Celebrating the Czechoslovak atom: from ‘Atoms for Peace’ to Expo 58

0567768 - MÚA 2023 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Šmidrkalová, Michaela
Celebrating the Czechoslovak atom: from ‘Atoms for Peace’ to Expo 58.
Annals of Science. Roč. 80, č. 1 (2023), s. 38-61. ISSN 0003-3790. E-ISSN 1464-505X
Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) LQ300772201
Program: Prémie Lumina quaeruntur
Institutional support: RVO:67985921
Keywords : Czechoslovakia, 1950s * nuclear energy * exhibitions
OECD category: History (history of science and technology to be 6.3, history of specific sciences to be under the respective headings)
Impact factor: 0.3, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://doi.org/10.1080/00033790.2022.2164616

The Czechoslovak-Soviet exhibition ‘Atoms for Peace’ was held in Prague and Bratislava in 1956. This exhibition became a symbol of Czechoslovak-Soviet ‘friendship’ and Soviet influence on the Czechoslovak nuclear programme. At the Brussels World’s Fair in 1958 (Expo 58), one of the most popular Czechoslovak exhibits was the betatron, which would become a symbol of Czechoslovak nuclear pride. The article analyzes the planning, creation and reception of these two exhibitions, as well as the popular image of the Czechoslovak betatron in the Czechoslovak press and literature of that time. It shows how, in Czechoslovakia, the paradigm of Czechoslovak-Soviet friendship and Soviet dominance converged and became entangled with the effort to present Czechoslovakia as an industrially developed country capable of building the nation’s nuclear industry (partly) on its own. One of the results of this entanglement was the betatron – a highly successful and celebrated Czechoslovak nuclear exhibit that captivated both domestic and international audiences.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0339521