Czech Research Outline

Revised 15 December 2005

(This paper may be freely reproduced and distributed in part or in whole, for the purposes of genealogical research, as long as it is not sold for profit, and the writer, the URL, and copyright notice are cited.)

Please note that the Czech State Regional Archives (with the exception of Plzeň – at least temporarily) are no longer taking genealogical reqeusts as of now (April 2003). One must either hire a professional researcher or go to the archives in person. See the section called “Hiring a Regional Archive for research” below.

Introduction

The Czech Republic is comprised of the former Austrian Crownlands of Bohemia, Moravia, and part of Silesia. While Czech and Slovak genealogy are quite similar in many respects, the scope of this “Beginner’s Guide” is delimited to research in the present-day Czech Republic. The term “Czech lands,” used throughout this article, refers to the area consisting of the present-day Czech Republic.

Map of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia. Used with permission of Daniel Schlyter.

This guide focuses on conducting research by mail or personally visiting a statní oblastní (state regional) or zemský (provincial) archive. (These two archives are identical in function and differ in name only. The term zemský is used in Moravia, while statní oblastní is used in Bohemia). The reason for this is that these archives are the most important source for Czech vital records. The researcher must either visit the archive in person, or have a representative do their research.

Brief History of the Geographic Area Described

The first group of people known to have inhabited the area of the present-day Czech Republic were a group of Celtic people called “Boii.” They lived there from c. 500 BCE until the 1st century CE. Their leader was named Boiohemus, and the land itself given the appellation of “Boiohaemum” by ancient historians. This name has survived the millennia and comes down to us in English as “Bohemia.”

The Celts were more advanced culturally than most European ethnic groups of the time, and stimulated the economy of the area. They are credited with a number of discoveries “such as the use of the potter’s wheel in ceramic production, iron ploughshares on wooden bases, and grinding corn between stone wheels, but also the establishment of specialized production sites from which blacksmiths, potters, jewellers, glassmakers, and other mastercraftsmen and women supplied their products to wide customer circles.”¹

Soon after the time of Christ, the waning Celtic power was supplanted by Germanic tribes, of which the Marcomanni was the most dominant. This tribe remained in power for several centuries and formed a kingdom of considerable size.

Slavic tribes arrived in Bohemia around 550 CE. There doesn’t seem to have been a great turning point or event signaling the end of Germanic rule in Bohemia, such as a war or other upheaval. Rather many of the Germanic populace were assimilated into the Slavic population. Others left the area, traveling south. In Bohemia, ca. 620, a certain Samo overcame the Avars and ruled from Vyšehrad, now a suburb of modern Prague. Described as a quasi-mythical figure, he is reported to have controlled an area ranging from the Baltic to Carinthia, although there is no actual proof of this.²

In Moravia, it is uncertain when the Slavs arrived. We do know that in 567 CE, the Avars arrived and conquered the Germanic peoples in that area. By 800 CE, however, several Slavic groups moved in and formed their own state. This was known as the Great Moravian Empire. It was given some independence by Charlemagne, and prospered until conquered by the Hungarians in 907 CE.

In 863 CE, two missionary brothers, Constantine and Methodius, were invited to Moravia by king Rostislav. This ruler was not satisfied with a Germanic clergy. His displeasure was based on political rather than religious issues. The missionaries brought a liturgy to the Slavs in their native tongue. Constantine, later known as Cyril, gave them a unique alphabet based on Greek. Under a later pope Slavic religious services and the teachings of Methodius were banned. While the Cyrillic alphabet and Eastern liturgy survived throughout Imperial Russia and other areas, the Czechs fell under Roman Catholic domination.

Meanwhile, in Bohemia, the famed Přemislide family rose to power and ruled for several hundred years. Their power expanded, and Bohemia became a part of the Holy Roman Empire. Wenceslas (Václav) I, grandson of Bořivoj, a Bohemian prince of the Great Moravian Empire, was one of the first of the Přemislide family to rule (at only 17 years of age). He was acclaimed as an impassioned Believer and was avid in his attempts at improving relations with the German tribes to the west. After a short reign, he murdered by his brother, Boleslav the Cruel. Thereafter, he became known as the patron saint of Bohemia.

