Description of the collections
The collections of regional SNB directorates and their predecessors contain archival materials from the year 1945 (with antecedents from the year 1918) through the year 1991.
After the creation of the regional system, the Regional National Security headquarters (Krajská velitelstvi NB) began to function in the territories of new regions starting in 1949. In relevant places, this headquarters took over the entire agenda of the former Area (oblastní) SNB headquarters, and in Prague and Brno even a part of the work of the discontinued Country SNB headquarters (the remainder went to the Ministry of the Interior).
As of January 1949, a new organization of districts also came into effect, tailored to the new regional borders. Here the District National Security headquarters took care of national (or public) security. In 1951, SNB stations (the lowest unit of the security apparatus) were discontinued and replaced with a system of district services. Because as of 1945, national security tasks were carried out from within security offices (referáty) of national committees (with the exception of local NV), the collections from regional directorates also contain very fragmented documents from these offices, especially from regional national committees. In 1952, the Regional National Security headquarters was renamed the Regional VB Directorate. As of January 1, 1954, the Ministry of the Interior regional directorates (KS MV) were newly constructed, in whose scope began to function both security services – the VB directorate for public security, and the StB directorate for state security. The districts were similarly organized – a district MV department, and for public security, a VB department. In 1964, the system of precinct deputies was replaced with a network of ward VB departments falling under the direct management of the district VB department. In 1966, the KS MV were renamed as Regional SNB directorates; in the districts, District SNB formed directorates later, in 1977. This organizational system functioned until November 1990, at which time VB directorates remained in the regions, with subservient VB District directorates. The collections of the Regional SNB directorates also contain materials from investigation units, which practically became, after the discontinuation of central criminal offices, a part of individual regional units (procedurally, however, they were independent as of 1964).
In light of the fact that the rules for archiving SNB unit documents were not specified until the 1960s, their form and dating varies from unit to unit. Over time, however, the selection of archival materials levelled off due to the existence of the shredding regime. Archival materials older than the year 1945 can also be found in the collections of the Regional SNB directorates – mainly diaries from SNB station headquarters, previously local police stations, or inspection protocols from these stations.
The collections contain select written materials, including minutes from meetings of chiefs or the chief’s staff, annual reports, work plans, completion certificates, various announcements, daily reports, overviews of operative activity, organizational affairs, reorganization of units, analyses, security and exceptional security plans and measures, evaluations of tasks performed, protocols from audits, plans on the educational process for SNB servicemen, lists of holders of distributed weapons, and the agenda of the transport inspectorate – books of accidents, statistics, and so on. From investigation units there are copies of investigation files; from office books there are protocols of events, station service books, books of service, diaries of SNB station headquarters; from registration finding aids there are mainly registers of office proceedings, diaries on investigation files, protocols on drivers’ exams, registers on driver’s licenses issued, grievance protocols and books of arrests.