Československý úřad pro hospodářskou pomoc a obnovu, Praha
- Czechoslovak Office for Relief and Rehabilitation, Prague
- UNRRA
Extent and Medium
28,5 linear metres from which 28,5 linear metres of documents are processed and inventoried and accessible.
Biographical History
The Czechoslovak Office for Relief and Rehabilitation (also known as the UNRRA) arranged the contact and negotiations between the postwar Czechoslovak establishment and the international organization of UNRRA - United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. The office was established as a part of the Ministry of Nutrition and later in 1948 was incorporated into the Ministry of Finance. It was divided into several departments and officially it functioned till July 1947, however the disposal of the office lasted till 1951.
Archival History
The creators of this fonds were The Czechoslovak office for Relief and Rehabilitation (documents from years 1943 -1951) and the Ministry of Finance. All documents were deposed in the State Central Archive (= the National Archive) in 1961. Most of valuable documents came from years 1945-1948.
Scope and Content
In the fonds there can be found lists and summaries of delivered suplies, reports about the economic situation in the Czechoslovak Republic, various reports from the proceedings of committees. There are also files related to the transport of supllies, another draft plans for relief and rehabilitation of the country (also for the Slovak part of the republic), bills or photographs.
The Holocaust or Jewish related documents are in several boxes concerning the matter of repatriation of citizens from the Great Britain. There are lists of persons authorized for the repatriation in April and July 1945. There are records from the proceedings of the Czechoslovak establishment and Polish government about the repatriation of Polish citizens so there can be found the lists of Polish citizens (also many Polish Jews) who passed through Czechoslovak repatriation centres. In connection with the repatriation there can be found confirmations of issuance of passports for Polish refugees.
In the files, there are also documents from preliminary plans of displacement of the Czechoslovak Jews of German nationality into the Germany.
System of Arrangement
The fonds contains 203 boxes which are divided into 178 inventory units. The files are chronologically arranged within each department. According to the main protocol - the system of classification was following: sign of the department which prepared the document and then the sign of department which should get it.
Archivist Note
written by KS, 2.1.2015
Sources
Sommer, Karel: UNRRA a Československo, Opava 1993.
Majer, Václav: UNRRA a Československo, Praha 1946.
UNRRA: organization: aims: progress, Washington, 1944.
Rules and Conventions
EHRI Guidelines for Description v.1.0