Finding Indictment Documents for Czech Benes Supporter

Discussions on archives and similar issues. Hosted by Jeff Leach.
65DropTop
New member
Posts: 1
Joined: 10 Mar 2023 06:52
Location: Texas

Finding Indictment Documents for Czech Benes Supporter

Post by 65DropTop » 10 Mar 2023 07:36

Purpose: Obtain indictment and temporary release documents of Czechoslovak citizen arrested in 1938 and arrested again and imprisoned pending trial in 1942.

Summary: My paternal grandfather was an active supporter (treasurer of political party?) of Czechoslovak President Eduard Benes. He was ousted in 1938. Several Benes supporters were arrested at that time, grandfather among them.

Following the 1942 assassination of Reinhard Heydrich in Prague, my grandfather was again arrested and held with two others. One of the others was a communist and one a monarchist. One of those two worked at "der Messerschmittwerken" at some point prior.

A second set of documents verified the trio's temporary release on November 22, 1944. This may have occurred to enable prison guards to aid the Ardennes offensive the following month.

These and other facts I recall from the documents received from my deceased father -- documents later discarded by my brother-in-law.

I am delving into the U.S. National Archives records but wish to pursue all routes and advice to possibly find these documents. I pledged to my father (an immigrant inducted in to the U.S. Army in 1951) that I would look up the history and descendants of the others indicted and give them a bottle of Danziger Goldwasser. I understand that a citizen could be indicted on the testimony alone of the Geheime Staats Polizei -- but not convicted. The conviction could only occur if a defendant had a non-GESTAPO witness testify against him. Of course that meant one of the three could "flip" -- which did not happen. So I likely owe my existence and some Goldwasser to those who did not "flip" but endured.

The "Archives" section seemed a logical place to start. Any pointers? Thank you.

Return to “Archives”