Schieszl, Josef, JUDr.

Collection

Scope and content:: The fonds of JUDr. Josef Schieszl contains mainly documents relating to the originator's work in the Chancellery of the President of the Republic in the years of 1920-1939 (concepts and copies of documents, diaries). Among the Jewish-related material contained therein, we can point out a collection of correspondence, records, expert analyses on the problems of the Jewish political movement, Jewish religious communities and actions in support of Jews in Germany from 1920-1936 (this collection contains, among other things, documents on the activities of the National Jewish Council and the Union of Bohemian Jews, and on the activities of the Zionist activist and member of the National Assembly for the Jewish Party JUDr. Angelo Goldstein. There is also a separate larger collection of correspondence and records on the activities of Moritz Schoenbaum, an activist of the Union of Czech Jews, in Moravia and Slovakia from 1924 to 1934. The history of antisemitism is covered in a letter from the Founders' Committee of the Slavic Anti-Jewish Party to executive Karel Kasand concerning the planned unification with the Slavic Social Party in 1921.

Archival history:: The personal archive of JUDr. Josef Schieszl was taken over by the State Central Archives (now the National Archives) in 1964-1965. The originator was referred to these archives by the Memorial of National Literature, where he originally offered his archival materials. In 2002, the National Archives took over a small part of Schieszl's estate, which until then had been stored in the Archives of the National Museum.

Administrative/biographical history:: JUDr. Josef Schieszl (30 April 1876 - 10 March 1970) worked as a clerk of the Prague Bar Association. He was involved in the Czech People's Party, or the Czech Progressive Party, founded by T. G. Masaryk. In 1918, he became a member of the Czech State Democracy, which sent him to the National Committee in the same year and later as a deputy to the National Assembly. In 1920, he joined the Office of the President of the Republic, where he was head of the Political and Legislative Department until his retirement in 1939. He was one of President Masaryk's closest associates. In 1926, he was Minister of Social Welfare and Administrator of the Ministry of Public Health and Physical Education. He was one of the important functionaries of the Social Club, which was an important place of unofficial diplomatic meetings with politicians of other countries.

Subject terms:: Antisemitism; Jewish community; Jewish political activity; Zionism

System of arrangement:: The fonds is divided into the following sections: biographical material, personal correspondence, documents on professional, public and official activities and documentation. In each section, the archival material is arranged in subject units that respect the original division by the originator. The correspondence is arranged by writer.

Finding aids:: Křesťan, J.: Pozůstalost dr. Josefa Schieszla 1902 - 1965. Inventory, 1994, 38 p., Inv. No. 1319.