Jaroslav Krejčí

Who was Jaroslav Krejčí?

Jaroslav Krejčí was a Czechoslovakian lawyer and politician. He served as Prime Minister of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia from January 19, 1942 to January 19, 1945.

After graduating from the Faculty of Law of Charles University in 1915 he worked in the civil service in various positions. During the 1930s he also lectured constitutional law at Masaryk University.

From December 12, 1938, to March 3, 1939, he was minister of justice in Rudolf Beran's government of the Czechoslovak Second Republic and head of the Czechoslovak Constitutional Court. He served as minister of justice in all Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia governments and temporarily he was also minister of agriculture. From January 19, 1942, to January 19, 1945, he was prime minister, replacing Alois Eliáš, who had supported the underground resistance to Nazis and was executed. Krejčí was a close friend of president Emil Hácha. Krejčí and his government fully cooperated with the Germans. The most infamous member of his government was Emanuel Moravec, a symbol of Czech collaboration with the Nazis. After the war, Krejčí was sentenced to a 25-year prison term and subsequently died while in prison.