German migration to the Czech lands (Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia) started
in the 12th century.
By 1918 German communities existed in seven major zones :
- in the Kingdom of Bohemia :
- Bohemian Forest/South Bohemia (Böhmerwald/Südböhmen)
- Inner Bohemia (Innerböhmen)
(some isolated groups, including the German communities in Prague)
- North Bohemia (Nordböhmen)
- West Bohemia (Westböhmen)
- in the Margraviate of Moravia and the Duchy of Silesia
- Inner Moravia (Innermähren)
(some isolated groups, including the German Communities in Brünn (Cz.:
Brno), Iglau (Cz.: Jihlava) and Olmütz (Cz. : Olomouc))
- North Moravia and Austrian Silesia (Nordmähren und Sudeten Schlesien)
- South Moravia (Südmähren)
When Czechoslovak independence was proclaimed in 1918, the German deputies of
the above mentioned regions to the Imperial Council refused to adhere to the
new state. Instead they proclaimed the union of the territories with the new
German Austrian State and established four regional governments (1) :
- Böhmerwaldgau : - the region Bohemian Forest/South Bohemia.
- proclaimed a District (Kreis) of the existing Austrian
Land Oberösterreich.
- Deutschböhmen : - the regions North- and West Bohemia.
- proclaimed a Land of the new German Austrian State.
- Sudetenland : - the regions North Moravia and Austrian Silesia.
- proclaimed a Land of the new German Austrian State.
- Südmähren : - the region of the same name.
- proclaimed a District (Kreis) of the existing Austrian
land Niederösterreich.
(1) The German enclaves in the interior (like Brünn, Iglau and Olmütz)
also proclaimed their union with German Austria, but they were nearly
immediately occupied by the Czech.
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GERMAN CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS IN 1918
Landeshauptleute of Deutschböhmen
1918 Rafael Pacher 1857 - 1936
1918 Rudolf Ritter von Lodgman von Auen 1877 - 1962
Landeshauptmann of Sudetenland
1918 Robert Freissler 1877 - 1950
Kreishauptmann of Böhmerwaldgau
1918 Friedrich Wichtl 1872 - 1922
Kreishauptmann of Südmähren
1918 Oskar Teufel 1880 - 1946
These proclamations were however not recognized neither by the Czechs nor by
the Allies and before 1918 was over, all territories had been occupied by
Czechoslovak troops.
After their occupation the German regions - only by now collectively refered
to as Sudetenland (Cz.: Sudety) - were fully integrated into Czechoslovakia,
without any kind of autonomy.
In 1938 the ongoing internal and international unrest over the region led to
the Treaty of München, by which Czechoslovakia was forced to cede the whole
territory to the German Empire.
After a brief period of military rule it was formally annexed to Germany and
divided as follows :
- Former Deutschböhmen and former Sudetenland became the separate Reichsgau
Sudetenland
- Former Böhmerwaldgau was divided between the Land Bavaria and the Austrian
Land Oberösterreich (later Reichsgau Oberdonau)
- Former Südmähren became part of the Land Niederösterreich (later Reichsgau
Niederdonau)
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GERMAN ADMINISTRATORS OF THE REICHSGAU SUDETENLAND
Reichskommissar for Sudetenland
1938 - 1939 Konrad Henlein 1898 - 1945
Reichsstatthalter of Sudetenland
1939 - 1945 SS-Obergruppenführer (1943)
Konrad Henlein s.a.
Gauleiter of the NSDAP(2)
1938 - 1945 SS-Obergruppenführer (1943)
Konrad Henlein s.a.
In 1945 Sudetenland was returned to restored Czechoslovakia and most of the
Germans were expelled.
(2) Konrad Henlein started his carreer in 1933 as leader of the
Sudetendeutsche Heimatfront (renamed Sudetendeutsche Partei
in 1935), the principal German nationalist party after 1933.
In 1938 his party merged with the German NSDAP and he became
the leader of the Gau which also included the major part of
the Protectorate Bohemia-Moravia.
Before 1933 Czechoslovak rule been opposed by :
- the Deutsche Nationalpartei (DNP)
Chairmen
1919 - 1925 Rudolf Ritter Lodgman von Auen s.a.
1925 - 1933 ...
- the Deutsche Nationalsozialistische Arbeiterpartei (DNSAP)
Chairman
1919 - 1933 Rudolf Jung 1882 - 1945HOMEINDEX
