Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 6
Land-Use Changes Along the Iron Curtain
in Czechia
Ivan Bicík, Jan Kabrda, and Jirí Najman
6.1 Changing Functions of Czech Borders
Changes of land-use structure are influenced by a wide range of factors, the so-called
“driving forces” (Jelecek, 2002). According to Mather (2002) or Lambin and Geist
(2007) these include economy, technology, politics, institutions and culture work on
a general level - as “underlying” factors. On the contrary, there exist “proximate”
factors, working on a local level. We have basically two main clusters of proximate
factors - natural conditions (altitude, slope, soil fertility, climate, etc.) and socio-
economic characteristics (e.g., density of population, economic structure, and spatial
exposedness). Another proximate factor, influencing local land use, is proximity to
or position relative to political borders.
The borders in Czechia played very different roles in the last century. At the
beginning, in the period of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, the role of borders was
relatively weak, influenced by the fact that the Czech lands were a part of a much
larger political unit, in which the same economic and custom laws played roles.
After Czechoslovakia was established in 1918, the same borders started playing
different roles both in economy and in politics. In the years 1939-1945, old bor-
ders ceased to exist, and the Nazi Protectorate Bohemia and Moravia (Böhmen und
Mähren) was established. A short period of democracy controlled by communists
(1945-1948) followed. From February 1948 onwards, the Iron Curtain was erected
step-by-step on the western borders of Czechoslovakia. This Iron Curtain (ca. 1948-
1990) between the European East and West determined land-use changes in those
Czech regions lying along the borders with Austria and the former West Germany.
The Iron Curtain was not only an abstract line, named so by Sir Winston
Churchill, but also a very concrete barrier with fences, walls and guard posts. Large
areas along it had to be abandoned, depopulated, afforested, and they served as mili-
tary zones where the Czechoslovak army “faced” the phantom enemy from the “evil
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