Figure 1.--.

Czechoslovakia was before World War I a part of the Austo-Hungarian Empire with its Austrian monarchy. Large numbers of Germans lived in the border area with German in the Sudetan (southern) mountains and became known as the Sudeten Germans. When Czecheslovakia was formed as part of tha part of the Versailles Peace Treaty (1919), these Germans found hemselves a minority in a country now dominated by Czechs and Slovaks. The Sudenten Germans were different than many of the other Volksdeutsche in that they lived in German border areas and were used to a Government dominated by a German-speaking Austrian Government. In living style, language, and clothing the Sudenten Germans did not differ much from the Germans accross the border. Hitler of course used them in 1938 to threaten war, resulting in the Munich Agreement and the dismemberment of Czcheslovakia. The Sudeten Germans were not the only Germans in Czecheslovakia. The Czech capital Prague also used to have a sizable German-speaking minority (among them many Jews). Some of their writers became world-famous: Franz Kafka, Franz Werfel (The Song of Bernadette), Rilke and the composer Gustav Mahler, and the scientist Gregor Mendel, who happened to be a priest. There was another group of Germans in Czecheslovakia. A much smaller number were located in the Slovakian region of Czecheslovakia--the Carpathian Germans.

Austro-Hungariam Empire

Czechoslovakia was before World War I a part of the Austo-Hungarian Empire with its Austrian monarchy. While the Austrians who saw themsel\ves as Germans were at the core of the Empire, the Empire itself was a multi-ethnic empire. Germans were infact a small minority within the Empire. The Empire majority German areas were Austria. There were manu Germans living elsewhere in the Empire. Large numbers of Germans lived in the border area with German in the Sudetan (southern) mountains and became known as the Sudeten Germans. Czechoslovakia

When Czecheslovakia was formed as part of tha part of the Versailles Peace Treaty (1919), these Germans found hemselves a minority in a country now dominated by Czechs and Slovaks.

Sudeten Germans

The Sudenten Germans were different than many of the other Volksdeutsche in that they lived in German border areas and were used to a Government dominated by a German-speaking Austrian Government. In living style, language, and clothing the Sudenten Germans did not differ much from the Germans accross the border. Hitler of course used them in 1938 to threaten war, resulting in the Munich Agreement and the dismemberment of Czcheslovakia. The Sudeten Germans were not the only Germans in Czecheslovakia. The Czech capital Prague also used to have a sizable German-speaking minority (among them many Jews). Some of their writers became world-famous: Franz Kafka, Franz Werfel (The Song of Bernadette), Rilke and the composer Gustav Mahler, and the scientist Gregor Mendel, who happened to be a priest. There was another group of Germans in Czecheslovakia.

Carpethian Germans

A much smaller number were located in the Slovakian region of Czecheslovakia--the Carpathian Germans. They were more phsically separated from Germany than the Sudeten Germans.

Selbstschutz

Selbstschutz units spring up during the late 1930s Czechoslovakia, mostly the Sudetenland. The Selbstschutz were supported and financed by the NAZIs. They worked to radicalize ethnic Germans and commit a range of violent acts which were then used by the NAZIs to justify intervention.

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction] [Activities] [Bibliographies] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries]
[Contributions] [FAQs] [German glossaries] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]

Created: 1:33 AM 5/21/2009
Last updated: 1:34 AM 5/21/2009