nazism and Communism, ensuring that history’s darkest times are never forgotten.
Following the presentation, Julie will hold a live conversation with several Czech-Americans who lived during the war.
Free and open to the public. Suggested donation $15. Seats are limited, on first-come first-served basis. RSVP through Eventbrite.
Note: the program will be preceded by a 6 pm talk on artistic responses to World War II by Professor Cynthia Paces from the College of NJ.
About
JULIE URBISOVA is a Czech-born journalist who studied Journalism and Ethnology at Charles University in Prague. Growing up near Ostrava in the Hlučínsko region, which was part of Germany until 1920, Julie developed a deep interest in people’s stories. She was affected by war memories in her village, where all the men, including her grandfather, were forced to enlist in the German Wehrmacht armed forces during WWII. In 2007, Julie moved to New Orleans to continue her studies at the University of New Orleans and has since settled there with her Turkish husband and two daughters. She is the author of Doma v Nola (At Home in Nola), a book about New Orleans’ history and culture based on her stories for Czech radio. She also hosts the podcast Doma ve Statech (At Home in the States). Since 2021, Julie has collaborated with Memory of Nations, traveling across the U.S. to interview Czechs and preserve their stories.
This event is organized by the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences, New York Chapter, (SVU) in collaboration with the Czech Center New York, with support of the Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association (BBLA).