Selected Records from the Czech State Archives, 1938-1945 RG-48.001M
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW Washington, DC 20024-2126 Tel. (202) 479-9717 e-mail: [email protected]
Descriptive summary
Title: Selected Records from the Czech State Archives, 1938-1945
Dates: 1938-1945
Accession number: 1990.320
Creator: Národní archiv v Praze
Extent: 2 microfilm reels
Repository: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives, 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW, Washington, DC 20024-2126
Abstract: [Use description created for “Scope and Content” note, or MARC 520 field. Will be able to use more detailed scope and content note, if needed, in section for that below].
Languages: Czech, German
Administrative Information
Access: Collection is open for use at Museum research facilities. Please contact the Reference Desk with questions about accessing this collection.
Reproduction and use: Publication of documents and duplication of reels for third parties require the written permission of the Czech National Archive. Use for commercial purposes expressly prohibited
Preferred citation: [(Identification of folder and/or reel), Name of collection, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives, Washington, DC]
Acquisition information: In 1990, as a gesture of good will toward the Museum, the Czech State Archives in Prague filmed a series of documents from various state archival institutions in the Czech Republic.
Existence and location of originals: Národní archiv v Praze
Scope and content of collection This collection contains a wide variety of documents relating to the fate of Jews, communists, and other anti-fascist groups in the Czech lands (e.g., underground armed resistance, church groups, etc.). Also included is documentation on pro-Nazi activities by Sudeten Germans prior to the German occupation of Czech lands; implementation of the Munich agreement; preparations for the military occupation of Bohemia and Moravia; internment in Terezín (Theresienstadt) concentration camp; the destruction of synagogues; increasing restrictions on Jews in business and public life; the arrest of Roma and Sinti and the transport of Jews from provinces to Prague; and the confiscation (Aryanization) of Jewish property. The documents date from 1938 to 1945.
System of arrangement Arrangement is thematic.
CONTAINER LIST
Note: An item-level guide to the collection, in Czech, can be found at the end of the second microfilm reel.
Reel 1:
Document number: 1. Police document concerning an attack on the police station in Nejdek on 1938 Sept. 12. A group of about 10 young men, members of the local “Turnverein” participating in a demonstration of approximately 2,500 to 3,000 people, which started marching through the streets right after a rousing speech by Adolf Hitler in Nuremberg, threw large stones in the windows of the police station and tried to break in by force. The group leader was Wolfgang Deimer who fled shortly after the attack to Germany. The group was chased away before they were able to enter the station, but they broke windows in other municipal buildings and threatened several Czech government employees and other citizens. Several participants were temporarily detained and questioned. Hey will be indicted for disturbing the public and damaging public property. In Czech. 16 September, 1938.
2. Arrest of Frant. Schmied, Leopold Fickert, Ant. Haas, Jan Stroher and Gustav Wenk, German residents of small towns around Chodov near Loket and members of the SDP political party. They entered the post office and disconnected the telephone communications and tried to enter the gendarmerie building. They were accompanied by several Nazi Party members from Munich. They used guns against a police detachment. When brought to the police station and searched, several were carrying knives. All admitted their act was pre-medicated, planned and directed against the Czechoslovak Republic. All were arrested and indicted. In Czech. 14 September 1938.
3. Another document describing a public disturbance in another Sudeten German town. The perpetrators were arrested. In Czech. 21 September 1928.
4. Photograph of police officer Jan Koukal, shot to death in Habersbig police station. In Czech. No date.
5. Picture of a page from the Ascher Zeitung with a prominently displayed swastika and an announcement that the day of liberation by Adolf Hitler is near. September 1938.
6. Police report describing demonstration and subsequent strike by factory workers led by members of the Communist Party. The demonstrators and strikers demanded that the country not be partitioned. 22 September 1938.
7. Front page of the Prague daily Narodni Politika announcing that the Czech Government accepted the Anglo-French plan enforced by both governments. The Czech foreign minister Dr. [Kamil] Krofts told the French and British ambassadors that discussions about further developments would begin shortly and that the Czech Government would take all steps necessary to insure the independence and freedom of Czechs under the newly-created conditions. 22 September 1938.
8. Another page of Narodni Politika containing an announcement of general mobilization of the Czech armed forces and reserves and Neville Chamberlain’s statement to newsmen at his hotel that, after long discussions with Adolf Hitler, he is sending the Czech Government the memorandum containing the final position of the German Government on the Sudeten German problem. He added, “We cannot call it a complete disaster.” 24 September 1938.
9. Secret document concerning the presentation to the German Army High Command by Wilhelm von der Heyden-Rynsch of the German Foreign Office demands that should Prague be bombed the area around the castle was to be left intact. Most of the embassies, including that of Switzerland, were located in this area and the Swiss Government would probably represent German interests should a conflict arise. Letter from Woerman saying he had received a message that Gen. Keitel had already spoken with Hitler about this problem who, after talking with Göring, had decided he alone would make the final decision about such a plan. 26 September 1938.
10. An uncaptioned photograph of a group of soldiers with hospital nurses in the background. No date.
11. Article from the front page of Narodni Politika entitled “After the Conference in Munich,” which states that the Czech Government supports the changes in national borders demanded by Germany and that the commander of the Czech Army, Gen. Krejci and members of the Government ask the military and public to keep calm and accept the decisions of the conference. Included are texts of the Munich Agreement and the Agreement on the Implementation of the Munich Agreement. 1 October 1938.
12. Photographs of army units.
13. Photographs of army units.
14. Document from the Office of the Council of Ministers concerning implementation of the Munich Agreement as it relates to different ethnic populations in the country. 3 pages. 7 October 1938.
15. Letter from a regional head of the Sudeten Deutsche Partei (SDP), Marienbad, to party headquarters in Eger complaining that locals working for the Gestapo are arresting people under false pretences, possibly in revenge for having being expelled from or disciplined by the SDP, and asking that the SDP leadership complain directly to the highest military authorities. In German. 7 October 1938.
16. Official declaration to the Sudeten German regions of the Führer’s proclamation dated 1938 Oct. 4, concerning the administration of the Sudeten regions; the High Command of the Army’s proclamation dated 1 October 1938, to the Sudeten Germans; and regulations dated 4 October 1938, valid in the Sudeten regions. In German. 8 October 1938.
