Czech Language Faced Suppression Under Nazi Occupation, Forcing Public Use of German
During the Nazi occupation and the establishment of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia around 1940, the Czech language faced significant pressure.For many Czechs, their native tongue was a vital symbol of resistance, identity, and cultural continuity. The Nazi regime actively sought to suppress Czech in public life, mandating the use of German in schools, offices, and media. This policy led to the gradual integration of German words into everyday Czech. In private,however,patriots made efforts to preserve customary Czech expressions,slang,and dialects. Families played a crucial role in this preservation, with parents and grandparents often teaching children to maintain their native language in the privacy of their homes, where they were not subject to external control.This historical context highlights the challenges faced by the Czech language and its speakers during a period of intense political and cultural upheaval.