Czech Heritage Collections

Joseph G. Svoboda, University Archivist, served the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 1968 until his retirement in 1993. One of his most enduring contributions to the University is the creation of the Czech Heritage Collections. Under his guidance, collections relating to Czech immigration, exile, World War II, and the Prague Spring, were gathered from all over the world. An exile himself, Svoboda sought exile newspapers and developed close working relationships with Czech exile journalists in other countries. Of particular interest, Svoboda eventually recorded 65 interviews with Nebraskans of Czech descent. In 2001, the Czechoslovak Society for Arts and Sciences (SVU) honored Svoboda at conference held in Lincoln, Nebraska, for his role in creating the Czech Heritage Collections.

For more information, see Joseph Svoboda.

For more information on the history of Czechs in Nebraska, see the Czech Heritage Project