| Abstrakt: |
Abstract: a1_This article looks at motorway construction within the former Czechoslovakia, in particular between 1938 and 1940 as viewed by the press at the time. The Munich Agreement led to many regions seceding from Czechoslovakia, which also led to a disruption to transport infrastructure, in particular in the east-west direction. Leaders of the Second Republic endeavoured to overcome this problem by constructing a motorway from Prague to Brno and the border with Slovakia. This was a highly complex project and it drew a lot of media attention. Periodicals at the time focused primarily on the reasons for the construction itself, and in particular showcased the whole plan to the public at a time when construction plans had not yet been completed. There was also a lot of speculation about the direction the motorway was to take, and, e.g., construction of a ringroad around Prague. It was also important for the media to inform future motorway users of the rules for future use of the motorway. At the same time, periodicals looked at various aspects of the construction, such as its impact on tourism, travel and business. Construction was restricted during the war, and it was stopped completely in April 1943. Media articles, however, did not just focus on the motorway from Prague to Slovakia, but also the construction of another national motorway, specifically the motorway from Wroclaw to Vienna. Although this was an unwanted road dictated by the Third Reich, the vast majority of periodicals gave a positive spin on its importance. Almost all magazines compared domestic motorways and those abroad. Particularly popular were records in construction speed and motoway size. |
