„Rád bych byl sloužil déle.“ K odsunu německého katolického kléru z českých zemí
“I would like to have served for longer” – The expulsion of Catholic clerics from the Czech lands

Summary/Abstract: This paper explores the post-war expulsion of Roman Catholic priests from German- speaking parts of Bohemia. For the most part the clerics shared the fates of their parishioners in the Litoměřice and České Budějovice dioceses and in the West Bohemian borderlands, which fell under the Prague archdioceses. It examines the key issues on the table in negotiations between the state administration, the Prague archbishopric and individual bishoprics; the results of the transfer and the undermining, and in some places destruction, of parish networks; questions surrounding the fate of church property; and the handling of church records. It presents specific cases of persecution and departure of priests, from representatives of the Prague archdioceses hierarchy, Bishop Jan Remiger and the St. Vitus’ Cathedral canon Anton Franz, to all the members of the Litoměřice capital, including rural parish priests and chaplains. Following the exodus of church members and hundreds of priests, the Catholic Church – unprepared for such extensive personnel changes – was unable to reconstitute itself and build on previous successes. Frequently it was unable to carry on regular activities such as confessions, religious instruction, seminars and lectures. The overall change in the border regions, which caused social and cultural discontinuity, played into the hands of the state authorities and their efforts to curb the influence of the church.

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