Visiting scholar from Masaryk University in Brno Valéria Bláha shares insights into her work.
What is the focus of your current project?
My dissertation project focuses on state ethnographic and community tourist archives established in the Slovak region from the 1890s to 1945. I explore how these archives functioned as systems for the production of Slovak cultural and natural heritage in anticipation of territorial and political changes in the region, i.e. the shifts from the Habsburg Monarchy (collapsed in 1918) to First Czechoslovakia (1918-1939) and then to the Slovak State (1939-1945). I analyse the dynamics between state, community and private archives and their imagination, as well as the contradictions arising between the archived places and the physical environment.
The project I worked on during my stay at the Department of European Ethnology, funded by the AKTION programme between the Czech Republic and Austria, focuses on the fifth chapter of my thesis, the photo archives of tourist and alpine clubs active in the Slovak region between the 1890s and 1945 that had ties to analogous clubs in Austria, e.g. Naturfreunde. I examined exchanges and international links between clubs and focused specifically on the visual representation of homeland in their publications, guides, leaflets, etc., during the transition from the Habsburg Monarchy to the interwar republics.
Were there any surprises in the course of your research?
Certainly. I was surprised by the vast amount of visual material I encountered. I started collecting photographs from archives soon after beginning my PhD, initially working with just one archive. As my research developed, I found three more archives that were highly relevant. These new sources expanded my material and changed my original research aims by offering new perspectives on my main theme. Over time, my collection grew to several thousand images, making the process both exciting and challenging. I didn’t expect such a rich and diverse range of visual sources. Now, I am working to narrow down the collection and focus on the images most relevant to my research questions.
I faced the same challenge during my stay here. The amount of material I found in archives and libraries has once again reorganised my original chapter structure.
How has your stay at the department of european ethnology in Vienna informed your project?
My time at the Department of Ethnography has been incredibly stimulating for my research in various ways. Coming from an Art History background, it gave me a better understanding of how ethnography evolved as a discipline and the role of photography in ethnographic research, especially within the Central European context. It also deepened my understanding of the historic relationships between interwar Austria and the regions of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, specifically Czechoslovakia, and its successor states. The department’s Fachbibliothek has been a fantastic resource, with extensive literature on photography’s use in ethnographic studies. I also took advantage of the online resources offered by the university, which were immensely helpful.
Beyond the sources themselves, I found my conversations with Professor Färber, Dr Holzer, and other members of the department to be incredibly inspirational. They gave me valuable feedback on my project, suggested key sources and literature, and helped me better understand the Austrian context and ethnographical dimension relevant to my research. Their insights really guided the next steps of my work.
Another important part of my stay was the chance to connect with institutions that collaborate with the department, especially the Volkskundemuseum Wien, where I’ve been doing research visits focused on their photographic collections. Thanks to the AKTION scholarship, my time in Vienna also allowed me to access state and regional archives, libraries, and collections linked to my topic. This has helped me gather valuable material for several chapters of my dissertation.
What comes next?
The next thing for me is to keep working on my thesis and hopefully finish my PhD soon! After that, I would really like to continue this research. As I mentioned earlier, I gathered way more material during my thesis preparation than I could include in a single dissertation, which made me realize the broader potential of the topic. I want to build on this work after graduation and expand it to a wider Central European context. I’m especially interested in exploring comparative perspectives and seeing how similar themes and visual materials appear across different regions and historical periods.
Photo c Valéria Bláha