Soudobé dějiny

Nazi Plans for Reshaping the Czech Lands

Miloš Hořejš's monograph Nacistická germanizační a osídlovací politika v Protektorátu Čechy a Morava [Nazi Germanization and Settlement Policy in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia] examines a hitherto under­‑researched aspect of the German occupation administration's activities in the Protectorate. Drawing on extensive archival research, the author analyses how Nazi ideological concepts for the Germanization of occupied territories were translated into everyday administrative practice. The reviewer highlights the author's detailed examination of the institutional framework, particularly the relationships, jurisdictional disputes, and rivalries between the civilian authorities and the SS agencies that gradually assumed control over land policy. This broader picture is usefully complemented by regional case studies, which vividly illustrate not only the mechanisms of confiscation and state­‑imposed administration but also the practical limitations of settlement policy, which came up against both the realities of wartime and the unsuitability of the selected settlers. By combining a range of approaches, the book also offers valuable methodological inspiration. The reviewer regards the publication as an important synthesis that convincingly charts the profound impact of Nazi settlement policies on the property relations and the ethnic composition of the Czech lands, despite their limited implementation in the Protectorate, thereby filling a gap in existing scholarship.

Keywords: Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia; Germanization; settlement policy; land policy; Nazi occupation; Nazi administration