Československý úřad pro hospodářskou pomoc a obnovu, Praha

The largest part of the archival collection consists of records from 1945–1948, the period when the office’s activities were at their peak. The materials (e.g., records on supply conditions, distribution of goods, and lists and overviews of deliveries) are of great importance for the study of economic conditions in post-war Czechoslovakia. The collection originated from the activities of the Czechoslovak UNRRA Office at the Ministry of Food (later renamed the Czechoslovak Office for Economic Relief and Rehabilitation), which facilitated communication between Czechoslovak authorities and the international organization UNRRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration). Czechoslovakia was one of sixteen countries to request economic assistance from UNRRA and was ranked sixth in the order of designated supplies. The basis for UNRRA operations in Czechoslovakia was the agreement signed on 26 February 1945 in London between the Czechoslovak government and the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. In March 1945, the Office of First Aid was established at the Czechoslovak embassy in London, which later became a branch of the Czechoslovak Office for Economic Relief and Rehabilitation in Prague. On 8 June 1945, the government approved a resolution establishing the Czechoslovak Office for Liaison with UNRRA, prepared by the Minister of Food in consultation with the Minister of Foreign Trade. However, implementing regulations were never issued during the office’s entire existence. The office soon changed its name to the Czechoslovak Office for Economic Relief and Rehabilitation, referred to internationally as COFRAR – Czechoslovak Office for Relief and Rehabilitation. To receive goods, which began arriving from early April 1945, so-called branches were established, mostly in European ports, where the majority of goods from the USA, Britain, and Canada arrived. Due to its landlocked position, Czechoslovakia was the only country to take delivery of goods directly at the ports rather than at the national borders. On 13 April 1948, by government resolution, the Czechoslovak Office for Economic Relief and Rehabilitation, in the process of liquidation, was attached to the Ministry of Finance. The liquidation was initially scheduled to be completed by 31 December 1948, in agreement with the Chairman of the Supreme Audit and Control Office. However, the liquidation lasted significantly longer, continuing until 1951.