Boj o půdu. Mocenské spory o ovládnutí českého pozemkového úřadu v roce 1939
The Struggle for Land. Power Disputes over the Control of the State Land Office in the Czech lands in 1939

Summary/Abstract: Beneath the administrative structures established after the German occupation of the Czech lands in 1939 unfolded a fierce struggle over control of land, property, and the future direction of Nazi policy in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. This study examines the conflict between the Reich Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the SS Main Race and Settlement Office, both of which sought authority over the Czech Land Office and its extensive resources. The dispute reflected broader rivalries within the polycratic Nazi power system, where competing institutions pursued different visions of colonization, Germanization, and economic exploitation. While SS representatives promoted an aggressive settlement policy aimed at strengthening German influence, other administrative actors favored a more cautious approach in order to preserve political stability and the appearance of Protectorate autonomy. The article reconstructs the methods used to seize control of land administration, including police interventions, personnel purges, legal manipulation, and pressure exerted through the Coburg inheritance case. Particular attention is devoted to the activities of Curt von Gottberg and his efforts to use land policy for ideological and financial purposes, including controversial property transfers and questionable financial operations. The study further demonstrates how conflicts among Nazi institutions repeatedly reshaped occupation policy and limited the implementation of radical settlement plans. Ultimately, Hitler’s decision to prioritize wartime considerations and the colonization of conquered Polish territories weakened SS ambitions in the Protectorate and shifted influence back toward more traditional bureaucratic structures. The episode illustrates how internal rivalries within the Nazi regime significantly influenced the development of occupation policy in the Czech lands.

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