Lichtenštejnové v Československu – Horčička Václav (2014)

The presence of the House of Liechtenstein in Czechoslovakia was marked by a series of dramatic twists. Shortly after the First World War, the new state authority expressed interest in implementing land reform on noble estates, which was to primarily concern the Liechtensteins. The reason was the involvement of the first Prince Karl in the trial against the so-called Czech lords and in the post-Battle of White Mountain confiscations. The family did not reconcile with the expropriation of most of their property and during the Second World War attempted to achieve its revision. The author examines the family's behavior during the Nazi occupation of the Czech lands in broader contexts and points out, among other things, their favorable relationship with Czech employees. After the Second World War, the remaining family property was confiscated. The author addresses the question of why this harsh measure occurred, regardless of the prince's status as the ruler of the sovereign Liechtenstein state. He also discusses the long-standing efforts of the family to reverse this unfavorable development while simultaneously analyzing the policy of Czechoslovak authorities, who were not entirely certain about the legality of the confiscation.