This department deals with the preparation of dictionary and encyclopaedia publications, in print and online, that describe and interpret the history of Czech literature from various perspectives.
The main activity of the department (which was established in May 2010), is ongoing work on a revised and updated Online Dictionary of Post-1945 Czech Literature, which includes entries on writers, literary periodicals, publishers, and other institutions representing the literary life of the country in the period 1945–2000.
The department also focuses on medium-term projects that investigate various under-researched topics of modern literary history, with the aim of strengthening our scholarly understanding of specific issues (the most recent project to date being the publication of Czech Literary Samizdat 1949–1989).
As necessary, the department provides methodological support to lexicographic projects under development in other departments at the ICL, and participates in the preparation of new web applications for literary encyclopaedias. Members of the department are further engaged in individual research on various topics in the field of literary history and theory, taking part in projects led by other departments of the ICL, as well as international collaborations, publishing activities, and pedagogical work at universities.
