English Translation

Group I 1 Prague, November 1940 I la memo. Subject: Draft decree of the Imperial Protector in Bohemia and Moravia on the use of languages in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Mähren Comparison of the present and planned legal arrangements. A) The formal legal basis. (a) Until now, the following legal sources apply to language law: 1.) Order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army on the official languages of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia of 21.3.1939. She knows two official languages, one German and one Czech, and according to her character is a legal decree. 2.) A published regulation decision of 25 July 1939, which has the character of a administrative order and regulates the basic principles of language use in the area of protectorate administration including self-government. 3.) A non-published government decision of 14 September 1939 on the primacy of the German language in the field as well as 2.). 4.) A series of administrative orders issued by individual departments for the implementation of 2.) and 3.) (railway, post office, justice, social affairs, Supreme Administrative Court.) 5.) Individual circulars issued by the Bureau of Ministers on various individual issues. 6.) Instructions from the top business organisations on descriptions and announcements in the public sphere. The language system was therefore almost exclusively autonomous.