Central Europe Yearbook

“A Leap into the Unknown”

The Creation and International Reception of a Website on the History of the Prague Spring

Fabian Riesinger

M.A., Eastern European Studies, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and the University of Regensburg

Verena Hesse

M.A., East European Studies, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and University of Regensburg

Keywords: Prague Spring, digital humanities

---

Abstract

This article provides insights into the creation of a website analyzing the responses to the Prague Spring designed by the students of East European Studies at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and the University of Regensburg. This collaborative project, entitled “Sprung ins Ungewisse: Der Prager Frühling im Spiegel der internationalen Presse” (A Leap into the Unknown: The Prague Spring as Reflected in the International Press), emphasizes the innovative nature of the Prague Spring and sheds light on international responses to it. This article provides an overview of the project and focuses in particular on three case studies from the website: Hungary, Italy, and the Czech exile press in the United States. It also charts the background and evolution of the project, the challenges and discoveries encountered by the students, and its international reception.