17. Photograph of the arrival of German troops and the “enthusiastic welcome” of the population.
18. Letter to the Presidium of the Police in Prague announcing that during the occupation of the town of Jindrichuv Hradec German troops crossed into the Czech part of town. British observers questioned this, and after talks with all concerned the German troops retreated. In Czech.
19. Memorandum concerning the takeover of the German-speaking territories of Moravia and Silesia. The Munich Protocol acknowledges the principles of self-determination of the population of these territories, and decisions should be based on the 1921 and 1930 censuses which determine language areas. 10 October 1938.
20. Telegram from the German military forces to headquarters concerning the prohibition of public gatherings in certain towns and villages.
21. Photographs of a celebration [possibly military or SDP] in towns under German occupation.
22. Secret action report of the Karlsbad Gestapo for 1938 Oct. 24, concerning arrests in Karlsbad, Elbogen, and Neudek; the arrest of some 721 members of the Social Democratic Party, the Communist Party and the Red Militia since 1938 Oct. 4; the search of homes and offices in many towns; the closing of Jewish homes and shops; a suicide attempt by Josef Ebert, a member of the Red Militia in Neudek. In German. 29 October 1938.
23. List of unreliable persons in several towns and villages prepared by the Wustung SDP. In German. October 1938.
24. Copy of letter from the Czech Legation to the Foreign Office in Berlin complaining about objectionable, possibly illegal, conduct of German authorities towards Czech citizens in occupied towns. In German.
25. Report of Karlsbad Gestapo concerning the arrest of 1157 persons in the local Gestapo jurisdiction during the period 3 October 1938 to 7 November 1938; many houses were searched. In German.
26. Handwritten report [incomplete] on orphanages; short note about the murder in Paris of a German diplomat allegedly committed by a Jew; photograph included. In German.
27. Uncaptioned photographs of a building.
28. Uncaptioned photograph of a building.
29. Uncaptioned photograph; German text [illegible]; Czech text signed by Vaclav Polovnak, former secretary of the KSC [Communist Party], certifying that a local communist woman is active in the underground movement.
30. German-language copy of letter from the British Embassy in Berlin signed by George Ogilvie-Forbes, a member of the International Commission established by the Munich Agreement, complaining that in the occupied territories the German authorities are expelling Jews and the Czech authorities are refusing to accept them. As a consequence, the Jews are living in very harsh circumstances in the neutral zone between the Czech- German demarcation line. The Czech Red Cross is temporarily providing them with food and clothing. Expelling them is contrary to the Munich Agreement which states that inhabitants in the occupied territories should have the option to decide where to move and should retain property rights. Report by the town authorities in Mies concerning the destruction by fire of the local synagogue and the looting of synagogue books and furnishings by the local population and Gestapo; similar destruction to synagogues in the area; the arrest and deportation of Jews. Similar report from the Marienbad district office. In German. 27 October 1938.
31. Press release from Czech district offices and police headquarters concerning anti-Jewish rules and regulations; telegram requesting guidance from higher authorities on how to handle refugees. In Czech.
32. Report from Klatovy police headquarters to the local district office concerning a permit issued to two German living in the occupied territories allowing them to continue their studies in Czech schools. The permit was later rescinded on the pretext that one of the students had made an insulting remark about Hitler. The students’ parents were told that as they were of German nationality their children must attend German schools. In Czech. December 1938.
33. Report concerning attacks on Jews, non-Jews and foreigners in several towns newly under German occupation. In German. November 1938.
34. Text of a broadcast by the regional office of the Communist Party in Ceske Budejovice concerning the adoption by [Prime Minister] Beran’s government of fascist ideals which will benefit capitalist and monopolists but will harm small businesses, trades people and workers. Chvalkovsky, the new diplomatic representative at the legation in Berlin, is seen as typical of the new regime. Czechs are asked to fight the development of fascism at home and abroad. In Czech.
35. Proclamation of the Oberlandrat in Brno to the citizens of Moravia. On orders from the Führer, the Oberlandrat is the executive branch of government in Moravia and he is placing the commander of the army in Moravia in charge of law enforcement. The population is expected to cooperate fully. In German and Czech. March 1939.
36. Proclamation of the Tálor District Office addressed to all district departments, schools, public offices, parishes, police stations, etc., stating that the German army will shortly occupy the area and that citizens are asked to refrain from any acts of resistance and to act in accordance with orders issued by the army, including turning in weapons if need be. In Czech. 15 March 1939.
37. Photograph of a synagogue in Olomouc burned by the Nazis on 15 March 1939.
38. The marking of Jewish shops is the first manifestation of racial hatred in Olomouc. March 1939.
39. Front page of the daily Narodni Politika containing the announcement of Hitler’s visit to Prague accompanied by von Ribbentrop, Himmler, Keitel, and other dignitaries; an article about the return of Czech president Hácha to Prague; Hitler’s proclamation to the German people explaining and justifying the occupation of Czechoslovakia; an appeal by the National Committee to the Czech people asking them to keep clam, go to work as usual and refrain from any kind of disturbance; and an article announcing new special security measures in Prague and the closing of all theaters, movies, restaurants, pubs and cafes. 1939 Mar. 16.
40. Notice from Hradec Kralove district office concerning arrests of people suspected of communist activities, including 8 Sudeten German Jews. In Czech. 15 March 1939.
41. Similar notice from another area of Bohemia. Among those arrested were recent Jewish emigrants from the Sudetenland. In Czech. 18 March 1939.
42. Front page of the Prague daily Narodni Politika containing an announcement of the establishment of the Protectorate for the territories of Bohemia and Moravia; a list of 13 articles relating to foreign and domestic affairs in the Protectorate and to its status as part of the German Reich; and an address to the nation by the Protectorate president calling for calm and obedience to all special regulations that might be issued. In Czech. 17 March 1939.
43. Document concerning the confinement in Terezín concentration camp of 15 Czech nationals, 2 Marxist immigrants and 2 Jewish immigrants; and of 21 Czech nationals and 2 Marxist immigrants in Roudnice prison. In Czech. 17 March 1939.
44. Order from Pilsen district office concerning marking with white paint the doors and windows of Jewish-owned shops and offices throughout the district. The cost of doing this is to be paid by Jewish owners. In Czech. 21 March 1939.
