Revanšisti, či průkopníci smíření? Ackermann-Gemeinde a její podpora katolické církve v Československu v době komunismu
Revanchists or Pioneers of Reconciliation? Ackermann-Gemeinde and its Support for the Roman Catholic Church in Czechoslovakia during the Communist Era

Summary/Abstract: The study discusses the various forms of material and other assistance that the members and friends of the Ackermann-Gemeinde civic association extended to Czechoslovak Roman Catholics for decades. They would mostly send hundreds of parcels with targeted help (selected books, dried fruits, medications, money, etc.), cars for priests, finance for refurbishing church buildings in the borderland, gifts for ordinees, etc. The study also focuses on the attention that State Security (StB) paid to the organisation, in particular to its representatives, Adolf Kunzmann (operation “Revanš/ Revenge”) and Franz Olbert (operation “Náhradník/Substitute”). As part of the operation, StB interrogated dozens of priests and active laypeople in the 1970s. Among other sources, the study draws on documents from the Ackermann-Gemeinde archive in Munich and selected StB files deposited in the Security Services Archive in Prague. In addition, several persons on both sides were interviewed for the study.

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