“Hundreds of Czech elementary and secondary schools were closed
in 1939, and so rapid was the systematic closing of Czech
schools during the first year of the war that, by the end of
1940, 6,000 of the 20,000 Czech teachers were unemployed.
“By September 1942 some 60 percent of the Czech elementary
schools had been closed by the Germans.
“All Czech books published during the republican regime have
been confiscated, and the glorification of Greater Germany and
its Führer became the basis of all teaching at Czech elementary
schools. In 1939 the number of pupils permitted to enter Czech
secondary schools had diminished by 50 percent as compared with
1938. About 70 percent of the Czech secondary schools had been
closed by the end of 1942. Girls have been entirely excluded
from the secondary schools.
“Nursery schools for children between 3 and 6 were completely
germanized and employed only German teachers.
“Other crimes in cultural spheres.
“Monuments:
“In many towns the ‘Masaryk Houses,’ which for the most part
contain libraries, halls for the showing of educational films,
and for the performance of plays and concerts, have been
confiscated and transformed into barracks or offices for the
Gestapo. The statues they contained, sometimes of great artistic
value, were spoiled and broken. . . . A number of monuments in
Prague, among them Bilek’s ‘Moses’ and Mardjatka’s ‘Memorial to
the Fallen Legionaries,’ have been melted down. . . .
“A decree of the autumn of 1942 ordered all university libraries
to hand over all early printed Czech works and first editions to
the Germans. The collections in the National Museum were
pillaged; and the Modern Art Gallery, containing a unique
collection of Czech art of the 19th and 20th centuries with some
precious specimens of foreign (mainly French) art, was closed.
“The crown jewels of the ancient Czech kings had to be handed
over to Heydrich.
“Literature:
“Translations of works by English, French, and Russian authors,
both classic and modern, were withdrawn from circulation. The
severest censorship was applied to the works of modern Czech
authors. The Germans liquidated many leading publishing firms.”
THE PRESIDENT: This is a good opportunity to adjourn.
[_A recess was taken._]
MR. COUNSELLOR RAGINSKY: “The entire political literature of the
free republic, as well as the works of the participants in the
Czech revival of the 18th and 19th centuries, were withdrawn.
The books of Jewish authors were prohibited, as well as those of
politically unreliable writers. The Germans withdrew the Czech
classics, as well as the works of the 15th century reformer John
Hus, of Alois Erassek, the author of historical novels, the poet
Victor Dieck, and others.”
Thus the Hitlerites destroyed the national culture of the peoples of
Czechoslovakia, plundered and pillaged works of art, literature, and
science.
In Poland, as in Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, the German fascist
invaders carried out a large-scale liquidation of national culture with
exceptional cruelty. The Hitlerite conspirators destroyed the Polish
intelligentsia, closed educational establishments, prohibited the
publication of Polish books, looted works of art, blew up and burned
national monuments.
I am reading into the record relevant extracts from the Polish
Government report, which was submitted to the Tribunal as Exhibit Number
USSR-93 (Document Number USSR-93). These excerpts, Your Honors, are on
Pages 197-200 of the document book:
“Annihilation of the Polish intelligentsia:
“In the incorporated regions the intelligentsia were deprived of
all means of livelihood. Many of them, professors, teachers,
lawyers, and judges, were interned in concentration camps or
murdered.
“In the Government General about 80 percent of the
intelligentsia were deprived of all means of subsistence. Owing
to the liquidation of the press, journalists and writers were
unable to earn a living. The publication of new books was
prohibited.
“Four universities and twelve schools of the university type
ceased to exist. Their average attendance before September 1939
reached 45,000.
“Secondary schools:
“There were about 550 secondary schools in the German occupied
territory. Their closing was ordered. In the incorporated
territories they were completely closed down. In the Government
General they were allowed to continue their activity, but in
November 1939 an order was issued to cease teaching. The only
schools which were allowed to continue work were commercial or
trade schools. Educated Poles were not needed; the Poles were to
become artisans and workmen. Such was the official line of
policy.
“Elementary schools:
“In the incorporated territories Polish schools were completely
abolished. They were replaced by German schools. Polish children
were educated in the German tongue and German spirit.
“On the eve of war there were about 2,000 periodicals published
in Poland, among them 170 newspapers. By order of the Germans
the press was almost entirely eradicated.
“The publication, printing, and distributing of Polish books was
prohibited as early as October 1939.
“On 5 November 1940 the German _Verordnungsblatt_ published the
following decree:
“‘Until further notice, the publication, without exception, of
all books, pamphlets, periodicals, journals, calendars, and
music is prohibited, unless published by the authority of the
Government General.’
“Theaters, music, and radio:
“The principles of German policy in Poland were outlined in a
circular of a special branch of national education and
propaganda in the German Government General. It read as follows:
“‘It is understood that not a single German official will assist
in the development of Polish cultural life in any way
whatsoever.’
“The sole purpose which was to be followed, in the words of the
circular, was to ‘satisfy the primitive demands for
entertainment and amusement, all the more as this was a question
of diverting as far as possible the attention of the
intellectual circles from conspiracy or political debates which
encouraged the development of an anti-German feeling.’”