45. Report to the Reichskommissar concerning synagogues in various towns in northern Bohemia. Some were badly damaged, some not; most of the birth, wedding and death records had been transferred to town or district offices and remained unharmed. In German. 25 March 1939.
46. Communication from the Special Command for Prague to the Protectorate undersecretary on the new law concerning who is a Jew; intermarriages between Jews and non-Jews; the expelling of Jews from the legal and medical professions; and restrictions on Jews owning land and working in industry or trade. In German. 29 March 1939.
47. Overview of the expected settlement arrangement [expropriation of Jewish-owned property and businesses] in the Marienbad cultural office. Of the 330 enterprises in the district, 101 are Jewish-owned. In German.
48. Proposed governmental regulations on the legal standing of Jews in the Protectorate; on the definition of who is a Jew; and on restrictions against Jews in public office, business, the legal and medical professions, schools, etc. In German. 1 May 1939.
49. News bulletin describing damage to synagogues in Vitkovice and Ostrava and to a Jewish shelter in Marianske Hory during May-June 1939. In Czech.
50. Notice from the district chief in Frydek describing the burning down of the synagogue during the night of 1939 June 5. In Czech. June 1939.
51. Notice from the Ostrava Jewish Craftsmen Union to the police that the Apprentices’ House was burned down. In Czech. 1939 June 27.
52. Notice from police headquarters in Pilsen prohibiting non-Aryans from using public baths not reserved for their use. In German. 1939 July 12.
53. Letter from the district office in Turnov to the Land Office, Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Social Services and Health in Prague concerning a letter sent to the Jewish Religious Office following the issuing of an order by the Office of the Reichsprotektorat that all Jews living in provincial towns are to immediately liquidate their property and prepare to move to Prague. The district office recommends that preparations to move should be made as soon as possible, especially by those Jews able to emigrate; reports that the Turnow Jewish Community, about 100 persons, plans to ask everyone to either quickly liquidate their property and move to Prague or emigrate from the Protectorate; and, in light of the anxiety and panic this order will cause among Jews and non-Jews alike, asks the Jewish Community to only prepare to move and then await further developments. In Czech. 9 August 1939.
54. Notification from police headquarters in Brno that according to rulings from the Ministry of the Interior dated 1939 Aug. 5, Jews are banned from cafés, restaurants, movie houses, concert halls and theaters; are to be segregated from other patients at public hospitals and clinics; can use only specifically named public parks, baths and swimming establishments; can fly only the blue and white Jewish flag; and must mark all Jewish-owned shops, businesses and offices with approved signs. In German and Czech.
55. Jews are allowed to patronize non-Jewish shops only at specific times of the day. In German.
56. Same notification as #54 from police headquarters in Moravska Ostrava. In German and Czech.
57. Protocol of Otto Haas, an interpreter with the Gestapo’s Department II-B (Jewish and religious matters), describing interrogations of Jews, communists and social democrats. Given at the Pilsen district police headquarters. In Czech. 14 April 1947.
58. Report of the Olomouc police headquarters describing incidents of stones being thrown at the Jewish Birth Certificate Office and a Jewish factory owner’s home during the night of 31 August. No suspects were identified. In Czech. 1 September 1939.
59. Uncaptioned photograph of a group of people, several of whom are in uniform, and a police van or ambulance in front of a building.
60. Notice to mayors and police offices in the district of Bergreichenstein [Kasperske Hory] concerning a ban on listening to foreign broadcasts. The enemy fights not only with weapons but with radio-broadcasted lies. Therefore, the Ministry of National Defense is announcing a ban, effective immediately, on listening to all foreign broadcasts; noncompliance with the ban is punishable with imprisonment and seizure of radios. Anyone caught spreading news obtained from foreign broadcasts will be sentenced to death by courts specially set up to deal with such offences. In German. 3 September 1939.
61. Public notice from police headquarters in Ceske Budejovice with the same text as document #54 regarding restrictions on Jews. In Czech and German. 4 September 1939.
62. Document from the prime minister of the Protectorate concerning Czech nationals arrested during 1939 Sept. by Reich authorities. A master list prepared by the Ministry of the Interior based on information and lists received through the month of Sept. will be sent to the prime minister for use in interventions with the Reichsprotektorat on behalf of the arrestees. One list is of 964 arrestees, of whom 114 were released, 1 died in custody and 1 is confined to his apartment; 30 are allegedly Jews. Another list is of 941 arrestees, of whom 72 were released and 869 remained in custody. In Czech.
63. Correspondence from the National Socialist Air Force Corps to the City Construction Office in Krummau requesting that a certificate be issued stating that the former synagogue is now the Office of the National Socialist Air Force Corps and is not to be destroyed. In German. 3 October 1939.
64. Announcement to the Cadaster [Land Register] Office in Krummau stating that pursuant to Order #7 for the Sudeten region dated 1938 Oct. 22, the Israelite Cult Community on Boehmisch Krummau is dissolved. In German. 14 October 1939.
65. Top secret report from the district council in Bergreichenstein to the mayor and police regarding the arrest of Roma. The local authorities are to inform the Roma that they can not remain in their present homes; if they do not leave, they will be sent to a concentration camp. A census of the Roma will be taken listing their name, date and place of birth, present address and nationality. In German. 23 October 1939.
66. Report to the Office of the Protectorate Department for Moravia, regarding transport of Jews from Moravska Ostrava. As planned, 909 Jews were sent away earlier; 400 left yesterday. In German. 28 October 1939.
67. Daily report #145 concerning student demonstrations in Prague. In German. 16 November 1939.
68. Notice to the Czech population by the Reichsprotektorat that due to continuing student demonstrations, Czech universities have been closed for three years, all instigators arrested and several student leaders shot. In German and Czech. 17 November 1939.
69. Notice from Police President Bienert declaring martial law in Prague. Anyone inciting public disobedience will be arrested, tried and sentenced to death. In Czech and German. 18 November 1939.
70. Letter from Landrat of the District and City of Teschen to the district and city mayors that all Jews will be detained by the Gestapo and transported shortly thereafter. The mayors are responsible for carrying out Gestapo orders. The Jews must stay in allocated houses and apartments and be allowed to sell their furniture and arrange for items needed for the transport. In German. 27 November 1939.
