Otakar Batlička
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Otakar Batlička | |
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| Born | 12 March 1895 |
| Died | 13 February 1942 (aged 46) |
| Known for | Writing and journalism |
| Awards | Czechoslovak War Cross 1939–1945 |
Otakar Batlička (12 March 1895, Prague, Czech Republic (then part of the Kingdom of Bohemia in Austria-Hungary) – 13 February 1942, Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp) was a Czech adventurer, journalist, ham (amateur) radio operator, and member of the Czech-based Nazi resistance group Obrana Národa during World War II.
Early life
[edit]Batlička was born in Vinohrady, Prague.[1] In his early adult years, he traveled around the world, probably from 1914 to 1920.[1] After his return to Prague, he was active in many areas: in the 1920s he took part in motorcycle races and experimented with electricity; in 1932 he registered as an amateur radio operator, and constructed his own transmitter which he presented at exhibitions and lectures, working for the Prague tram network.[1]
War years
[edit]After the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia and the subsequent establishment of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, he became a member of the Obrana Národa; as a radio operator he communicated with Moscow.[1] At the same time, he started writing semi-autobiographical adventure stories for young people for the magazine Mladý hlasatel (English: Young Announcer), based on his travels.[1] He wrote more than 150 stories.[1] In his stories, he described his experiences, which he supplemented with stories of people he met.
Death
[edit]He was arrested by the Gestapo on 14 October 1941, interrogated in the Petschek Palace, and transferred to the Theresienstadt concentration camp, eventually ending in the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp.[1] He died there on 13 February 1942, probably being killed by Eduard Krebsbach.[1] After the war, he was awarded the Czechoslovak War Cross 1939–1945 in memoriam.[1]
His life and work has been promoted by the mystificator Petr Sadecký, the creator of Octobriana, who is responsible for the many myths surrounding Batlička.[1]
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