Národohospodářské souvislosti těžby hnědého uhlí na území Československa a České republiky v letech 1950-2000

This work analyses the expansion of lignite mining in the Czechoslovak Republic and the Czech Republic in the second half of the 20th century and its effects on the economy, the energy industry and the environment. The work is divided into four chapters, the first of which outlines the formation of lignite and its geological distribution throughout the territory, including the locations of significant lignite coalfields. The following chapter describes how the expanding lignite mining industry developed in Czechoslovakia and the use of lignite in energy production, including changes in the first half of the 20th century affected by the geopolitical situation. The third chapter is divided into sections corresponding to three different time periods of the second half of the 20th century, which contain analysis of the development of coal mining in economic contexts, the development of energy production with an emphasis on lignite power plants, and the effects of mining and the energy industry on the environment including subsequent mine reclamation. The closing chapter uses analysis from statistical annuals and archives to provide a comprehensive overview of the industry in this time period.Despite the limited amount of primary statistical sources available, the work succeeded in confirming its primary hypothesis, that lignite mining was essential for a Czechoslovak Republic oriented mainly around heavy industry to attain energy self-sufficiency. Additionally, the available data supports the fact that lignite mining had a positive effect on employment and international trade. The final point examined and verified was how the transformation of the lignite mining and energy industries in the 1990s resulted in a more positive attitude towards environmental impacts.