Later, Charles IV (Wenceslas), a member of the Luxembourg dynasty, came to power. Charles was rather cultured, having grown up in France and lived in Italy, Bohemia and Austria. In an autobiography he described himself: “We could speak, write and read not only in Czech, but also French, Italian, German and Latin ... , so there was no difference in using any one of them.”³ So it was no surprise that Charles founded the first university in eastern Europe, the University of Prague (Charles University). He organized the university into four colleges: theology, medicine, law, and the arts. Additionally, four countries were represented in the administration of the university: Bavaria, Bohemia, Poland, and Saxony. Students from around the world attended. Charles IV was so popular during his reign he was dubbed the “father of the country.” While King of Bohemia, he was also simultaneously made Holy Roman Emperor.

It was not long after this that Jan Hus appeared in Czech history. A Catholic priest born in Husinec in southern Bohemia ca. 1369, he lived in Prague and preached at Bethlehem Chapel. He took his Magister at the university in 1396 and then worked his way up the ranks to Rector of the university in 1403. A very popular speaker and a follower of religious dissident John Wyclif of England, he advocated reform and objected to the Western Orthodox practice of selling indulgences and the Church’s loose moral practices. As an outspoken critic of the Catholic Church, he was excommunicated in 1412. Two years later he was ordered to appear at the Council of Constance, where he faced many false charges. He was imprisoned and again called before the council the following year. He was condemned and burned at the stake on 6 July 1415. The date of his death is now a national holiday.

Hus was so popular that his execution caused an uprising of the Bohemian and Moravian citizenry. A Hussite religious order was established. Political and ecumenical turmoil threw the country into war for many years. Jan Žižka, a brilliant military leader and religious zealot, easily fell into the role of defender of the state and of the principles of God. Several years after his death in 1424, a compromise ending hostilities was reached with the Catholics.

By this time, Protestantism flourished in the Czech lands. King and nobles alike were Protestants. A Catholic family from Austria, the Habsburgs, began to rule in 1526. In 1618, the rebellion of Protestant Czech nobles against the Habsburgs touched off the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), a Europe-wide religious war between Catholics and Protestants. On 8 November 1620, the short but significant Battle of White Mountain was fought outside Prague. The Habsburgs put down the Protestants and brought them forcefully under yoke. Many Protestants were killed or exiled, their property seized, and their records destroyed. Eventually, this counter-reformation, or re-Catholicization, saw the Czech lands turn back almost completely to Catholicism. Austria, together with Hungary after 1867, ruled the area for centuries.

In fact, it was not until the end of World War I that the Austro-Hungarian Empire was dissolved and Czechoslovakia was made an independent state. The new country consisted of Bohemia, Moravia, part of Silesia, Slovakia, and Ruthenia. Championed by Eduard Beneš and Tomáš Masaryk, this realization of freedom and independence was not to last for long, for Hitler seized the area of Bohemia called Sudetenland, or the area in which Germans had heavily settled. Later, he took control of the entire country. The official government went into exile in England. World War II was a disaster for Czech Jews, most of whom were killed, and their records destroyed, in an attempt to wipe out any trace of them. Soviet forces came into Czechoslovakia during Hitler’s defeat, as American troops waited nearby.

After World War II, Czechoslovakia was again independent, but only for a short time. Communists in the government, for all intents and purposes, seized control within a few short years, and Czechoslovakia was brought under Soviet influence. A brief period of reform in 1968 (known as the “Prague Spring,” and lead by Alexander Dubček) was crushed by the Soviets, who continued to influence the Czech government until 1990. Then Mikhail Gorbachev, leader of the Soviet Union, relaxed the Soviet hold on satellite countries and introduced the ideas of glasnost and perestroika, which allowed for more freedom of expression.

The populace’s discontent with the Czech government led to the resignation of communist officials in Czechoslovakia. Similar circumstances abounded in eastern Europe, and soon the period of Soviet influence ended. In June, 1990, the well-known dissident and poet, Václav Havel, was elected president of Czechoslovakia. Difficulties between the Czechs and Slovaks led Havel to resign in 1992. On 1 January 1993 the country divided to form two new nations, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. President Havel was again elected president, this time, of the Czech Republic, in which capacity he continues today.