71. Notice concerning gravestones in Jewish cemeteries in Austria. It is unlawful to damage in any way the general condition of Jewish cemeteries. Any damage has to be authorized by the relevant ministry in Vienna. In German. 9 December 1939.
72. Letter from the Reichsprotekorat of Bohemia and Moravia to the Office of the Undersecretary stating that additional measures are needed to ensure that Jews are completely eliminated from economic and public positions and replaced with qualified German nationals. There were discussions with the Gestapo, and the Protectorate prime minister was notified. In German. 24 January 1940.
73. Review of Jewish industrial, business, craft and agricultural enterprises giving type, location and stage in liquidation process. In German. 2 January 1940.
74. Notice of the liquidation of all Jewish enterprises, real estate, stocks, bonds, etc. in the Protectorate. All such property has to be reported and registered at the appropriate district or city offices no later than 1940 Mar. 15. In Czech and German.
75. Announcement concerning restrictions on the use of certain public places by Jews and stipulating that public places off-limits to Jews be clearly marked as such. In German. March 1940.
76. Document concerning regulations on German interests in Moravia. In German. March 1940.
77. Document from Teschen, Moravia, concerning the forthcoming transport of Jews to temporary homes to be done with the cooperation of the leaders of the local Jewish communities and in specially designated railway cars. Necessary personal belongings such clothing, bedding, and kitchen utensils may be taken. Only Jews in mixed marriages and their children are exempt from the transport. Local police will oversee the transports and will be temporarily responsible for vacated homes and their contents. The transport should be completed by the end of May. In German. April 1940.
A similar document concerning the transport of the Olomouc Jewish Community. In German. May 1940.
78. Notice that the old Jewish cemetery in Olomouc is to be closed and the land incorporated into the city park. Members of the Jewish Community wishing to remove tombstones must do so before June 30. These tombstones will be transferred to the Jewish part of the city cemetery. In German and Czech. 30 May 1940.
79. Letter from the Brno Gestapo to the Protectorate Department of Moravia in Prague that the camp in Eibenschitz for poor and sick Jews should remain open until further notice. It is supervised by the Gestapo. In German. 31 May 1940.
80. Letter from the Brno Gestapo to the Moravska Ostrava Landsrat stating that all persons, particularly Jews, suspected of being enemies of the Reich will be watched and if found guilty will be treated according to special regulations. If arrested, their property will be confiscated. In German. 30 May 1940.
81. Letter from the Protectorate Department for Moravia to the Minister of the Interior in Prague regarding restrictions on Jews attending sports events. In German. June 1940.
82. Letter from the Reichsprotektorat to the Minister of the Interior concerning restrictions on shopping hours for Jews. In German. 14 June 1940.
83. Notification that according to decree dated 1939 July 4, Jews are banned from participation in public life. They can join only those political, cultural or economic organizations that are specifically identified as Jewish. In Czech and German. June 1940.
84. Memo from the Chief of the Security Police and SD to State Secretary K. H. Frank in Prague regarding the sizeable influence of the intelligentsia in the Czech resistance movement. Most Czech intellectuals hate anything German and following the establishment of the Protectorate were only too willing to join the resistance. The Gestapo is aware of illegal activities and has arrested some 2,000 university professors, attorneys, judges, teachers, and other professionals. In German. 3 July 1940.
85. Notice that Jews must report to the district authorities their address and any changes in their personal property. This applies to visitors and temporary workers as well as to permanent residents. In German and Czech. 29 July 1940.
86. Notice to public and private primary and secondary schools and teachers’ collages in Moravia that beginning in the 1940/1941 school year the acceptance of Jewish student is forbidden. In German and Czech. 15 August 1940.
87. Classified report from State Secretary Karl Hermann Frank concerning the future of Czechs in Bohemia-Moravia. The Czechs are western Slavs and thus a completely different race from the Germanic peoples in the area. Over the centuries Czechs have intermarried with Germans, and German culture has greatly influenced the history of the area. As a result Bohemians are more like Germans than Poles and other Slavic peoples. The establishment of the Protectorate is an important step in the complete integration of this area into the German Reich. The resettlement of the Czechs is impractical; measures for the Germanization of them are outlined. In German. 28 August 1940.
88. Addendum to above classified report addressed to Hans Lammers from Constantin Freiherr von Neurath enclosing a draft of a report on Bohemia-Moravia prepared by State Secretary Karl Hermann Frank and asking him to deliver it to Hitler and arrange a meeting with Hitler to discuss it. The report repeats basically the points made in Document #87. In German. 31 August 1940.
89. Letter to all district offices in Bohemia concerning membership in the District Deputies Corps. According to a 1940 government decree, Jews cannot be members of any public corporation. All Jewish members who have not yet resigned must do so immediately. Other documents specify that all employees must submit race and religion documents for themselves, their parents and grandparents and their spouses. In German and Czech. October 1940.
90. Notification of the Moravska Ostrava district office that because some Jewish residents are traveling to the countryside in search of food or housing, any change of addresses, however temporary, must be reported. Local Jewish community offices can authorize exceptions. In German and Czech. October 1940.
91. Two photographs, one showing several men working on a road and one showing a work unit marching along a road under the supervision of gendarmes.
92. Letter concerning a badly damaged Jewish synagogue. The damage was probably done prior to German occupation. In German.
93. Letter from the Real Property Repair Office in Vienna concerning a Jewish synagogue. In German. January 1941.
94. Letter from Reichsprotector von Neurath to Heinrich Himmler concerning some 800 Czech prisoners who should remain in custody as hostages for the duration of the war. He agrees that some 100-150 prisoners, especially sick and elderly persons, could be released. Imprisoned students could be released in small groups over a period of time so as to teach the general populace that those who cooperate receive better treatment. In German. 6 February 1941.
95. Summary of Oberlandrat reports on assimilation of Czechs outlining the task, basic requirements, present conditions and preparations for assimilation during the war and following victory. In Czech and German. 11 August 1941.
96. Notice from the District Office of Security concerning restrictions on Jews. Effective immediately, Jews are prohibited from walking in city squares and on main streets, from public parks, rivers and ponds, public benches, theaters, weekly markets, riding bicycles and driving cars, patronizing barbers and hairdressers outside of specified times, employing maids, cooks, governesses, etc. under 45 years of age, and subletting to Aryans. Anyone violating the restrictions will be prosecuted and fined or imprisoned. In Czech and German. 11 August 1941.
