The paper reflects on new methodological approaches in writing Czech literary history – namely, the “new modernism” project supervised by Vladimír Papoušek and the “synoptic-pulsating” approach to 19th century literary history, put into practice by Dalibor Tureček and his team. The two projects are based on different methodologies, but they overlap in certain aspects. They display a self-consciously constructivist approach to writing history, as well as accepting the writers’ historically determined viewpoints. They depict literary history as an open process which is neither linear nor deterministic. Also, they both approach literature in the broader context of culture and the types of discourse that were relevant at the time, while re-evaluating the process of canon creation.