Structure of the Czech Archival System⁴

Since many genealogists will be forced to conduct research in the archives of the Czech Republic, it is a good idea to initially review their organizational structure. The highest echelon in the Czech Republic is the State Central Archive, Prague. There are housed documents produced by the Czech lands of Austria, and later of Czechoslovakia. Generally, these records are of minor genealogical value.

The next level of archival jurisdiction is regional. In 1960 the Czechoslovak government established seven regional archives in the area comprising the modern Republic. This structure continues to operate throughout the country, with a few minor variations: the State Regional Archive is called Státní oblastní archiv in the portion of the Czech Republic known as Bohemia, while in Moravia, the term used is Zemský archiv. There is no functional difference between the two. These archives are the most significant for genealogical research in that they house birth, marriage, and death records. Some land registers, another valuable source for family historians, are also available in these archives.

Archival districts of the Czech Republic. Used with permission of Daniel Schlyter.

Subordinate to this is the State District Archive (Státní okresní archiv). These institutions number 73 in the Czech Republic. They contain many important records, such as census returns, emigration documents, land records, and marriage contracts, etc. Records located in county and regional archives are usually current through the early 1900s. Later records are deposited in local town halls or other institutions.

City archives in larger cities can also serve the same function as a State Regional Archive, in that they safeguard vital records. The city archives of Prague and Brno are in this category.

Hiring a Regional Archive for research

Please note that this section is obsolete as of 2003 – at least for the time being – with the exception of the State Regional Archiv in Plzeň. With the elimination of ARCHIVEX in doing billing for genealogical requests, the Czech State Regional Archives have suspended doing research on genealogical requests. Gene Aksamit, president of the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International, reports in the March 2003 issue of Naše Rodina, that “The Czech Archives situation with regard to acceptance of written requests for genealogical searches is not very encouraging... The archives have stopped accepting written requests. One exception at this time may be the State Regional Archive at Plzeň...but perhaps not for long. CGSI and other organizations have expressed their concern on this to the Czech Embassy in Washington, D.C. The Embassy has written a letter to the Ministry of Interior, the organization responsible for the archives, reflecting this concern but there has not been a response at the time this is being written.” This is a big disappointment. It is still possible, however, either to hire a private researcher or to do research in the archives in person.

It is possible to retain an archive to do some of your research. Many people begin their research this way through the mail. Czech archives generally do a good job and charge between $10.00-14.00 per hour ($ refers to US dollars in this article). A professional researcher will usually do a more thorough job in locating your specific family, and is not limited to one archive. A professional researcher will usually do a more thorough job in locating your specific family, and is not limited to one archive. One option to consider is to begin your research through the archive, then have a researcher pick it up where the archive left off. Be aware that the archivist does not have an interest in your own specific family, as a researcher would.

If you have an archive assist in your research they will likely search vital records (births, marriages, and deaths). These records were initially kept by the Catholic Church and later by other denominations. There are also census, military, and other Czech records which are available for study. The best place to start is with church books. They are kept in the statní oblastní (state regional) archive or zemský (provincial) archive.

To ensure a reply you should send three International Reply Coupons with each request, to help defray postage costs the other party will incur in responding to your request.

Before you begin, you must know the town of origin of your ancestor! It can not be overemphasized how important it is to locate the place your ancestor came from before sending a request to the Czech Republic. The best place to start is in the country your ancestor immigrated to. Also, send photocopies of any documents you have, that you think may help the researcher to find your ancestors. This can sometimes speed up the research process considerably.

Some archives respond quicker than others. The Plzeň archive has typically taken six months in the past, but an answer could possibly take up to twelve months. Plzeň, however, and other archives may require up to twelve months. This will surely vary as the work load of an archive fluctuates. Other factors to consider are closures for remodeling, inventory, or other reasons.

It is best if you keep each research request to a maximum of about US$200.00-250.00. Archivists have many projects and can’t spend a great deal of time on reference issues. If your request is too involved it may be only partially completed.

It is not necessary to write research requests in Czech; either English or German will suffice. You will be written back in Czech, however, so you will have to learn something about the language or get help. A regional or provincial archive will provide a translation for approximately $5.00 per page.

Archival research report from the Pilsen archive.

You can also request a map covering the area your ancestors came from. Maps are $2.00-3.00 each and cover a section of the country approximately 75 km x 45 km. The scale of one the author received for the Klatovy area is 1:100,000 (no accompanying index).

