Všechno bylo nové

This book contains a collection of edited interviews with protagonists in the post-Soviet transformation of the Czech economy, ten men and one woman. It is not only a reflection on the transformation period of the 1990s itself, but also an interesting example of the intertwining of major historical events and personal career trajectories. The interviews capture a wide range of experiences, from the highest, decision-making level (the National Property Fund, ministries) to the reflections of participants in the privatisation process and the ‘transforming’ managers of formerly socialist enterprises, as well as new entrepreneurs who seized the opportunity to become owners and founders of companies. The testimonies of the participants are complemented by a methodological essay and an interpretative chapter that traces some of the strategies of ‘coming to terms with the past’, showing how the narrators maintain a symbolic distance from the negative phenomena accompanying today’s general awareness of transformation and privatisation.