HARMONIKA FACTORY/PRODUCTS/FINANCES/PERSONNEL/WAGES/POLITICAL ACTIVITIES, ETC.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000300660005-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 24, 2003
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: January 13, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Alp ACV-
Approved F"5Safe fV03~t?, l PL82-00047R000300660005-0
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT N0.
25X1A
INFORMATION REPORT cD NO.
COUNTRY Czechoslovakia
DATE DISTR. /3 Jan 1954
SUBJECT ,iarrnonika factory/Products"Finsnces/Per sonne1/ .{ages/ NO. OF PAGES ,3
Political Activities, etc.
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
5X1 ACQUIRED
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THIS 000UNENT CONTAIN! INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL OEt.N5E
Of THE UNITCO STATEN, SITNIN THE MESSING Of TITLE 181 SECTIONS TO3
ANO IS41 OF THE U.S. CODE, AS ANEN0E0. ITS TRANSAISIIOM OR REAR.
LOTION OR ITS CONTENT! TO OR RECEIPT SY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
PROHISITEO SY L.S. THE REPR000CTION Of THIS POSH IS PROHISITEO.
5X1X
NO. OF ENCLS.2
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1. LT-he exact location of the iarmonika Factory is indicated on Enclosure A,
by circled number 5, and the detailed description is given on Enclosure B_7
This enterprise was founded in 1890, and prior to nationalization belonged.
to Hans Rolz.
2. Products: Before World War II the '1a rmonika Factory manufactured musical
instruments, and during the war it was converted to the production of aluminum
aircraft parts; this production centered around. the manufacture of aircraft
frames (so-called kites) for Messe.rschmitt aircraft. The factory was not
bombed once during the entire war. After World War II, the factory was once
again adapted to the manufacture of musical instruments.
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3 In the Spring of 1952 military specialists from the id$inistry of Defense arrived
at the factory and began to measure all available shop space. These
specialists spoke only with the director of the enterprise and with the chairman
of the enterprise council.
that the factory was to be converted again to the production of aircraft
par s, and that the visitors from the Ministry of `)efense had demonstrated
interest in some plans which were kept in the fireproof safe of the factory.
These blueprints had been preserved from the time of the German occupation
when aircraft parts were manufactured here.
14. The main HHarmonika plant is in Horovice; it has sister plants in Kraslice,
Pisek, 'Llouny and Hradec Kralove. The Harmonika, enterprise in Kraslice is
divided into two parts: the "finishing shop", which produced musical toys, and
the "Harnlonika shop", which produced accordions and mouth organs.
Material for use in the enterprise was shipped from the warehouse in Horice near
Prague; and Swedish steel and files arrived. directly from t weden.
CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL
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w.Z'A CODE,
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CONFIDENTIAL
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6. The factory uses the following raw materials in its production: brass, aluminum, iron,
cellulose, beech wood dural, alcohol, benzene, acetone, acetone solvent, paints and
lacquers.
7. (The motive power for the.enterprise consisted of electricity, coal and compressed air.)
8. Export: Only high quality merchandise, without the slightest flaw, was authorized for
export. Export goods were shipped to Africa, the US, Australia, Great Britain, the
USSR, Hungary and Poland. Less perfect merchandise, with outwardly visible flaws, was
sold domestically as "perfect", through outlets in Ceske Budejovice, Usti nad Labem,
Kralove Pole and Prostejov.
9. Finances: The money for the payroll was paid to the enterprise by the Kraslice branch
of the Czechoslovak National Bank. Every two weeks the enterprise received a certain
sum from the bank, but was required to present evidence of plan fulfillment for the
period concerned; when the plan had not been fulfilled, the bank refused to make
available the wage money, in which case the directorate of the enterprise had,
immediately, to send a very detailed written explanation to the National Bank in Prague,
indicating why the plan had not been fulfilled. (Sometimes the director had, himself,
to travel to Prague to explain the reasons for the inadequacy of production.)
10. In July, L952, the workers in the fitting shop did not receive any pay, because their
section fad not fulfilled the section plan. They retaliated to this "provision" by
calling a two-hour strike, against which neither the management nor the Communist
Party retaliated in any manner; the, workers were paid in part', with the balance owed
them added to their next paycheck.
11. Technical. Equipment: The enterprise had standard and automatic lathes, automatic and
"semiautomatic woodworking machines (and various other woodworking machines), two
eccentric presses, galvanizing machines, shapers and planers, and compressors. The
enterprise also owned two trucks.
12. In one month the total'turnover in wages and 'salaries was about 750,000 crowns in the
finishing shop, and about 1,000,000 crowns in the harmonika shop. In 1951 the plan
of the factory was fulfilled by 99.3 percent. In the first quarter of 1952 fulfillment
was 94 percent of the production plan for that period. I do not know the overall plan
fulfillment for 1952.
13. Production: The monthly output of the factory was roughly 50 chromatic accordions 2 5X1
60,000 mouth organs, and 20,000 pieces of various musical toys.