97. Decree that Jews over the age of 6 may not appear in public without displaying a six- pointed yellow star with black edges and the word “Jew” in black displayed on the left side of the clothing. Jews are not allowed to leave their homes without written permission from the police or to wear honorary medals, orders or badges. Jewish husbands in mixed marriages in which the children are not considered Jews and Jewish wives in childless marriages are exempt from the above restrictions. Jews violating the restrictions will be fined or imprisoned. In German. 1 September 1941.
98. Photograph of Jews wearing the yellow star.
99. Notification distributed to district offices and police headquarters concerning public performances of Jewish music. In German and Czech. 10 September 1941.
Reel 2
Document #
100.-101. Notice from Reinhard Heydrich to all Oberlandrats in Moravia announcing the introduction of martial law beginning 1941 Sept. 27, to safeguard law and order and to prevent sabotage by underground agents. Martial law courts will be established and special judges named to try offenders. Those found guilty will be sentenced to long-term imprisonment or to death by shooting or hanging. The carrying or hiding of all arms, explosives and other munitions is forbidden. In German. 27 September 1941.
102. Verdict of the martial law court in the case of Viktor Frisdel, a Jew, found guilty of disturbing public order and safety and sentenced to death and confiscation of his property; Gestapo investigative report stating that Frisdel had spat upon cartons containing NSDAP propaganda material. In German. 30 September 1941.
103. Announcement of stricter restrictions on Jews in streets and public places and on hours during which Jews could shop or bank. In Czech and German. October 1941.
104. Report concerning food and other supplies “illegally” held in Jewish homes and money, jewelry and other items which Jews should have reported and handed over to authorities. The police searched homes, confiscated these items and distributed them to the German Red Cross and to German grocery stores. A list of confiscated items is included. In German. 1941 Fall.
105. Letter from the NSDAP district office complaining that city employees in Pilsen are giving Jews ration cards. This should be investigated, and the guilty punished. In German. 31 October 1941.
106. Report to State Secretary Karl Hermann Frank and Gestapo officials in Prague and Brno on activities of the Special Court in Prague and Brno during November. Included are the number of pending cases and recommendations that prisoners be sent to a concentration camp to serve their sentences and that death sentences be deferred. In German. 6 November 1941.
107. Letter from local German police concerning Czech city employees issuing extra ration cards for sick Jews. Such illegal activities must be investigated and the guilty parties punished. In German. 29 November 1941.
108. Notice from the district office in Chrudim to all town halls and police stations concerning “Jew-loving” Czechs who openly defy laws governing social relations between Jews and Czechs. Those who continue to maintain cordial relations in public with Jews who are clearly identified as such by their yellow stars should be denounced and punished. In Czech and German. 19 November 1941.
109. Announcement to all galleries, museums and cultural organizations that Jews are not allowed to visit such establishments. A reminder to owners and managers that clearly visible notices to this effect must be displayed at the building or shop entrance. Disregard of these notices or failure to display them is punishable by fines and imprisonment. In German and Czech. November 1941.
110. Poster showing the head of a Jewish man with the names “Baruch” and “Moses” on each side and the statements “All the confidants and closest aides of Roosevelt such as Morgenthau, Lehmann, Frankfurter, Bloom, Cohen and Laguardia are Jews” and “Most of the People’s Commissars of the Soviet Union are Jews! Out of the 503 members of the Government, 406 are Jews!” In German.
111. Letter from the German inspector for German and history studies in Czech schools in Moravia to the Moravian president concerning further closings of Czech high schools. Schools associated with religious denominations, all-girl schools and schools established during the expansion of Czechoslovakia to areas populated by Sudeten Germans will be the first to close. In German. February 1942.
112. Announcement of Jewish religious leaders that the community is organizing assistance for its members in preparing for transport (packing, providing daycare for children, etc.). In Czech and German. January 1942.
113. Announcement of the Reich Ministry of Finance concerning the discontinuing of certain copper German and Austrian coins. Decree of the Reichsprotektor concerning the establishing of closed Jewish settlements. The town of Theresienstadt (Terezín) will be abolished and all residents resettled elsewhere. Municipal records will be moved to Prague. The town will become a closed Jewish settlement. In German. February 1942.
114. Report on the attitudes of Czechs towards the German war effort. They are very restrained in their support, seem pleased at the smallest German setbacks, welcome America’s entry into the war, listen to anti-German radio broadcasts, participate only reluctantly in collections of winter clothing and skis for the German army, do not so far show open sympathy for the Soviet Union but certainly harbor such feelings and make no effort to integrate more closely with the German nation. They must be closely watched and measures taken to change their attitude. Suggested solutions are outlined. In German.
115. Report from Gestapo headquarters in Prague to Reinhard Heydrich, State Secretary K. H. Frank, the Brno Gestapo, criminal police headquarters in Prague and SP [Sicherheits Police] headquarters in Berlin concerning efforts to combat sabotage in 1942 Apr. In German. 6 May 1942.
116. Report from Gestapo headquarters in Prague on the arrest of several leaders of a Marxist organization, Julius Fucik, Viktor and Julius Felber, Heinrich Elbl, Vladimir Vancura and Bozena Lukasova-Pulpanova, as well as Jaroslav Simonedes, Marie Todlova, Oldrich Hamann, Marie Tuckova and Josef Camra. who collaborated in their Czech underground activities. In German. May 1942.
117. Notice from Protectorate Ministry of Interior to all government offices and police concerning the Protectorate-wide state of emergency. All public meetings, sports events and cultural events are forbidden, meetings of government workers and industrial managers are permitted, providing 24-hour advance notice is given to relevant authorities, all public amusements, restaurants, etc. must close by 10:00 pm, and apartment houses must close by 11:00 pm. In German. 28 May 1942.
118. Report (incomplete) concerning a Gestapo officer who ordered the corporal punishment of 73 people in a forest near Klatovy and had some 834 people arrested, tried and executed following the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich. In Czech.
119. Notice to district and city officials in Moravia concerning need to place all police and law enforcement units on alert in the search for the assassins of Reinhard Heydrich. Czech- language version of Document #117. In Czech. 28 May 1942.
