Jaroslav Krejčí

Krejčí giving a speech in Tábor

Jaroslav Krejčí (June 27, 1892 - May 18, 1956) was a Czechoslovakian lawyer and politician.

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 worked in Masaryk University as a teacher of constitutional law (from 1938 as professor).

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 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 prison term and subsequently died while in prison.