There are several ways you can solicit information from a Czech archive:

1. You can ask for photocopies

2. You can ask that information be transcribed in running commentary style. Sometimes an archive will transcribe a record completely, other times, it will just include a short description or list of people with minimal information (e.g., for a birth entry: name, date of birth, and reference in the register of the entry).

3. You can have information sent to you on official certificates. There is a fee associated with each certificate.

4. You can have the archive record information on your own forms. Be certain to send enough forms to cover the work that must be done. The advantage to this last method is the information is obviously very easy to interpret.

If you request copies of records from an archive, be aware that certain archives make photocopies, others don’t due to preservation issues. Sometimes you may receive actual photographs of the entries, sometimes photocopies. Other times you may receive a microfilm (i.e., the specific entries of the research found on your family, not a microfilm of the entire parish).

To conduct genealogical research with the assistance of a Czech archive, send your request to the central office in Prague. That office will forward your request to the appropriate státní oblastní or zemský archiv:

Archivní správa

ministerstva vnitra ČR

Milady Horákové 133

166 21 Praha 6

CZECH REPUBLIC

Be certain to indicate a monetary limit on research. Again, the rate archives charge for research is usually between $10.00-14.00 per working hour. Charges are calculated in 30-minute blocks. An administrative fee of $8.00 per request is charged, and clerical work (e.g., typing of reports) runs $4.00 per hour.

Hiring a professional researcher

Another way to research your ancestors is to hire a professional genealogist. If choosing this option, exercise caution. Many people claiming to be professional researchers are not bona fide. Some are frauds. Ask around. The reputation of a good researcher usually precedes him. There are many ways of finding qualified researchers. ICAPGen (International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists) is an accrediting organization of professional researchers. A list of accredited researchers (A.G.) can be found on the web at:

http://www.icapgen.org/

Or, you may reach them at:

ICAPGen

P.O. Box 970204

Orem, UT 84097-0204

FAX: (801) 375-4722

e-mail: information@icapgen.org

You may also obtain a list of certified (C.G.) professional researchers certified through the Board of Certification of Genealogists. The list of genealogists certified through them is on their web page:

http://www.genealogy.org/~bcg/

Or, if you prefer, you may write to:

Board of Certification of Genealogists

P.O. Box 14291

Washington, DC 20044

U.S.A.

Czech family history societies can also point you in the right direction. The CGSI (Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International) has a web page of professional researchers who work in the Czech and Slovak Republics:

http://www.cgsi.org/base/research.htm

Other family history societies may have similar lists.

One advantage to hiring a professional do your research is that you only need to deal with one person, instead of several archives. Researchers will become familiar with your particular lines and know your specific needs. They have multiple resources at their disposal.

Professional researchers might be a little more expensive. The average charge for a reliable professional is around $20.00-50.00, but can be more, even up to $100.00 per hour.

Doing research on your own

It is possible to go to the Czech Republic and do the research yourself. If you do, you should have the appropriate background. You will encounter material in several languages, and need to read both Latin and Kurrent (a handwritten script, corresponding to Gothic print) scripts. There are a variety of document types, e.g. church records, land records, censuses, military records, etc. Familiarize yourself with those types you will be searching, as well as Czech research guides to help you in this task. You will also need to know which archive houses which type of records.

Archive personnel will often help with an occasional question, but you should be prepared to read records and do research on your own. Their job is to safeguard materials for your use, not to do your research. Many can’t read the old writing. They may or may not speak English or German, so it is best to be prepared.

There is almost always a fee equivalent to approximately US $1.00-2.00 charged per book or microfilm used each day. The usual way to pay is by providing the archive with “koleky” (fee stamps) in the proper amount. Fee stamps may be purchased at a post office. The Třeboň archive will take cash, however. In Plzeň, they will not. It’s best to have the stamps, if in doubt. If a book has been microfilmed, you will not be allowed to look at the actual book, but only at the microfilm copy. Additionally, most archives have a maximum number of books you can look at each day. Usually, the number is six, although this can vary. (In the past, the Třeboň archive has not had a problem with going over the limit, and will provide you with books, even when microfilm copies are available.) Duncan Gardiner reports that the Zámrsk archive counts the microfilms of registers in the daily limit, whereas others do not.⁵ In at least the Třeboň and Plzeň archives, books used on one particular day may also be used on subsequent days (up to 30 days) without additional payment. Additionally, these books kept from previous days do not count in subsequent daily book limits.

