Authors

Ondřej Kolář¹;  ¹ Slezské zemské muzeum (Silesian Museum), Czech Republic

Discussion

Fall of Nazi Reich in 1945 and subsequent border changes led to enormous demographic and social transformation of the territory of Silesia. Previously German-inhabited territories got under control of Czechoslovak and Polish authorities. The expulsion of German population and the process of new settlement were accompanied by mutual territorial claims of both Czechoslovakia and Germany. Moreover, the security conditions in the region were destabilised by migration of refugees from Soviet-controlled territories, as well as returning wartime prisoners.
During the era between the end of World War II in Europe and the signing of Czechoslovak Polish treaty two years later, many acts of violence were committed in the region. Such cases included massacres of German civilians, as well as attacks against Jews or new-settlers. Examples of German resistance and acts of violence against state officials or politicians were also documented.
The paper aims to describe and analyse the typology and chronology of the violent acts in the territory in question. The attention will be paid on motivations of perpetrators and on the approach of authorities, media and public opinion towards particular forms of violence.