After seizing power, the Communist Party in Czechoslovakia sought to control various aspects of society, including the publishing industry. This control intensified after the coup in 1948, culminating in the 1949 law that prohibited private individuals from publishing books. The ideological shift aimed to eliminate commercially successful works deemed as culture 'trash', yet the reality was more complex as state-sponsored publishing did not entirely meet the regime's objectives.

In 1950, adjustments were made to this centralized system in response to its initial failures. The state-operated publishing model struggled to effectively replace the vibrant private sector. Literature produced under the strict regime often failed to resonate with the public, leading to a need for reforms that acknowledged the shortcomings of the censorship-heavy approach to book publishing.

Majerová's remarks illustrate the conflicting motives behind this censorship, revealing how political pressures shaped literary output in an era of repression. As the regime grappled with the balance between ideological control and public engagement, the landscape of Czech literature underwent profound changes that would echo through the country's cultural history.