Jaroslav Ira is assistant professor of history at the Seminar of General and Comparative History (The Institute of World History, Faculty of Arts, Charles University) since 2016. He studied MA in History and Political Science at Charles University (2005) and completed his PhD in General History at Charles University (2013) with the thesis “Local and National Identity in Historical Monographs on Bohemian, Moravian, and Galician Towns (1860 – 1900)”. He has been involved in several national and international research projects, notably CLIOHRES Network of Excellence (6FP; in 2005-2010) and REACH (Horizon2020; 2017-2020). He currently coordinates Charles University team in the international project TEH21 (Erasmus Strategic Partnership, 2019-2022), and research group on the role of heritage in processes of socio-cultural adaptations within the large-scale project KREAS, funded by Operational Programme (until 2022). He is also departmental coordinator for Erasmus programme. Jaroslav Ira published several chapters and articles and co-edited three volumes related to urban history, identities, memory, and political concepts. His recent publications include co-edited volume Materializing Identities in Socialist and Post-Socialist Cities (Prague, 2017) and article on the genre of urban biographies in journal Urban History (2000). Jaroslav Ira specializes in modern comparative history of Europe with focus on urban history and identities in 19th and early 20th century. His current research focuses on cities and small towns in modern imaginary, discourse on small-towns’ roles, adaptability and creativity in the interwar era, representations and social uses of urban past, heritage in small towns, and functions of local history in the globalizing world.

MAY 2020