1$. The factory employs about 340 persons, 40 percent of whom are Sudeten Germans; (all the
specialists are Sudeten Germans). Of the entire personnel about 150 are women. The
clerical staff totals about 55 employees. In addition to the above, the plant employs
about 60 domestic workers Porkers who work in their own homed, who are, for the most
part, invalids.
Wa es: Workers were paid every two weeks., and clerical staff members, on salaries,
monthly. The worker's first paycheck of the month contained only a partial payment, and
the balance was paid at the end of the month. The average monthly pay of a worker in
this factory was about 4,000 crowns; a tuner received about 8,000 to 10,000 crowns,a
section chief about 5,000, a clerk about 3,000, and a technical clerk about 4,000 crowns.
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CONFSDENTThT,
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17. Political Groups: The following organizations had representative units among the
workers in this enterprise: Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, Czechoslovak Federation
of Youth, Revolutionary Trade Union Movement, Central Trade Union Council, and the
Federation for Friendship with the USSR. Normally this enterprise worked from 0600
to 11.00 hours daily. The factory is approachable along a 10 meter wide asphalt 25X1
highway from Kraslice to Bublava)
18.
19. Worker morale*." Almost 80 percent of the personnel were against the regime, because they
earned. relatively little, but had to work harder than before. Communist propaganda had
but a limited effect on the workers, the majority of whom, particularly the young ones,
used to laugh at the Communists. Once or twice a month an all-enterprise meeting was
held and everyone attended, because no one was permitted to leave the premises before
the meeting was over. A so-called "school of work" was also introduced in the factory,
but as only two employees desired to attend, the school had to be discontinued. The
morale and attitude of the population of Kraslice is quite bad: people do not trust
one another; and, despite the fact that the majority of the people are more than dis-
satisf ied with the socialist "achievements", they are afraid to speak against the
regime.
ENCLOSURE: A: Sketch-map, Kraslice, with legend
B: Sketch-map, Zavod - "Harmonika" v Kraslich, with legend.
1L oIiARY SU 3. T tx AREA CODES
3/749.9 27M
743.14 27M
4/749.9 27M
4 27M
9/621.43 27M
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ENCLOSURE (A) CONFIDENTIAL
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SKETCH MAP, KRASLICE,.WITH LEGEND
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ENCLOSURE (A) CONFIDENTTAT,
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Legend., .to :??nclosure A, map of Kraslice 3$49
1. Military objectives under construction at Bublava (formerly Scbwaderbach). The
construction was begun in the spring of 1952 and in July of the same year,
when source was here for the last time, the buildings were not completed. There
are three brick buildings, being built along the sic'es of a square. Two of the
buildings are about 30 x 15 meters in size, and the third about 20 x 15 meters.
Between the buildings there is supposed to be an empty space and the open side of
the quadrangle faces toward Kraslice. The population from surrounding houses was
evacuated (source does not know where to) and all floors of these houses are being
concreted.
2. Border Guard caserne in Bublava; three's tory brick building 35 x 25 meters, formerly
housing the customs office and now occupied by three companies d' border guard
soldiers, a total of 90 men.
3. Border Guard caserne in Kraslice.
4. Forced labor camp at Jindrichovice.
5. Harmonika enterprise in Kraslice
CONFIDENTIAL
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ENCLOSURE (B)
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S1TTCH MAP, ZAVOD _ "HARMONIKA" V KRASLICH, WITH LEGEND
24'vo,~ /c/"
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ENCLOSURE (B)
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to end w? Enclosure B: Harmonika Enterprise in Kraslice:
1. Wooden fence, 2 meters high, 150 meters long, double.
2. Wooden fence, 2 meters high, 60 meters long, double.
3. Brick manufacturing shop, 20 x 10 x i+, housing wood working shop.
4. Steel pipe, 30 cm in diameter and 10 meters long, for compressed air.
5. Steel pipe, 18 cm in diameter and 10 meters long, for dust expulsion from the
lathe shop.
6. Brick building, 5 x 5-x 10 meters, housing the air-compressors,
7. Brick manufacturing shop, 40 x 12;x 7 meters.
8.
A.
B.
C.
Bric
Fitting shop
Mechanical work shop
Carpenter shop
k annex, 3 x 3 x 3 meters; purpose unknown to source.
9.
Entr
ance to building; wooden gate, 3 x 3 meters.
10.
Bric
k Bui,lding,'40 by 15 by 10 meters
(a
(b
c
d
e
Finished goods warehouse
Semi-finished goods warehouse
Administration and technical offices
Administration offices and section for harmonica production
Milling shop
11.
Factory entrance: Gate 5 by 1.5 (five by one and a half) meters
12.
Wooden gatehouse, 7 by 3 by 3 meters
13.
Courtyard for storage of lumber: boards and sheets
14.
Brook traversing the factory courtyard.
CONFIDENTIAL
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