120. Notice that the Martial Court in Prague sentenced to death by shooting six persons (names, addresses, ages and occupations listed) who openly approved the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich and appealed to the public to help the perpetrators. In Czech and German.
121. Photograph of a group of men with shovels in front of a large building.
122. Plan showing the destruction of the village of Lidice in 1942. A photograph of a detailed plan from the Czech Ministry of Information concerning the complete annihilation of Lidice. The plan was found in 1945 May in the papers of a German unit captured near Melnik. In Czech and German.
123. Two photographs showing the site of Lidice and the memorial park. . 124. Front page of 1942 June 20 issue of the Prague newspaper Lidove Noviny with a photograph of the church in which Reinhard Heydrich’s assassins hid, an article stating that the shameful perpetrators received just punishment and that all Czechs shared their guilt, a list of 18 people arrested and shot that day and a notice that Protectorate Prime Minister Elias was also shot. In Czech.
125. Notice from the Gestapo of the death by shooting of two Protectorate citizens sentenced by the Martial Court. In Czech and German.
126. Court document explaining the sentencing of defendant Johann Schug. In German.
127. Photograph of dead bodies.
128. Six photographs of destroyed buildings.
129. Confirmation from the Tesdreu district Landrat that a man called Tomica and his family are German nationals. In German.
130. Notice concerning the confiscation of a printing press owned by the Communist Party in Prague which was used to publish illegally the newspaper Rude Pravo and the arrest of all people connected with the illegal printing. In German.
131. Report from Nazi Protectorate officials on the state of emergency during 1942 May and 1942 Aug. - 3,188 arrests, of whom 1,357 were sentenced to death and shot in Prague and Brno; Lidice and Lezaky were completely destroyed, Czech government officials were called to Berlin in an effort to intimidate them; the Protectorate government had to organize informational assemblies for some 1.5 million people and the assassins and their local collaborators were executed. These measures assured order and the undisturbed continuance of armament and agricultural production. However, rumors of an impending invasion near Dieppe and hopes for English and American air strikes continued, especially among intellectuals. Revolution during the coming winter may affect the complete collapse of the Reich, and that growing food shortages in the Protectorate will affect arms production. In German.
132. List of 94 Jews from different areas of the Protectorate who were deported to Terezín concentration camp and thence to Auschwitz and other concentration camps where they perished. Names, dates of birth, birthplaces and occupations are listed, as well as the approximate dates and places they died. List of Jewish residents of Pelhrimov in southeastern Bohemia who were deported 1942 Nov. 13 to an unknown destination; their fates are unknown. This list includes names, dates of birth, birthplaces and occupation. In Czech. 13 September 1946.
133. List of 14 boxes of textiles and shoes shipped from the Protectorate to a warehouse in Köln, Germany. In German. 16 November 1942.
134. Statement that 985 persons (225 men, 348 women and 412 children under the age of 14) from the Roma concentration camp at Hodonin are to be sent to other concentration camps. No names are given. In German. November 1942.
135. List of 69 inmates, some of whom are Jewish, in Auschwitz, Mauthausen and Gross- Rosen concentration camps who died while in “preventive custody.” Names, ages, next- of-kin and, in most cases, causes of death are given. The bodies were cremated and buried. Relatives should be notified and, should they wish to have personal items belonging the deceased, they must pay shipping costs. In German. December 1942.
136. Report from the Troppau Gestapo to the president of the Finance Office in Troppau concerning personal property of enemies of the state and of Jews who had been deported to Terezín concentration camp. As the Jews on the list have been declared enemies of the state their property becomes that of the Reich and as such is to be evaluated by the Finance Office. Their apartments are available immediately. In German. November 1942.
137. Report from the Prague Gestapo to Gestapo headquarters in Berlin and State Secretary Karl Hermann Frank concerning the illegal KPC (Communist Party) in Bohemia. The head of the party, Franz Prokop, who was arrested in 1942 Nov., is mentally ill as a result of injuries incurred during his arrest and is therefore unable to provide information on the party. To gain additional information, party documents must be studied and other party members followed and/or arrested. Since 1942 Nov., 179 KPC members were arrested and 32 others are under investigation. In German. February 1943.
138. Court document concerning Heinrich Siegel, a 54-year-old man from Eger, accused of listening to broadcasts from England and Switzerland on a neighbor’s radio and spreading propaganda from these broadcasts. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison and billed for court costs. As a member of the Communist Party he had previously spent several months in a concentration camp. After his release he opened a shoe repair shop. A half-Jewish friend encouraged him to listen to foreign broadcasts and to spread propaganda from these broadcasts. In German. 1943.
139. Report from Gestapo headquarters in Prague concerning sabotage in several businesses in provincial towns; and the arrests of a Czech woman who had helped several enemies of the Reich and had in her possession Czech underground brochures, of two workers in war-related businesses, of members of the KPC, some of whom were Jewish, of 11 Jews in Prague for carrying fake identification cards, and of 3 other Jews from the Prague suburbs for helping fellow Jews leave the country illegally. In German. April 1943.
140. Report by the commander of the Prague Gestapo to Deputy Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia Kurt Daluege. The state police had to use weapons in the arrest of members of underground organizations resulting in 6 people in Prague and 4 in Moravia being shot. Many Jews used food stamps to buy food on the black market. Jews had managed to leave the country illegally, leaving property valued at more than 600,000 RM with non-Jewish friends. This property was to be secured for the Reich and the guilty persons arrested. An analysis of the Czech resistance movement is included. In German. April 1943.
141. Report from the Gestapo to State Secretary Karl Hermann Frank on the arrest of KPC members in Prague and other cities, the search of KPC offices and removal of documents; the arrest of Catholic priests for listening to foreign broadcasts and spreading propaganda from them; and several Jews could be arrested for having failed to be evacuated or for carrying false identification papers. In German. June 1943.
142. List of 21 people sentenced to death by the State Court in Brno and executed for providing two Czech saboteurs with food and shelter and not reporting them to the authorities. In German and Czech. June 1943.
143. List of 72 Jews from Moravska Ostrava who were transported on 1943 June 29 to an unknown destination. In German. July 1943.
