A black time in Czech post-war history

The mass grave found near Jihlava in the Czech Republic containing the remains of Germans who were presumably killed by Czechs after World War II has sparked a lively debate in the country. The conservative daily Lidové noviny speaks of "one of the blackest times of the Czech history. Six years of occupation, persecution and violence created a desire for revenge among much of the population. ... Merely listing the locations where Germans are known to have been killed in 1945 could fill several news sheets. ... One cannot expect the investigation into the murders committed 65 years ago to lead to the condemnation of the perpetrators. The crimes have long been statute-barred and charges of genocide [not subject to a limitations period] would not hold up in court. However we can expect the truth and moral purification. It seems that at least those who have erected a cross on the location of the crime by Jihlava are already moving in that direction."

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