The Skeletons in Family Political Closets: Narratives of Communism in Czech and German Families

This article examines political narratives about contemporary history in Central Europe. It focuses on generational memory transmission and the shaping of secondhand memories of late Socialism. Based on 60 qualitative interviews with university students in Czech and German contexts, the article explores communication strategies related to recent history during political socialization. The study reveals heterogeneous narratives shaped by parenting styles, openness, and trust. The main contribution is a typology of family political narratives: power-free discourse, discourse of avoidance, and discourse of ignorance. This model extends existing frameworks by linking family memory transmission, primary political socialization, and political behavior in post-socialist contexts.