Sbor národní bezpečnosti
Encyclopedia
The Sbor Národní Bezpečnosti (SNB, in Slovak: Zbor národnej bezpečnosti, ZNB), or National Security Corps, was the national police in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
from 1945 to 1991.
At the end of World War II, on April 4, 1945, Edvard Beneš
headed the first postwar government at Košice, dominated by the three socialist parties, in including the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
(KSČ). The SNB was established by the coalition government as part of the Ministry of the Interior during a meeting in Košice on April 17, replacing the traditional police and gendarmes. Control of the Ministry of Interior was sought and obtained by the KSČ, whose Václav Nosek was appointed minister and began converting the security forces into arms of the party. Between 1945 and 1948, anti-Communist police officials and officers were fired, non-Communist personnel were encouraged to join the KSČ, and all were subjected to Communist indoctrination. Nosek's replacement of the upper police hierarchy with Communists caused the protest resignation of anti-Communist government ministers in February 1948, leading to the Czechoslovak coup d'etat of 1948
. When the coup took place, Nosek's Communist-dominated security forces ensured an easy takeover. The SNB then consisted of two separate organizations - the VB (Veřejná Bezpečnost) or Public Security, and the StB (Státní Bezpečnost)
, or State Security.
Public Security was a uniformed force, patterned on the Czech army, that performed traditional police duties throughout the country, including both criminal investigations and public safety duties such as traffic enforcement. State Security, the former Secret Police, was a plainclothes force, also nationwide, that acted in investigative, intelligence, and counterintelligence roles. Any activity that could possibly be considered anti-state fell under the purview of the State Security.
The SNB was abolished and replaced by the Czech Police on July 15, 1991, after the changes that followed the Velvet Revolution
of 1989 in which the SNB attempted to suppress the demonstrating students.
A very popular crime series, based mostly on true stories (presented with a political spin), was made in the 1970s, called Thirty Cases of Major Zeman („Třicet případů majora Zemana“). The TV series is still popular to this day and even has its own fanclub. Other series were made in the Czechoslovakia, e.g. Malý pitaval z velkého města.
Cases of significance, during the existence of SNB:
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was the official name of Czechoslovakia from 1960 until end of 1989 , a Soviet satellite state of the Eastern Bloc....
from 1945 to 1991.
At the end of World War II, on April 4, 1945, Edvard Beneš
Edvard Beneš
Edvard Beneš was a leader of the Czechoslovak independence movement, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the second President of Czechoslovakia. He was known to be a skilled diplomat.- Youth :...
headed the first postwar government at Košice, dominated by the three socialist parties, in including the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, in Czech and in Slovak: Komunistická strana Československa was a Communist and Marxist-Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992....
(KSČ). The SNB was established by the coalition government as part of the Ministry of the Interior during a meeting in Košice on April 17, replacing the traditional police and gendarmes. Control of the Ministry of Interior was sought and obtained by the KSČ, whose Václav Nosek was appointed minister and began converting the security forces into arms of the party. Between 1945 and 1948, anti-Communist police officials and officers were fired, non-Communist personnel were encouraged to join the KSČ, and all were subjected to Communist indoctrination. Nosek's replacement of the upper police hierarchy with Communists caused the protest resignation of anti-Communist government ministers in February 1948, leading to the Czechoslovak coup d'etat of 1948
Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948
The Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948 – in Communist historiography known as "Victorious February" – was an event late that February in which the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, with Soviet backing, assumed undisputed control over the government of Czechoslovakia, ushering in over four decades...
. When the coup took place, Nosek's Communist-dominated security forces ensured an easy takeover. The SNB then consisted of two separate organizations - the VB (Veřejná Bezpečnost) or Public Security, and the StB (Státní Bezpečnost)
STB
STB is an acronym that can mean:* Sacrae Theologiae Baccalaureus – Bachelor of Sacred Theology* Set-top box – a television device that converts signals to viewable images* Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP -- a law firm...
, or State Security.
Public Security was a uniformed force, patterned on the Czech army, that performed traditional police duties throughout the country, including both criminal investigations and public safety duties such as traffic enforcement. State Security, the former Secret Police, was a plainclothes force, also nationwide, that acted in investigative, intelligence, and counterintelligence roles. Any activity that could possibly be considered anti-state fell under the purview of the State Security.
The SNB was abolished and replaced by the Czech Police on July 15, 1991, after the changes that followed the Velvet Revolution
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
of 1989 in which the SNB attempted to suppress the demonstrating students.
A very popular crime series, based mostly on true stories (presented with a political spin), was made in the 1970s, called Thirty Cases of Major Zeman („Třicet případů majora Zemana“). The TV series is still popular to this day and even has its own fanclub. Other series were made in the Czechoslovakia, e.g. Malý pitaval z velkého města.
Cases of significance, during the existence of SNB:
- Franz Nowotny (Kilian) - the "King of Sumava", a CIC agent, shot but escaped to Bavaria in 1950
- Hubert PilčíkHubert PilčíkHubert Pilčík was a Czechoslovak serial killer, human trafficker and rural herbalist. After second world war, Pilčík started smuggling people across the border from the Czech Republic into Germany. He started killing his customers in 1948, already in senior age. After his capture, Pilčík committed...
- committed suicide in a prison - Václav MrázekVáclav MrázekVáclav Mrázek was a Czech serial killer who was convicted of murdering seven people. All of his victims were women. His murders were primarily sexually motivated, although he also burgled his victims' homes...
- mass murderer - Olga HepnarováOlga HepnarováOlga Hepnarová was a Czech mass murderer, who in 1973 killed 8 people with a truck. She was convicted and executed in 1975.- Life :...
- mass murderer, convicted of public endangerement and hanged in 1975.