Das Ostrauer Industriegebiet in der Kriegswirtschaft des Dritten Reiches 1938 - 1945 [The Ostrava industrial area in the war economy of the Third Reich 1938 - 1945]

Abstract

The Munich Agreement and the ultimatum of the Polish Sanation Government of October 1, 1938 contributed to the Ostrava industrial area being divided into four parts. The core of this area with the town of Mor. Ostrava (Moravian Ostrau) remained within the framework of the rest of Czechoslovakia, the industrial agglomeration around the towns of Bohumín (Oderberg), Karviná (Karwin) and Třinec (Trzinetz) was occupied by Sanation Poland, the area of ​​Nový Jičín (Neutitschein) and Opava (Troppau) was annexed as part of the so-called Sudetenland and incorporated into the newly formed Sudeten German Gau, while Hluöin (the Hultschiner Land), as a former part of the German state until 1920, was directly annexed to the Reich, incorporated into the Racibórz (Rattibor) district and with it into the Opole (Oppeln) administrative district and the province of Silesia. The Ostrava industrial area thus lost a considerable part of its industrial capacity. The occupation of part of the core and almost the entire hinterland disrupted the old traditional ties in the supply of raw materials and in the export of finished products, in the supply of agricultural products, and also affected the labor market. The most pressing problem arose in connection with the labor force and with certain internal changes in the economy of the Ostrava industrial region, which resulted from the extensive development of production.