Before you travel to the Czech Republic, you should know the specific town your ancestor came from. If you need help in locating a place, check your own family sources first. Perhaps you have a letter, military record, passport, or a naturalization or immigration document for the country of arrival. Another method would be to use gazetteers. There are also services that family history societies provide for members that help you to find the place of origin of an ancestor. Another option is to use LDS Family History Library or local Family History Centers. If you need a list of family history centers in your area, you can find one on the web at:

http://www.familysearch.org

If you wish to visit one of the state regional archives after locating your town, but are not sure which archive contains the church books for your town, write to the following address. They will direct you to the proper institution.

Archivní správa ministerstva vnitra ČR

Milady Horákové 133

166 21 Praha 6

CZECH REPUBLIC

You should also bring reference tools that you are familiar with, e.g., gazetteers, atlases, dictionaries, genealogical dictionaries, etc. An archive may have similar resources, but it will take valuable time to familiarize yourself with them, or you may not even be able to use them at all. An English-speaking researcher might want to bring some of the following on a trip to a Czech archive:

· Czech-, German-, Latin-English dictionaries

· Czech-, German-, Latin-English genealogical dictionaries

· Gazetteer covering the geographical area you are researching

· Atlases and maps

· Czech genealogy handbook

· Laptop computer

· Pedigree charts and family group record sheets

If you are planning on bringing a laptop with you on your trip, be aware that power may not be available from your work area in the archives. You may need a spare battery or two. Hopefully, your laptop will handle dual voltage (in Europe, electrical outlets are 240 V AC), so you don’t need a converter. If you do have dual voltage capability, you will still need an appropriate adapter for the Czech Republic.

For researchers who don’t speak Czech, some Czechs speak English; even more speak German. If you do speak German, it can be of great assistance to you in the Czech Republic. You shouldn’t expect, however, that someone will speak English or German.

It is a good idea to check archival inventories, as well. The FHL has copies of some of these (some more recent than others). Check the catalog under the archive locality and the subject heading “Archives and libraries.”

Call or write to the archives well in advance, so that you will not have any problems getting in. There are certain times of day, as well as days of the week or year they are closed. You should be aware of these before planning a trip. Some archives are closed during a certain month of the year, some every other Friday, or others might be closed for inventory or remodeling. They can close without warning, so please, make certain you contact each archive in advance to inquire about their hours, days they are closed, whether you need to reserve a seat or a microfilm reader, or any other conditions you must meet to do research there.

All archives are closed on the following national holidays: 1 January, 1 May, 8 May, 5-6 July, 28 October, 24-26, 31 December.

Some of the State Regional Archives have branch offices, where it is also possible to conduct research. Plan on more of a time lag in getting the books you want, however. More information on both branch and main offices can be found at:

http://www2.genealogy.net/gene/reg/SUD/crarch-list.html#ar1

This Internet site, although in German, gives detailed information on individual archives (e.g., whether it is necessary to reserve a seat or microfilm reader, the cost of use for each church book, condition of archival material, etc.). For further information see also:

http://www.cgsi.org/archives/archive.htm

Expect to find records written in either Czech, German, or Latin. Some parishes even have records that are written in all three. Become familiar with these languages, or at least with the necessary vocabulary and grammar for each type of record you will be researching (see below). Czech and Latin especially are highly inflected languages, i.e. word forms change depending on certain grammatical conditions. One example of inflection in English is: speak, speaks, speaking, spoke, spoken. When looking up one of these forms in a dictionary, the word is found in only one place, under its base form, speak, and all other inflected forms of the word are derived from that single word. In Czech, Pilsen is Plzeň in its nominative, or dictionary form, but in Pilsen is written v Plzni. There are many good language aids available to help you (see bibliography). Some bookstores have an excellent selection of grammars, guidebooks and dictionaries to choose from.

You should also become familiar with the Kurrent script, common in many countries of Germanic origin, or those influenced by countries such as Germany and Austria. There are also good sources to help you learn this script (see bibliography). If you practice writing the script, you should be able to read it easily. You will also probably encounter Czech written in Kurrent, which is called Švabach. When Austria ordered that all Czech records be henceforth kept in either Latin or German, priests would often attempt to get around this by writing Czech in Švabach.

