Figure 1.--Here is an 18th century image of a Czech schools. Unfortunately we have no background information on it. This was during the era of Austrian rule.

Assessing Czech schools is a little complicated in this mational format. This is because the Czech people have been incorporated over time in many different states. Bohemia was once an independent kingdom and then for many years was ruled by an Austrian monarchy under a range of constitutional arrangements. As a result, Czech education was heavily influenced by German educational trends. After World War I Czechslovakia was created, an independent state with both Czechs and Slovaks as well as othernationalities. The NAZIs dismembered Czechoslovakia, but it was restablished after World War II and became a Communist puppet state. After the overthrow of the Communists, Czechoslovakia was paritioned intto the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Bohemia

Bohemia was once an independent kingdom .

Austrian Rule ( -1918)

The Czechs for many years were ruled by an Austrian monarchy under a range of constitutional arrangements. As a result, Czech education was heavily influenced by German educational trends. We have little information on schools under Austrian rule. One subject of interest is language policies in the schools. We assume that Hungarian could be used, at least after the 1860s when the Austrian Empire was transformed into the Austro-Hungarian Empire. We are less sure about the many other nationalites within the Empire such as the Czechs. The image here shows a Czech school during the era of Austrian rule (figure 1). We have an image from the Smiricích School in what is now the Czech Republic just before World War I. This is interesting, because we have an image from the same school just after the War after which Czechoslovakia had achieved its independence. In the Austro-Hungarian Empire primary and secondary schools used Czech as the language of instruction in areas with a Slav majority, including colleges and universities. As a matter of fact the Charles University of Prague is the oldest university in the country, founded in 1348. Interestingly it also is the oldest German university as well. Until 1945 there has always been a Czech and a German campus, often using the same buildings. In the beginning things were not as nationalistic as later on, because Latin was used as the language of instruction in both parts of the university. Famous scientists have lectured at this university, including Einstein in the early 20s.

Czechoslovakia (1918-39)

We have very limited information on Czechoslovakia at this time. After World War I Czechoslovakia was created, an independent state with both Czechs and Slovaks as well as other nationalities. Schools and the language of instruction was one of the difficulties that had to be confronted in this multi-national state. Here we do not yet have information on the Czech education system and language policies. Being formed out of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire, we assume that there was a strong Austrian influence. The nationalities issue of course was used by Hitler in his efforts to obain the Sudentenland at the Munich Conference. The NAZIs claimed that the German minority was being abused. The limited number of Czech images we have suggest that Czech boys dressed very similarly to German boys.

Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (1939-45)

The NAZIs dismembered Czechoslovakia, first seizing the Sudentenland as part of the Munich Accord (September 1938). Only months later, the Wehrmacht crossed the Czech border and created the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. The NAZI goal was of course not to protect the Czech people, but Germanize those racially "suitable" and to turn the remainder into slaves or eliminate them entirely. Plans called for the expulsion and murder of large numbers of Czechs and the complete eradication of Czech culture. The process was slowed during the War, primarily because of the need to maintain war production. The NAZI Governor of Bohemian and Moravia, Reinhard Heydrich, was killed on the way to the aitport for a conference in Berlin about the Germinazation program (1942). As a result, of their goal of destroying Czech natonalism and xulture, the NAZIs had no interest in Czech education. I do not, however, have details on what happened to Czech schools during the NAZI occupation.

Czechoslovakia (1945- )

Czechoslovakia was reestanlished after the Allied victory in World War II and became a Communist puppet state. We note that during the Communist era that many school photographs show the children in their Young Pioneer uniforms, but other photographs do not. The unifirms are whiteshirts and blue pants worn with a red scarve. We are not quite sure what the regulations were. We note many younger children through the mod-1970s wore H-bar skirts and pants.

Czech Republic

After the overthrow of the Communists, Czechoslovakia was paritioned intto the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Created: 11:11 AM 6/23/04
Last updated: 2:54 AM 9/8/2005