Geografie 1961, 66, 114-130
Settlement of Border Districts in the Plzeň Region in 1945-1947
The author treats of the settlement problems that proved to be most ticklish in the border districts of the Plzeň Region, during the first years after World War II. As a result of the Jalta and Potsdam Conferences, German population - living in border districts of Bohemia and voting for the Nazi Germany - was transfered to Germany. The author discusses the national structure of population in the bordering districts, stressing the fact that the German population in the majority of the so-called border districts formed a national minority, whereas the number of Czech inhabitants kept on increasing continuously. The re-settlement by Czech people of industrial districts met with no special difficulties. The decrease in the number of inhabitants excersided in no way any bad influence upon the economy of the districts. Temporary difficulties were successfully overcome. On the contrary, the decreased number of inhabitants helped to balance the economic basis, especially in mountainous areas. Most inhabitants came from the inland parts of the districts or from other inland districts of the territory. The industrial district of Plzeň supplied workers to the Karlovy Vary, Ústí nad Labem, partly also Liberec and the České Budějovice Regions. To the border districts, before all, returned those who had to leave their homes these in 1938, Czechs and Slovaks returning after many years abroad to their country, and, finally, many young people that were forced to work during the war (in the so-called "Total-Einsatz") in Nazi Germany. All those are still young, mentally as well as physically fit to take an active part in industrial as well as agricultural construction, and a high birth-rate helps to balance the otherwise lower number of inhabitants.
