God’s gift (Gottesgab) is in sight from the border, where a number of incidents have taken place. As early as September 17, 1938, a financial guard was shot there. In a few days, the Freikorps captured 13 members of the financial guard and five soldiers and dragged them to Germany. The shootings culminated on September 23, when Czechoslovak troops pushed the Freikorps out.
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In Horní Blatná (Bergstadt Platten) on September 13, a crowd of Germans occupied the post office, gendarmerie station and railway station, but the Czechoslovak army quickly pushed them out. In Jáchymov (St. Joachimsthal) on September 12, the crowd threw stones at the windows of local Czechs and Jews, on September 21, the Freikorps occupied the city because the Czechoslovak army left, but when it returned, it withdrew again.
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In Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad) there was a lynching of German anti-Nazis and Czech inhabitants on September 10, two days later the crowd looted and on November 10 burned down the synagogue. Several Jews were murdered, some were taken to the border of the protectorate and continued to flee on foot. There was also looting in Nejdek (Neudek) on September 12, and about 800 Henleins then tried to attack the police station, but failed. The crowd was dispersed by the State Defense Guard.
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Bombs in Sokolov
In Sokolov (Falkenau), explosions sounded on September 11 at the Hahm Hotel and a Czech school. No one was injured, but the gendarmes were not lazy and arrested the local Nazi Wenzel Baier, who was hiding other explosives at home.
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Also in Kadan (Kaaden an der Eger) on September 12 and 13, a crowd of German-speaking people began to provoke and hoist Nazi flags. On November 10, he set fire to the local synagogue. Two Jews were killed at the time and the mob destroyed Jewish graves.
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Burning Synagogue in Kadan (Kaaden na der Eger) in November 1938
Photo: Archive of Stanislav Dvořák
Kadan Synagogue (Kaaden an der Eger) on a pre-war German postcard
Photo: Archive of Stanislav Dvořák
Old Bridge (Brüx) during the war. The city with many monuments no longer exists, under socialism it was blown up because of coal.
Photo: Archive of Stanislav Dvořák
Square in Chomutov (Komotau) on a postcard
Photo: Archive of Stanislav Dvořák
A small Czechoslovak tank LT 35 in the streets of Sokolov (Falkenau) in September 1938
Photo: Repro Bloody Autumn 1938
State Defense Guard at the border
Photo: Repro bloody autumn 1938
In Chomutov (Komotau), a crowd of about 3,000 Nazis raged on September 13 and September 22 – but demonstrations were dispersed by gendarmes. Soldiers of German nationality attacked a Czech corporal on September 30, but were immediately arrested. On November 10, the Chomutov synagogue was burned down and Jews were robbed and beaten in the square.
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Many incidents took place in the border town of Loučná pod Klínovcem (Böhmisch Wiesenthal). As early as September 13, the Freikorps attacked customs, the post office and the school, and the situation was calmed down by the arrival of the Czechoslovak Army. In four days the attack on customs was repeated, Freikorps was repulsed by fire from gendarmes and financial guards. They tried unsuccessfully to attack the next day.
The skirmishes continued for almost the whole of September, on September 22, after the grenade attack, the financial guard preferred to leave customs and take up positions in the surrounding countryside. Freikorps began attacking German anti-Nazis, but on September 25, a unit of the Czechoslovak Army arrived in Loučná and the attackers fled across the border.
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A massive demonstration took place in Most (Brüx) on September 11, and the Czech and German Democrats spoke out against the Nazis. However, they could not prevent the Munich tragedy, in November most Jews and German Democrats were equally arrested and the Most synagogue was set on fire.
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Extensive fighting took place on September 22 in Ústí nad Labem (Aussig an der Elbe). Freikorps attacked the gendarmerie station Střekov and stole weapons. Then the savage Henleins began attacking German and Czech anti-Nazis. At Schicht’s factory, someone shot at Czech soldiers, one of whom died. Shootouts spread throughout the city and the situation calmed down only at night, when a strong military unit with armored cars arrived.
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The book Bloody Autumn by Jiří Padevět deals in detail with the topic of border battles, which brings rich pictorial material. We can also recommend older publications by Detlef Brandes (Sudeten Germans in the Crisis Year 1938) or books by Vladimír Bružeňák and Jan Benda (Escapes and Expulsions from the Borders of the Czech Lands 1938-1939).
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