Is there such a thing as a socialist night? And if so, what characterises it? What does it look like, what meanings are attached to it, who inhabits it, and what activities take place within it? In answering these questions, this book takes the reader on a journey through the mental world of post-war Czechoslovak society, the glamour and misery of Czechoslovak cities at night, and the lives and activities of various social groups for whom the night formed a natural environment. This is the first book to apply the insights of the field of night studies to the study of state socialism, uncovering often unexpected connections that emerge when the night is placed at the centre of analysis. At the same time, it raises the important question of what was actually “socialist” about the socialist night?

Lucie Dusková is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of History at Charles University. Her research brings together aspects of social and labour history in conversation with popular culture and economic history. Her current research focuses on conceptualising decent work in post-war Europe from a transnational perspective.

About the Author
Foreword
Introduction
PART 1: SYMBOLISM OF THE NIGHT IN POST-WAR CZECHOSLOVAKIA
Chapter 1: Night, Darkness and War
Chapter 2: Socialism as Light
PART 2: IMPERATIVES OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 3: Vigilance
Chapter 4: Working Night Shifts
PART 3: LIGHTS IN THE NIGHT SPACE
Chapter 5: Street Lighting
Chapter 6: Neon Lighting
Chapter 7: Lights of Socialist Festivities
PART 4: LIVING IN THE NIGHT
Chapter 8: Having fun
Chapter 9: Wandering through the Night, Transgressing Rules
Conclusion: A Socialist Night?
Abbreviations
Bibliography
Index