Prague Treaty (1973)
The Prague Treaty (Treaty on Mutual Relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic) from 1973 was concluded between the Federal Republic of Germany and Czechoslovakia . This German-Czechoslovak normalization treaty was part of Germany's Ostpolitik , the last of the Eastern Treaties in which agreements were made on Germany's post-war borders with Eastern Europe. It was signed on December 11, 1973 (on the German side by Chancellor Willy Brandt and Foreign Minister Walter Scheel , on the Czechoslovak side by Prime Minister Lubomír Štrougal and Foreign Minister Bohuslav Chňoupek ). The German-Czechoslovak treaty came into force with the final ratification in 1974.
content
The contract declared the nullity of the multilateral Munich Agreement of 1938 on the cession of the Sudeten area . Problematic aspects such as the question of compensation and the rights of German expellees were excluded.
In the treaty, the parties invoked the Charter of the United Nations and declared that they had no territorial claims against each other, and acknowledged the inviolability of their common borders. Future cooperation in the fields of economy, science, scientific-technical relations, culture, environmental protection, sport, transport and their other relations was also planned.
Diplomatic relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and Czechoslovakia were established that day .
negotiations
Negotiations began on October 12, 1970. Following the Ulbricht doctrine, Prague initially demanded the admission of both German states to the UN and the unreserved recognition of the GDR . In addition, Prague insisted that the Munich Agreement of 1938 was "from the start" and should be annulled accordingly. It was not until two years later that the Czechoslovak side switched from the ex tunc formula to the nullity formula on the crucial question of the invalidity of the Munich Agreement . In three further rounds of negotiations from April to May 1973, formulations were finally found that declared the nullity of the agreement acceptable to both sides. The contract was initialed in Bonn on June 20, 1973. After that, however, differences of opinion arose again, this time on the question of the representation of West Berlin by the Federal Republic of Germany. In two further rounds of talks in August 1973 it was not possible to clear it up. Controversial humanitarian issues and the West Berlin question were finally resolved with an exchange of letters between Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt and Foreign Minister Walter Scheel , which supplemented the agreements in the treaty. The contract was finally signed on December 11, 1973
consequences
The Prague treaty met resistance and disappointment from the Sudeten German Landsmannschaft and led to a wave of party withdrawals.
In the 1992 treaty between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic on good neighbors and friendly cooperation , the Prague Treaty of 1973 was confirmed “also with regard to the nullity of the Munich Agreement of September 29, 1938”.
Individual evidence
- ^ Jörg K. Hoensch : History of Czechoslovakia . 3rd edition, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3-17-011725-4 , p. 181 f.
- ^ Treaty on good neighbors on the website of the German Embassy in Prague , accessed on February 10, 2019.