Herbert David: Justice v říšské župě Sudety optikou vzpomínek jejího hlavního představitele

This study examines the fate of justice in the Reichsgau Sudetenland through the recollections of its leading representative, Dr. Herbert David (1900–1987). Drawing on archival research in German repositories and David’s own memoirs, the article reconstructs the transformation of the legal system in the Sudetenland after its annexation to the Third Reich in 1938. David’s memories, written decades later, represent a unique and hitherto underexplored source that illuminates the personnel challenges, institutional restructuring, and ideological pressures faced by the judiciary in this border region. His testimony reveals both the practical functioning of courts under Nazi rule and the tensions between local actors and central Reich authorities. By contextualizing David’s narrative with secondary literature on Nazi law and Sudeten German politics, the article highlights the interplay between law, ideology, and power in a newly established Reichsgau. It also addresses the limitations and biases of David’s recollections, while emphasizing their value as the only surviving insider account of judicial administration in the Sudetenland during the years 1938–1945.