The Historical Roots of Local Self-Government in Czech and Slovak Republics

The paper deals with the historical development of local self-government in the context of the development of the public administration as a whole during the First Czechoslovak Republic. It presents historical roots of the public administration in the former imperial Austria-Hungary, which was different from other European countries with its complex bureaucratic structures. Certain elements of the complex political and administrative developments during the early 20th century can be seen even one hundred years later. It is becoming apparent that history repeats itself in a number of issues and that it is unforgivable not to learn lessons both from the mistakes and the successful solutions of the past.