1st January 1946

Nationalisation

The nationalisation of the majority of enterprises in Czechoslovakia in 1946 led to the devastation of a competitive environment, and the Ultraphon and Esta labels were placed together under a single roof. Three years later, Supraphon was established as the export arm of the national Gramofonové závody enterprise. The symbol of a lion with a lyre appeared on its records. The state-run Gramofonové závody controlled everything – from the development and production of the material for record pressing, the actual recording, to distribution and retail of audio discs. The entire conception complied with the unfortunate contemporary trend of a national and socialist economy and culture.