Padevet, Jiri Prag 1939-1945 unter deutscher Besatzung

After the invasion of German troops in 1939, Prague became the capital of the newly established Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. The Reich Protector took up his official residence in Prague Castle. Subsequently, the city was a central event site of the National Socialist occupation as well as of the Czech resistance (Heydrich assassination). Jirí Padevet's detailed and richly illustrated reference work on the city of Vltava during the German occupation until May 1945 was awarded the Czech literary prize "Magnesia Litera" in 2014 and is now available in German translation. It is structured topographically, according to the present-day districts of Prague, and chronologically in the respective places.

The main focus is on the suppression of any disobedience by the occupying power, the persecution of Jewish citizens and the resistant behaviour of the Czech population. A mosaic unfolds that makes the immediate effects of the occupation tangible, especially the high blood toll paid by Czechs and Jews during this period. Padevet's book fills many gaps in research on the protectorate and provides a basis for historical as well as contemporary social debates; it is equally suitable as a travel guide for history buffs.