144. Report to the police chiefs of Prague and Brno on the transport of 155 men, 285 women and 327 children from a Roma camp in Hodonin to Auschwitz concentration camp. The transport consisted of 20 cars and 2 freight cars accompanied by 98 policemen, 2 PKP- KD officials from Brno and 1 police medical doctor. Thirty-two people who could not be moved due to illness remained in the camp and would be deported to Auschwitz as soon as they recovered. Twenty-six non-Roma remained in the camp to finish all necessary work. In German. July 1943.
145. Report to Reich security headquarters in Berlin, State Secretary Karl Hermann Frank and chief of the security police and SD in Prague concerning the arrest and shooting of KPC members in Pisek and the seizure of KPC arms and propaganda materials; attacks by communist terrorists on the railroad near Prague and resulting arrests; communist terrorists’ plans to attack high voltage electrical wires; a “whisper propaganda” campaign by Catholic priests; the arrest of nuns for illegal handling of food; the arrest and deportation to concentration camps of Jews trying to avoid evacuation and hiding property with non-Jewish friends; activities of Czech resistance groups; the arrest of 21 members of the resistance and confiscation of weapons; the arrest and deportation to Terezín concentration camp of 100 people accused of sabotaging industrial plants. In German. 1 September 1941.
146. Photograph and biography of Walter Purkart, age 22, from the former Sudetenland. Described as unstable with criminal leanings, he had been arrested several times for minor offences and now was sentenced to death by a special court in Eger for setting fire to a warehouse and destroying all the uniforms therein.
147. Report of railroad sabotage in the vicinity of Prague. Five people were arrested. In German. November 1943.
148. Monthly report of Gestapo headquarters in Prague to State Secretary Karl Hermann Frank concerning Communist Party activities, the Catholic Church and Jews, Czech resistance and sabotage and domestic and foreign agents. In German. 1944 Jan.
149. Report to State Secretary Karl Hermann Frank on the sentencing to death of several Protectorate citizens by the Special Court in Prague. In German. 1944.
150. Proclamation from a Czech partisan organization circulated publicly around the March 15 anniversary of the German occupation. People are urged to form clandestine resistance groups and prepare to restore a free Czechoslovakia at the end of the war. In Czech. 1944.
151.-159. Reports [some illegible] of Gestapo, police, army, etc. on the increase in anti- German activities due largely to the recent Allied invasion. The population is urged to report any suspicious person. Many people have been arrested and sentenced to death. In German. 1944 summer and spring.
160. Announcement from the Labor Office in Budejovice giving specific times when specified women should bring their identification papers and be registered. In German and Czech. September 1944.
161. Report [largely illegible] from the German criminal police in Brno concerning a search for several people suspected of sabotage and of having arms. In German. October 1944.
162. Announcement of death sentences and executions of 3 men apprehended while attempting to cross the border between the Protectorate and Slovakia. In German and Czech. No date.
163. Announcement signed by Karl Hermann Frank that despite warnings of severe punishment, some 30 non-Jewish men and women from Prague, Brno, Pilzen, etc. were influenced by broadcasts from London and Moscow to form so-called “national committees,” provide arms and circulate leaflets urging the peace-loving Czech population to revolt. These traitors were sentenced to death and executed. In German and Czech. 21 October 1944.
164. Telegram to several German offices in Prague and the Gestapo in Brno reporting an encounter with the 1st Czechoslovak Partisan Brigade in northeastern Moravia. Four German soldiers were wounded and transported to a military hospital. Enemy losses were unknown. In German. October 1944.
165. Report concerning four women convicted of sabotage and collaboration with the enemy. Elisabeth Meyer, a German, was sentenced to death; the other three were sentenced to prison. The women had helped Jews, providing shelter, food, false papers, etc. Elisabeth Meyer had also had sexual relations with a Jew, a particularly serious offense for a German. In 1945 Jan. Her death sentence was commuted to 10 years in prison. In German. October 1944.
166. Report concerning groups of bandits in the border areas and local inhabitants who joined them. Captured bandits will be executed and left hanging on the gallows for 48 hours. The local police will guard the gallows and the local residents encouraged to view the bodies. In German. November 1944.
167. Report from SS border units to SS headquarters in Prague on a skirmish with a band of bandits near the Slovak border. Several bandits were shot and 13 were arrested. Eight Germans were killed and 4 were wounded. The band was dispersed and the area occupied by the military. Some members of the local population were frightened; others secretly rejoiced, believing the Red Army would arrive shortly. In German. November 1944.
168. Order #17 to police stations, businesses, etc. in Moravia alerting them to a partisan leaflet which asks for help from the general population, warns of false partisans planted by the Gestapo and urges everyone to remember the guilt of the Germans as the day of retribution nears. In Czech with German translation. November 1944.
169. Report concerning KPC sabotage and propaganda; the hostile attitude of the Catholic Church and arrest of priests involved in underground activities; the arrest of Jews; the arrest and sentencing of members of the Czech underground; the increasing frequency of air attacks and airborne leaflet distributions; and special actions concerning Russian prisoners-of-war. In German. 30 November 1944.
170. Messages, one handwritten on a piece of cloth and probably from a partisan or member of an underground group to his family; one handwritten on paper and probably from a prison or concentration camp inmate to his wife and children. In Czech. No date.
171. Report from a police station in the village of Opava to the political division of the Ministry of the Interior in Prague concerning a death march of some 800 starved, sick and poorly clothed political prisoners evacuated from Auschwitz concentration camp in 1945 Jan. They were guarded by SS and were pulling carts heavily laden with suitcases. Near Opava they were herded into a barn where they stayed 4 days and were then marched back to Opava where they were put on open freight cars. The villagers were not allowed to give them anything to eat or drink. Those unable to walk were shot on the orders of Gerhard Gerlich, a German policeman. Eighteen prisoners were buried in a mass grave in a field near the village shown in sketch #I; 2 other prisoners were buried in a field shown in document #II; and a Frenchman was shot and buried near a creek marked in document #III. The identities of the dead are unknown. The charge department of the Repatriation Section in Prague was informed. Gerlich has disappeared; if found, he is to be arrested. In Czech. 11 September 1945.
172. Report, handwritten, concerning several villagers from Bystrice forced from their homes by the SS. In a nearby field was an internment camp for half-Jews. Transports of Jews often passed through the village going towards Ceske Budejovice. In 1945 Jan. another transport came through. Several people tried to escape but were shot by SS guards. In Czech. No date.