If you are planning on doing your own research, some very good and thorough guides are available. Olga K. Miller’s Genealogical Research for Czech and Slovak Americans (ISBN 0-8103-1404-5) is a must for any who wish to do Czech and Slovak research on their own. It provides a good overview and an in-depth treatment of many aspects of research (especially her coverage of sources in the Czech and Slovak Republics). It was published by:

Gale Research Company

Book Tower, Detroit, MI 48226

(313) 961-2242

Another good resource is Daniel Schlyter’s A Handbook of Czechoslovak Genealogical Research (ISBN 0-912811-02-1). It similarly covers areas of research quite well and has particularly good treatment of how to trace your ancestor back to Europe. The publisher is

Genun Publishers

789 South Buffalo Grove Road

Buffalo Grove, IL 60090

Unfortunately, both of these publications are out of print. If you are unable to find these sources in your own library, try to obtain them through Interlibrary Loan.

The Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International (CGSI) is currently (June 2002) putting together a guide on Czech research, which promises to be a good resource.

There are also many other publications which are helpful in research. Some focus on Czechs who immigrated to Texas, the Midwest, Northwest, or other areas of the United States, as well as other countries. Check the Family History Library Catalog, your local library, or the Internet. Family history societies can also be very helpful.

There are excellent aids available for doing Czech research. Just remember, though, if you are doing research on your own, the keyword is to be prepared.

If you are traveling to the Czech Republic for research, you need to know the addresses, phone numbers, hours, and other information for each statní oblastní or zemský archive. When calling the Czech Republic, note that the country code is 420. You will have to dial your own international access code immediately preceding the country code (for the United States, this is 011). An attempt has been made to get the most current information (as of May 2000), but you should always contact the archives yourself, in order to be aware of any changes. Here are the archive addresses:

Moravský zemský archiv v Brně

Žerotínovo náměsti 3/5

p.p.1

656 01 Brno

CZECH REPUBLIC

Telephone: 011-420-5/42162308

Fax: 011-420-5/41211489

Hours: M - Th: 9:00 - 12:00, 13:00 - 18:00 (closed 1. every Friday, 2. entire month of July.)

Státní oblastní archiv v Litoměřicích

Krajská 1

412 01 Litoměřice

CZECH REPUBLIC

Telephone: 011-420-416/73 53 59

Fax: 011-420-416/73 53 73

Hours: M, W 8:00-18:00; T, Th 8:00-15:30; F CLOSED (all year)

Zemský archiv v Opavě

Sněmovni ul. C 1

746 01 Opava

CZECH REPUBLIC

Telephone: 011-420-553/623364

Fax: 011-420-653/623476

Hours: M, W: 7:30 - 5:30; T, Th: 7:30 - 3:00

Státní oblastní archiv v Plzni

Sedláčkova 44

p.p. 312306 12 Plzeň

CZECH REPUBLIC

Telephone: 011-420-377 236 263

Fax: 011-420-377 327 269

Hours: M, T, W: 8:30 - 6:00; Th, F: 8:30 - 3:30

web site: http://www.zcu.cz/plzen/org/state-archives/

Státní oblastní archiv v Zámrsk

Zámrsk Zámek

565 43 Zámrsk

CZECH REPUBLIC

Telephone: 011-420-465/481 202 or 230

Fax: 011-420-465/481 201

Hours: M, W: 8:00 - 5:00; T, Th: 9:00 - 4:00

Státní oblastní archiv v Třeboni

379 11 Treboň, zámek

CZECH REPUBLIC

Telephone: 011-420-384/721 128 or 511

Fax: 011-420-384/721 346

Hours: M, W: 7:30 - 17:00; T, Th: 7:30 - 15:00

Státní oblastní archiv v Praze

Horska 7

128 00 Praha 2 - Nové Město

CZECH REPUBLIC

Telephone: 011-420-974/847 358 or 269

Fax: 011-420-974/847 357

Hours: T, W: 9:00 - 4:00; Th: 9:00 - 6:00 (usually closed during August)

OTHER ARCHIVES/OFFICES:

Research requests, or information about which archive houses records for your specific town:

Archivní správa

ministerstva vnitra ČR

Milady Horákové 133

166 21 Praha 6

CZECH REPUBLIC