173. Report concerning events in the Benesov area during the last days of the war in 1945 May. The trains passing through carried mostly SS troops. In most of the Czech villages people were armed with hunting rifles and any other weapons they could find. In Czech. No date.
174. Telegram to SS headquarters concerning the situation at the end of 1945 Jan. In German. No date.
175. Report, handwritten, describing transports of political prisoners from Auschwitz. Many died from cold and hunger and were thrown from the trains; angry villagers, unable to prevent such inhumanity and unable to identify the dead, buried them. In Czech. No date.
176. Report, handwritten, describing the death transports during the last months of the war. In Czech. No date.
177. Letter from Germany Army headquarters in the Protectorate to Germany Army Chief of Staff Col. Guderian describing final preparations for a defense against the advancing Soviet, British and American armies. In German. No date.
178. Telegram describing desperate efforts to defend the Protectorate and orders to various German authorities on how to handle worsening conditions and, above all, maintain calm and order. In German. May 1945.
179. Report similar to as previous documents. In German. No date.
180. Proclamation concerning a partisan unit. In Czech. March 1945.
181. Four photographs, uncaptioned, showing scenes of an internment or concentration camp.
182. Verdict of the People’s Court, 1947 Feb., against Friedrich Hechtfischer, a German, found guilty of being a member of the SA, using slave laborers in the “Bohemia” porcelain factory, collaborating with the SS, instigating mistreatment of camp inmates of Ravensbrück concentration camp and causing the deaths of slave laborers. Sentenced to death by hanging and confiscation of property; executed two hours later. A detailed explanation of the charges against him follows. In Czech. March 1947.
183. Report of Department L of the Czech Interior Ministry on Nazi atrocities, primarily those committed in western Bohemia. Death marches of inmates from Buchenwald and other concentration camps, burials of dead inmates and attempts to identify them are described. In Czech. 11 December 1947.
184. Report of local police headquarters to the Interior Ministry in Prague concerning death marches in other areas of western Bohemia. During one of the marches supervised by a low-level SS officer, several people died. The officer told the local villagers to bury the bodies. The bodies were later exhumed and reburied; none could be identified. In Czech. 9 April 1946.
185. Report from district headquarters in Iglau to the vice president of the regional government concerning a train accident involving a military transport on a railroad bridge on the line to Brno. The bridge had been damaged by explosives laid by saboteurs during the night of 1945 Apr. 10-11. One hundred men were wounded and between 20 and 30 were killed. In German. No date.
186. Reports by Graslitz officials to the Karlsbad city government. One concerned a trainload of female prisoners from Meuselwitz concentration camp which was sitting in a Graslitz suburban railroad station, It had come under fire from several low-flying airplanes and 3 women had been killed and 15 seriously wounded. Many other prisoners had escaped in the ensuing confusion. The officials asked that the train be ordered out of the station so order and security could be restored. A second report concerned the lack of food for the prisoners and another request that the transport be ordered out of the Graslitz station. Reply of the Karlsbad authorities that the train could not be moved and that the prisoners would have been taken care of in Karlsbad. Police authorities were doing their best to ensure security, and efforts were being made to find a locomotive to replace the damaged one so that the train could be moved. In German. 18 April 1945.
187. Report from the Vlachovice police station concerning the arrival of large groups of Gestapo and SS in trucks with dogs and guns. They surrounded the village, confiscated goods and shot anyone trying to prevent them from taking what they wanted, set fire to several houses and forced villagers to confess to hiding partisans or weapons in their homes. Lists of residents and estimated damages to their property and of the dead are included. In Czech. 30 June 1945.
188. Report concerning air attacks on German troops in southwestern Bohemia resulting in several deaths and on a Katovice railroad station where a train carrying prisoners of war was sitting. In Czech. No date.
189. Report concerning the destruction of the village of Javoricko by German troops on 1945 May 5, following an increase of partisan activity supported by the village. The only buildings left standing were the school and a small chapel; all the men murdered and buried in a common grave. In Czech. No date.
190. Report of Ponikla authorities to the Hohenelbe Landrat concerning parachutists, probably English or American, seen by a boy in a nearby field. They threatened to kill him if he called for help, and by the time he reported them, they were gone. In German. 3 May 1945.
191. Court document [incomplete] concerning a postwar trial of SS officers accused of ordering the execution of prisoners in the Small Fortress in Terezín concentration camp during late April-early May 1945. Many people in the fortress and ghetto were dying of typhus. 3 pages. In Czech.
192. Report to the Consular Section of the American Embassy in Prague concerning the destruction of the village of Leskovice on 1945 May 5. Knowing the war was almost over, local authorities decided to disarm German troops in the village; most of the Germans gave up their arms willingly. However, a German transport arriving that evening refused to disarm and began firing on the villagers. The next day SS troops searched houses, shot villagers, raped women and stole whatever they could find. Altogether 25 people were killed and 38 homes completely or partially destroyed. A similar action took place in the village of Lejckov. Three photographs of the destroyed villages and a letter from the Consular Section asking for additional information are included. In Czech. August 1945.
193. Partisan bulletin [partial] describing their activities during the last days of the war, mainly disarming German Army and SS troops. 2 pages. In Czech. No date.
194. Report of Chrudim city authorities describing a German air attack. In Czech. No date.
195. Photograph, uncaptioned, of destroyed farmland and two photographs, captioned, of Leiskov, part of a request by the local authorities for financial assistance. In Czech. No date.
196. Report of an attack by retreating German troops near the town of [illegible] in northern Bohemia on 1945 May 10, after the war had officially ended. In Czech. No date.
197. Parody of an announcement of the death of the German Reich. In Czech. No date.
198. Report of the Bozi Dar police concerning a mass grave containing the bodies of 12-15 male prisoners from Buchenwald concentration camp shot while being transported to Mosteu in 1945 Apr. The identities of the men are unknown. In Czech. 23 June 1945.
199. Photographs, uncaptioned, one of prison inmates, three of mass graves and workers carrying coffins and one of decomposed human remains. No date.
200. Excerpt from memorial book for Jewish residents of Nachod with their names and dates of birth. Eleven were executed before the end of 1942; 115 men and 133 women died in prisons or concentration camps. Two young men died while serving in the Czech armed forces. Several post-war decrees and laws are cited. In Czech. No date.
201. Item-level description of the collection contents, in Czech.